"This is the first evidence of birth assistance in non-primates. It is fascinating to see the intergenerational support from the grandmother to her labouring daughter, and the support from the other, unrelated females."
"The birth lasted 34 minutes, from their tails emerging from the water to the calf being born. During labour, other adult females dived under Rounder's dorsal fin, often on their backs with the heads facing her genital slit."
"Immediately after the birth, the pod's behaviour rapidly changed as every member became active. All the adults were squeezing the newborn's body between theirs, touching it with their heads."
"The remarkable behaviour dates back more than 36 million years and represents an exceptional rarity in the history of science."
A team from Project Ceti filmed a sperm whale giving birth off Dominica, documenting the support from both related and unrelated females. The 19-year-old female, Rounder, was assisted by her family and other adult females during a 34-minute labor. This event is significant as only nine of 93 cetacean species have been observed giving birth in the wild. The behavior exhibited by the pod after the birth included touching and moving the newborn, highlighting a rare instance of cooperative care among whales.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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