from the 'and-all-I-got-was-this-lousy-sponge' dept.
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: 2) by c0lo on Friday November 24 2017, @02:53AM (5 children)
Gifting a vial of expensive perfume to a human female bears a possible in interpretation of "You stink. Please use this next time..."
I wonder what alternative interpretation the brain of a dolphin female can come with when presented with a sponge?
(grin)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
(Score: 5, Funny) by Fluffeh on Friday November 24 2017, @03:52AM
Geez, scrape the barnacles off - it's like trying to bump uglies with a rocky outcrop!
When was the last time you exfoliated? I feel like I'm flipping through the dead sea scrolls here.... Have a sponge and have at it!
Well, I couldn't find a paper bag... but here's a pretty sponge. Can you hold that in front of your face a moment?
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 24 2017, @03:56AM
I was thinking of this [webmd.com] as the human counterpart.
(Score: 1) by Ethanol-fueled on Friday November 24 2017, @04:41AM (1 child)
Buying a girl a beer never gets old. It gets her drink, though. Which is the point.
(Score: 2) by chromas on Friday November 24 2017, @11:14PM
That's rape now because you're stealing her consents away. At the very least, you have to check her drunkenness ≤ your drunkenness.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 24 2017, @05:30AM
The worse part is dolphin vagina is a better fuck than a human vagina. Source: Malcolm Brenner.
(Score: 2, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 24 2017, @02:56AM (1 child)
The male dolphin needs Mandatory Consent Training ASAP.
Heh, mandatory consent.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 24 2017, @03:40AM
http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2016/apr/22/unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt/dolphins-rapists-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt/ [politifact.com]
(Score: 2) by MostCynical on Friday November 24 2017, @03:07AM (2 children)
"but I wanted flowers"
"I guess once you start doubting, there's no end to it." -Batou, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 24 2017, @03:20AM (1 child)
I gave you a brand new Ford
But you said: "I want a Cadillac"
I bought you a ten dollar dinner
And you said: "thanks for the snack"
I let you live in my pent house
You said it was just a shack
I gave you seven children
And now you wanna give them back
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 24 2017, @05:36AM
That don't track, Jack.
Child support will drive you to smoke crack.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 24 2017, @04:29AM (1 child)
Sexual harassment knows no species bound. Put up the dolphin perps' mugshots.
(Score: -1, Redundant) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 24 2017, @05:28AM
http://www.politifact.com/punditfact/statements/2016/apr/22/unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt/dolphins-rapists-unbreakable-kimmy-schmidt/ [politifact.com]
(Score: 1) by Yaa101 on Friday November 24 2017, @09:58AM (1 child)
If female dolfins need sponges to mate when having their period?
It works that way for humans.
No comment...
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 24 2017, @03:22PM
Or they're just whores like human females and shiny objects under water aren't particularly shiny.
(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.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday November 24 2017, @03:58PM
And how do they obtain the spermicidal jelly?
(Score: 2, Funny) by kanweg on Friday November 24 2017, @06:46PM
At least we know their favorite position
Bert
(Echgraphy in dolphins: "That perv pinged me to see whether I'm pregnant! No way I'm going to have sex with that guy")