Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) create facial displays during social interactions by changing the shape of their melons.

ABSTRACT: Beluga whales are considered unique among odontocetes in their ability to visibly alter the appearance of their head by changing the shape of the melon, but only anecdotal observations are available to evaluate the use or potential function of these melon shapes. This study of belugas in professionally managed care aimed to establish an ethogram for the repertoire of categorizable melon shapes and then evaluate their potential function as intentional communication signals by determining if they were produced and elaborated during social interactions of varying behavioral contexts while in the line of sight of a recipient. Five different melon shapes were reliably identified in video observations of the primary study population (n = 4) and externally validated in a second aquarium populatio

SUBMITTER: Richard JT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10907495 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature