title: Social networks reveal cultural behaviour in tool-using [corrected] dolphins.
abstract: Animal tool use is of inherent interest given its relationship to intelligence, innovation and cultural behaviour. Here we investigate whether Shark Bay bottlenose dolphins that use marine sponges as hunting tools (spongers) are culturally distinct from other dolphins in the population based on the criteria that sponging is both socially learned and distinguishes between groups. We use social network analysis to determine social preferences among 36 spongers and 69 non-spongers sampled over a 22-year period while controlling for location, sex and matrilineal relatedness. Homophily (the tendency to associate with similar others) based on tool-using status was evident in every analysis, although maternal kinship, sex and location also contributed to social preference. Female spongers were more cliquish and preferentially associated with other spongers over non-spongers. Like humans who preferentially associate with others who share their subculture, tool-using dolphins prefer others like themselves, strongly suggesting that sponge tool-use is a cultural behaviour.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia 20057, USA. mannj2@georgetown.edu
authors.forename: Janet
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mann
authors.forename: Margaret A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Stanton
authors.forename: Eric M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Patterson
authors.forename: Elisa J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Bienenstock
authors.forename: Lisa O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D004289:Dolphins / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D012919:Social Behavior; D012944:Social Support