Dolphins 'whistle to find loved ones'

            Dolphins mimic the sounds of their loved ones to find them, according to new research.

            Scientists from Scotland and America studied the whistles of wild and captive dolphins. They found that those who copied each other's sounds were mothers and their offspring, and adult males who'd known each other for a long time.

            The findings suggest that mimicking whistles is done by dolphins who want to be reunited with each other. It's already known that dolphins develop their own individual whistle which describes their identity.

            Scientists also found that there were slight changes in the copied versions of whistles, which could be to avoid confusing other dolphins who might be listening.

           

Match the words below to their definitions

captive / confusing / identity / research / reunited / versions

detailed study of a subject

when an animal is kept in a closed area that they cannot leave

brought together again

characteristics of an person or animal that make them unique

particular form of something which varies slightly from other forms of the same thing

mixing up two separate things or people in your mind, imagining that they are the same

True or false?

1.  All dolphin whistles are the same.

2.  Some of the scientists came from America.

3.  Dolphins only copy the whistles of dolphins they know.

4.  All of the scientists came from Scotland.

5.  Only male dolphins copy whistles.

6.  Every dolphin has their own whistle.

7.  No one knew that dolphins whistled before this research.

8.  All of the dolphins studied were mothers.

Same or Different?

1. mimic

a) the same as follow

b) the same as copy

c) the same as ignore

2. findings

a) the same as results

b) the same as guesses

c) the same as questions

3. slight

a) the same as large

b) the same as similar

c) the same as small

4. offspring

a) the same as parents

b) the same as sisters

c) the same as children

KEY

research               detailed study of a subject

captive                  when an animal is kept in a closed area that they cannot leave

reunited                                brought together again

identity                   characteristics of an person or animal that make them unique

versions                particular form of something which varies slightly from other forms of the same thing

confusing             mixing up two separate things or people in your mind, imagining that they are the same

True or false?

1. False

2. True

3. True

4. False

5. False

6. True

7. False

8. False

Same or Different?

1. copy

2. results

3. small

4. children