Rishika Shahi
Recent research has uncovered fascinating insights into dolphin behavior, revealing that these intelligent marine mammals not only have a permanent smile but also engage in smiling interactions with one another. When bottlenose dolphins play with each other, the researchers stated, they display a very particular facial expression. The expression is thought to be a social communication technique, and evolutionary biologist Elisabetta Palagi of the University of Pisa in Italy headed the study team that discovered it.
The Science Behind Dolphin Smiles
Dolphins are known for their distinctive facial structure, which gives the impression of a perpetual smile. Researchers have studied this phenomenon to determine whether it serves a communicative purpose among these creatures. The findings suggest that dolphins use their smiles as a social signal, enhancing their interactions with one another.
According to a study that was published in the iScience magazine, bottlenose dolphins play with each other and have a very particular facial expression. The expression is thought to be a social communication technique, and evolutionary biologist Elisabetta Palagi of the University of Pisa in Italy headed the study team that discovered it.
“We’ve uncovered the presence of a distinct facial display, the open mouth, in bottlenose dolphins, and we showed that dolphins are also able to mirror others’ facial expression,” Palagi told ScienceAlert.
Communication Through Smiling
The crew watched 80 hours of video featuring 22 captive dolphins playing underwater before coming to this conclusion. The animals displayed a highly specific open mouth expression when they were in each other’s field of sight.
Ninety percent of the time, when they witnessed other dolphins playing battle, this was what happened. The researchers speculate that the smile’ might have signaled that the behavior is playful rather than aggressive.
Furthermore, dolphins reflect one other’s facial expressions, exactly like humans do. According to the study, 33% of the time the smile was “returned.” Prior research on dogs and monkeys had shown similar expressions. This suggests that smiling expressions are biologically universal across species.
“The relaxed open mouth, seen in social carnivores, monkeys’ play faces, and even human laughter, is a universal sign of playfulness, helping animals – and us – signal fun and avoid conflict,” stated the principal researcher.
Researchers studying dolphins found that when the dolphins played together, their open mouth expression was quite particular and distinct from when they played by themselves.
These expressions promote pleasant interactions and strengthen social ties. The smile is yet another evidence of the unique ways of communication of dolphins, already noted for having some of the most complex vocalizations among mammals.
“Open-mouth signals and rapid mimicry appear repeatedly across the mammal family tree, which suggests that visual communication has played a crucial role in shaping complex social interactions, not only in dolphins but in many species over time,” said Palagi.
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