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Examining Calf Behavioral Development in Beluga Whales The University of Southern Mississippi The Aquila Digital Community Master's Theses Spring 5-1-2019 First Thirty Days of Life: Examining Calf Behavioral Development in Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas) and Pacific White-Sided Dolphins (Lagenorhyncus obliquidens) at One Zoological Facility Kendal Smith University of Southern Mississippi Follow this and additional works at: https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses Part of the Animal Studies Commons, Biological Psychology Commons, Comparative Psychology Commons, Developmental Psychology Commons, and the Other Psychology Commons Recommended Citation Smith, Kendal, "First Thirty Days of Life: Examining Calf Behavioral Development in Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas) and Pacific White-Sided Dolphins (Lagenorhyncus obliquidens) at One Zoological Facility" (2019). Master's Theses. 606. https://aquila.usm.edu/masters_theses/606 This Masters Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FIRST THIRTY DAYS OF LIFE: EXAMINING CALF BEHAVIORAL DEVELOPMENT IN BELUGA WHALES (DELPHINAPTERUS LEUCAS) AND PACIFIC WHITE-SIDED DOLPHINS (LAGENORHYNCHUS OBLIQUIDENS) AT ONE ZOOLOGICAL FACILITY by Kendal Smith A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate School, the College of Education and Human Sciences and the School of Psychology at The University of Southern Mississippi in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts Approved by: Mark Huff, Committee Chair Lance Miller Richard Mohn Don Sacco ____________________ ____________________ ____________________ Dr. Mark Huff Dr. Joe Olmi Dr. Karen S. Coats Committee Chair Director of School Dean of the Graduate School May 2019 COPYRIGHT BY Kendal Smith 2019 Published by the Graduate School ABSTRACT Cetacean development is important for general comparative understanding and the implementation of informed husbandry policies. Due to the inaccessibility of many of these species in the wild, researchers can study managed care populations to better understand basic developmental patterns of cetaceans, as well as to improve husbandry policies for facility animals. However, no previous studies have attempted to observe the behavioral development of Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhyncus obliquidens). Eight beluga whale calves and four Pacific white-sided dolphin calves were observed for the first 30 days of life to determine the developmental trajectory of several typically monitored behaviors. The first occurrence and developmental trajectory for each behavior are described to identify variation and to document differences between successful calves, those that survived the 30-day period, and unsuccessful calves, those that did not survive the 30-day period, of both species. A single-case time series design analyzed developmental pattern differences within the 30 days for the successful calves. Overall, beluga whales and Pacific white-sided dolphins exhibited similar developmental trends; however, beluga whale calves had significantly higher nursing duration and frequency and rates of slipstream position than Pacific white-sided dolphin calves. Nursing behaviors and slipstream behaviors of the unsuccessful calves of both species were either inconsistent or delayed compared to the successful calves. The results of this study may be used to better understand norms of cetacean development and to stimulate future research in the early identification of abnormal development in the hopes of increasing calf survival rates. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thank you to the staff of the John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, Illinois. The data contribution made the success of this project possible, and the assistance and continue support offered by the staff members and trainers ensured the project’s completion. I would like to acknowledge the support and extensive contributions from Dr. Lance Miller. His instruction provided me with unmatched knowledge about the field of marine mammal behavioral research, and I am truly grateful for the experience. Thank you, as well, to the ladies of the Marine Mammal Behavior and Cognition Lab at the University of Southern Mississippi. The emotional and intellectual support provided by my fellow lab members made the successful completion of this project and my Masters degree progression possible. I would also like to acknowledge the support and contribution from Dr. Mark Huff, my thesis advisor. His willingness and ability to step out of his comfort zone and research field to oversee my project’s progression made the completion of my degree a possibility. iii DEDICATION This Master’s thesis is dedicated to Dr. Stanley Kuczaj II. Although you were not around to see the completion of this project, I still believe that you would have been proud of the work I have accomplished thus far. The pain of your loss still affects me to this day, but the drive to push and succeed in your name motivates me to continue to pursue my dreams of working in marine mammal research. This thesis is also dedicated to my mother, Dr. Patti Rasberry Smith. I have always admired your strength and compassion. I never truly understood nor appreciated how fierce and how passionate you are to have accomplish everything you have done. The ability to have obtained a PhD while working a full-time job and raising three children simply stuns me. I can only hope that one day as I follow this path that I can display the amount of strength you have. Finally, this thesis is dedicated to Michael Vines. You were my foundation during the adversity I have faced. Without your emotional support, I do not think this project would have ever succeeded. Thank you for motivating me and for holding me accountable during this process. Words can’t describe how much I appreciate all that you have done to keep me focused and sane. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iii DEDICATION ................................................................................................................... iv LIST OF TABLES ........................................................................................................... viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ............................................................................................. ix CHAPTER I – INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................... 1 Use of Developmental Trajectories ................................................................................ 1 Cetacean Calf Development ........................................................................................... 3 Beluga Whales ................................................................................................................ 5 Pacific White-Sided Dolphins......................................................................................... 7 Nursing Patterns .............................................................................................................. 8 Swim Positions.............................................................................................................. 11 Association Rates .......................................................................................................... 13 Respiration Rates .......................................................................................................... 15 Current Study ................................................................................................................ 16 CHAPTER II – METHODS ............................................................................................. 18 Ethics Statement............................................................................................................ 18 Facility and Subjects ..................................................................................................... 18 Data Collection ............................................................................................................. 20 v Data Analysis ................................................................................................................ 20 CHAPTER III – RESULTS .............................................................................................. 23 Observer Reliability ...................................................................................................... 23 Nursing Patterns ............................................................................................................ 23 Nursing Bouts ............................................................................................................... 23 Nursing Duration .......................................................................................................... 29 Nursing Average ........................................................................................................... 32 Calf Position.................................................................................................................. 36 Associations .................................................................................................................. 40 Maternal Associations ..................................................................................................
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