Department of Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, Canada.
Department of Life Sciences, Texas A & M - San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA.
Behav Processes. 2022 Aug;200:104695. doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104695. Epub 2022 Jun 30.
While the ontogeny of beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) socio-sexual behavior has been documented in animals between 37- and 108-months-old, the first 36 months of life are yet to be examined. This study investigated how socio-sexual behaviors emerge over the first three years of life in a group of belugas in managed care. The emergence of socio-sexual behaviors was relatively consistent among immature animals. More complex behaviors, like s-posture presentations, developed in a piecemeal fashion (i.e., simple components of the behavior sequence emerged before complex components). The presence of an adult male significantly predicted if immature belugas would initiate and participate in socio-sexual behavior. However, partner preferences changed with age. In the first year of life, belugas engaged in sexual behavior with their mother most frequently but preferred to play with older males if given a choice. By the third year of life, belugas engaged in socio-sexual behavior most frequently with other immature animals. These findings enhance our understanding of how belugas develop sexually and socially and have implications for social housing practices of immature belugas.
虽然白鲸（Delphinapterus leucas）的社会性行为发生在 37 至 108 月龄之间的动物身上已经有记录，但生命的头 36 个月仍有待研究。本研究调查了在受管理的环境中，一群白鲸如何在生命的头三年中出现社会性行为。不成熟的动物中，社会性行为的出现相对一致。更复杂的行为，如 s 姿势展示，以零碎的方式发展（即，行为序列的简单组成部分先于复杂组成部分出现）。成年雄性的存在显著预测了不成熟的白鲸是否会开始并参与社会性行为。然而，伴侣偏好会随年龄而变化。在生命的第一年，白鲸最常与母亲发生性行为，但如果有选择，它们更喜欢与年长的雄性玩耍。到了第三年，白鲸最常与其他不成熟的动物进行社会性行为。这些发现增强了我们对白鲸性和社会性发展的理解，并对不成熟的白鲸的社会住房实践具有重要意义。
