Sperm Whale Birth Captured with Unexpected Herd Support
TL;DR
Researchers filming off Dominica captured a rare birth of a sperm whale in which surrounding females—related and unrelated—cooperated to support the laboring mother and calf, a first documented instance of birth assistance in non-primates, with vocal changes suggesting coordinated care.
- Scientists film whale giving birth while other whales work together to help her The Guardian
- Description of a collaborative sperm whale birth and shifts in coda vocal styles during key events | Scientific Reports Nature
- The Astonishing Lessons of a Sperm-Whale Birth The New Yorker
- Out at sea, a Canadian whale scientist witnessed something close to a miracle theglobeandmail.com
- Scientists captured female sperm whales on video working together during a birth to protect the calf Los Angeles Times
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Read on The Guardian