Male Australian humpback dolphins have been observed presenting sponges to female dolphins:
Researchers from The University of Western Australia have captured a rare sexual display: evidence of male humpback dolphins presenting females with large marine sponges in an apparent effort to mate.
Scientists from UWA's School of Biological Sciences, the University of Zurich and Murdoch University conducted a decade of boat-based research on coastal dolphins across north-western Australia.
They documented adult male Australian humpback dolphins presenting large marine sponges to females, as well as performing visual and acoustic displays. It's the first time the behaviour has been documented in this species.
Their first observation was between a male and female dolphin and her calf. The male dolphin dived down to remove a large marine sponge fixed to the seafloor, balanced it on his beak and pushed it toward the female.
G'day mate.
Multi-modal sexual displays in Australian humpback dolphins (open, DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13898-9) (DX)
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Rivenaleem on Friday November 24 2017, @11:27AM (2 children)
So are we saying that the requirement for males to gift females items of perceived value, is not a human only contrived social construct, and it exists in nature? Well, shit.
(Score: 2) by Azuma Hazuki on Friday November 24 2017, @07:32PM
Dolphins are plenty socially aware, thanks. You and many other people assume that there's some sudden consciousness-creating shift between H. sapiens and, well, every other animal on the planet. There is not.
I am "that girl" your mother warned you about...
(Score: 2) by unauthorized on Saturday November 25 2017, @03:01AM
You would think that, but thefact is that the dolphin patriarchy is oppressing the dolphin women by teaching them harmful social constructs.