Journal article
Genes or culture: are mitochondrial genes associated with tool use in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.)?
Behavior Genetics, Vol.40(5), pp.706-714
2010
Abstract
Some bottlenose dolphins use marine sponges as foraging tools ('sponging'), which appears to be socially transmitted from mothers mainly to their female offspring. Yet, explanations alternative to social transmission have been proposed. Firstly, the propensity to engage in sponging might be due to differences in diving ability caused by variation of mitochondrial genes coding for proteins of the respiratory chain. Secondly, the cultural technique of sponging may have selected for changes in these same genes (or other autosomal ones) among its possessors. We tested whether sponging can be predicted by mitochondrial coding genes and whether these genes are under selection. In 29 spongers and 54 non-spongers from two study sites, the non-coding haplotype at the HVRI locus was a significant predictor of sponging, whereas the coding mitochondrial genes were not. There was no evidence of selection in the investigated genes. Our study shows that mitochondrial gene variation is unlikely to be a viable alternative to cultural transmission as a primary driver of tool use in dolphins.
Details
- Title
- Genes or culture: are mitochondrial genes associated with tool use in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.)?
- Authors/Creators
- K. Bacher (Author/Creator)S. Allen (Author/Creator)A.K. Lindholm (Author/Creator)L. Bejder (Author/Creator)M. Krützen (Author/Creator)
- Publication Details
- Behavior Genetics, Vol.40(5), pp.706-714
- Publisher
- Springer Verlag
- Identifiers
- 991005545568307891
- Copyright
- 2010 Springer-Verlag
- Murdoch Affiliation
- Centre for Fish and Fisheries Research; School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology
- Language
- English
- Resource Type
- Journal article
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- Collaboration types
- Domestic collaboration
- International collaboration
- Citation topics
- 3 Agriculture, Environment & Ecology
- 3.35 Zoology & Animal Ecology
- 3.35.796 Marine Mammal Ecology
- Web Of Science research areas
- Behavioral Sciences
- Genetics & Heredity
- Psychology, Multidisciplinary
- ESI research areas
- Psychiatry/Psychology