Study Finds 23 Shark Bay Dolphins Carry Distinct Epigenomic Marks Linked to Sponging
Updated
Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 9
Study Finds 23 Shark Bay Dolphins Carry Distinct Epigenomic Marks Linked to Sponging
3 articles · Updated · Yahoo! Voices · Aug 9
Summary
Skin samples from 96 Shark Bay dolphins showed the 23 known “spongers” carried DNA-methylation patterns distinct from 73 non-spongers, linking the learned hunting tactic to measurable epigenomic differences.
Nearly 30,000 genomic sites were analyzed, and researchers could separate spongers from non-spongers with moderate accuracy using methylation patterns alone.
Sponging—documented for more than 25 years and used mainly by females—has dolphins wear marine sponges over their snouts while foraging on sandy seafloors, helping reduce abrasion and reach prey in deeper water.
The finding suggests animal culture may shape biology faster than genetic change alone, a potentially important edge as marine heat waves disrupt prey, though researchers still cannot tell whether behavior drives the epigenetic shifts or the reverse.