Dolphins Learn Foraging Tricks From Each Other, Not Just From Mom

"Dolphins learn special foraging techniques from their mothers—and it's now clear that they can learn from their buddies as well. Take the clever trick that some dolphins use to catch fish by trapping them in seashells. It turns out that they learn this skill by watching their pals do the job."

"The discovery, reported in the journal Current Biology, helps reveal how groups of wild animals can transmit learned behaviors and develop their own distinct cultures."

"'Dolphins are indeed very clever animals. So it makes sense that they are able to learn from others,' says Sonja Wild, a researcher at the University of Konstanz in Germany. She says young dolphins spend years in close association with their mothers and naturally tend to adopt their mothers' ways, but this study shows that 'dolphins are not only capable, but also motivated to learn from their peers.'"