A new study attempts to explain why orcas stick so closely to their adult sons and appear to coach him through life's struggles.
. The photographs of 103 killer whales showed which swam together and which had “rake” marks on their skin left by the teeth of other orcas. Since the mammals have no predators other than humans, scientists believe that rake marks come from social interactions with other orcas, such as fights.Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour
Yet, this protective effect didn’t extend to orca daughters and grandchildren. The researchers also found no such effect if the mother was still reproducing.An adult male orca with tooth rake marks. The mother orcas didn’t appear to be intervening directly in fights as nonreproductive females had the fewest rake marks, on average. The researchers suggest that they may be helping to guide the son or somehow prevent him from getting into scuffles.
. “Given these close mother-son associations, it could also be that she is present in a situation of conflict so she can signal to her sons to avoid the risky behavior they might be participating in.”The paper turns to a kinship dynamics theory to explain why the mother aids only the son, and the conclusions are not so heartwarming. She safeguards him so closely because if he prospers and goes on to make a new orca baby, it becomes the responsibility of another pod.
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