TY - JOUR

T1 - Lateralization of spatial relationships between wild mother and infant orcas, Orcinus orca

AU - Karenina, K.

AU - Giljov, A.

AU - Ivkovich, T.

AU - Burdin, A.

AU - Malashichev, Y.

PY - 2013

Y1 - 2013

N2 - Cooperative interactions have been argued to be a powerful factor mediating the evolution of lateralization in animals. Mother−infant asymmetric spatial relationships represent a case of social coordination among organisms. Although lateralized interactions between mothers and infants have been found in beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas), whether this is the case in other cetaceans remains unknown. The current study investigated mother–infant spatial laterality, more specifically, the lateral biases in an infant’s position near its mother in wild orcas, Orcinus orca. Distances between the research boat and whales were categorized into three groups to test the influence of a potential threat on laterality expression. Observations on travelling individually identified mother–infant pairs showed group–level preference for the infant to be on the mother’s right side when far from the boat. This bias reversed at close distance. At an intermediate distance, no significant bias was found, but if only the cases of

AB - Cooperative interactions have been argued to be a powerful factor mediating the evolution of lateralization in animals. Mother−infant asymmetric spatial relationships represent a case of social coordination among organisms. Although lateralized interactions between mothers and infants have been found in beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas), whether this is the case in other cetaceans remains unknown. The current study investigated mother–infant spatial laterality, more specifically, the lateral biases in an infant’s position near its mother in wild orcas, Orcinus orca. Distances between the research boat and whales were categorized into three groups to test the influence of a potential threat on laterality expression. Observations on travelling individually identified mother–infant pairs showed group–level preference for the infant to be on the mother’s right side when far from the boat. This bias reversed at close distance. At an intermediate distance, no significant bias was found, but if only the cases of

KW - boat approach

KW - calf position

KW - fear response

KW - killer whale

KW - laterality in cetaceans

KW - lateralization

KW - mother−infant interactions

KW - right hemisphere

KW - social laterality

U2 - 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.09.025

DO - 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.09.025

M3 - Article

VL - 86

SP - 1225

EP - 1231

JO - Animal Behaviour

JF - Animal Behaviour

SN - 0003-3472

IS - 6

ER -