New study reveals dolphins mimic each other's "smiles" during play, suggesting complex social communication.

New research shows that bottlenose dolphins open their mouths in a smile-like expression when playing, especially when in sight of other dolphins. This study, which filmed 22 dolphins for 80 hours, found dolphins mimic each other's open-mouth expressions rapidly, with a 13 times higher chance of mimicking within a second if seen. The research, using AI and eye-tracking, highlights the importance of visual cues in dolphin social interactions and suggests complex communication methods.

3 months ago
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