Dissertation Research: Development of Signature Whistles inFree-Ranging Bottlenose Dolphins

宽吻海豚会发出独特的声音，称为“签名哨声”。Laela Sayigh女士博士论文研究的主要目的是研究影响海豚幼崽签名哨声发育的因素，以及了解签名哨声和非签名哨声（变体）的社会功能。口哨产生的性别差异可能与雄性和雌性在社区社会结构中扮演的不同角色有关。被研究的海豚是在佛罗里达州萨拉索塔附近水域大约100只自由放养的宽吻海豚中的一群。关于年龄、性别和母系关系的数据可以从之前对这一群体的研究中获得。Sayigh女士将观察和记录未受干扰的母子对，以便直接研究幼崽的口哨发育过程。为了测试母海豚和年龄较大（独立）的幼海豚之间的签名哨声识别能力，萨伊将在海豚暂时被围在一个大网里的时候播放录制好的哨声。这些观察结果应该揭示母亲的行为是否有助于先前观察到的雄性和雌性小牛在哨子发育方面的差异。这项研究还应该阐明特征哨声和变异哨声的社会功能，并可能为宽吻海豚的社会关系提供额外的见解。

Bottlenose dolphins produce individually distinctive vocalizations called signature whistles. The main objectives of Ms. Laela Sayigh's doctoral-dissertation research are to examine factors influencing the development of the signature whistle by dolphin calves, and to learn the social functions of signature and non-signature (variant) whistles. It may be possible to correlate sex differences in whistle production with the different roles males and females play in the social structure of the community. The dolphins to be studied are in a group of about 100 free- ranging bottlenose dolphins in waters near Sarasota, Florida. Data on age, sex, and matrilineal relationships are available from previous research on this group. Ms. Sayigh will observe and record undisturbed mother-calf pairs in order to study the process of whistle development directly in young calves. To test for signature-whistle recognition between mothers and older (independent) offspring, Ms. Sayigh will play back recorded whistles while dolphins are temporarily corralled in a large net. These observations should reveal whether or not the behavior of the mother contributes to a previously-observed difference in whistle development in male and female calves. The research should also elucidate the social functions of signature and variant whisles, and perhaps provide additional insights into the social relationships of bottlenose dolphins.