Killer Whale (Orcinus orca)
Altruism
Image courtesy of South Georgia Island Environment
Behavioral traits possibly associated with altruism such as epimeletic (care-giving) behavior seem to be distributed widely through the cetacea. Cooperative foraging also suggests there is kin selection found in killer whales (Connor, 1982)
Post reproductive females make no direct contribution to population growth. However, they may play an important social role by nurturing other females’ young and creating a matriarchal bonding system. These females also remember habitat uses in complex environments (Brault, 1993).
An alloparent is an
individual, other than the genetic parent, that provides care for conspecific
young. Incidents
of succcorant behavior (care directed toward adults in distress by other
adults) as well as nurturant behavior (care directed toward young by any
adult, including
the parent) have been reported in non-captive killer whales (Riedman, 1982).
Image Courtesy of South Georgia Island Environment