Mother whales teach calves where to eat

SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 9 (UPI) -- U.S. biologists say they've discovered mother right whales teach their children where to eat.

University of Utah biologists discovered the phenomenon and said they are concerned about the whales' ability to find new places to feed if Earth's changing climate disrupts their traditional dining areas.

"A primary concern is what are whales going to do with global warming, which may change the location and abundance of their prey?" said Associate Professor Vicky Rowntree, a co-author of the new study. "Can they adapt if they learn from their mother where to feed or will they die?"

Rowntree said previous research has shown that when climate oscillations increase sea temperatures, southern right whales give birth to fewer calves because the warm water reduces the abundance of krill, which are small, shrimp-like crustaceans eaten by the whales.

"Southern right whales consume enormous amounts of food and have to travel vast distances to find adequate amounts of small prey," said Professor Jon Seger. "This study shows that mothers teach their babies in the first year of life where to go to feed in the immensity of the ocean."

The research is to be published in the Feb. 15 issue of the journal Molecular Ecology.