From nudge to network: early contact and behavioral development in beluga whales

Abstract

Early social experiences play a critical role in shaping social development. However, the extent to which specific forms of early tactile interaction influence later social outcomes in cetaceans remains unclear. Video data from 11 beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) calves from six mothers from birth through three years in a managed-care setting provided measures of overall contact and calf-initiated pectoral-fin contact during the first two years and social (mother- and conspecific-directed) and non-social behaviors in the third year. Overall contact did not predict behavioral outcomes. In contrast, pectoral-fin contact predicted mother-directed social behavior. Neither form of contact was associated with conspecific-directed social behavior or non-social behavior, and the consistency of contact did not moderate the effects. These findings suggest that specific forms of tactile interaction are associated with later mother-directed social behavior. Future research that better disentangles genetic and experiential effects is needed before causal conclusions can be drawn.