It is well known that killer whales (orcinus orca) are intelligent animals. But new research may force to put the adverb “very” ahead of that qualifier. In fact, they would share quite a few personality traits with the two most cognitively developed animal species: humans and chimpanzees.
This is the conclusion of a study carried out by Spanish scientists from the University of Gerona from the observation of 24 captive killer whales in the SeaWorld aquariums in Orlando (Florida) and San Diego (California), and in the Loro Parque zoo in Tenerife.
The trainers and the personnel close to the orcas of these three entities observed the behavior of the cetaceans every day and classified it according to 38 personality traits (among which are independence, stubbornness, courage, sensitivity …) They can be grouped into five categories: sociability, responsibility, openness, kindness and neuroticism.
The scientists then analyzed these traits and compared them with previous studies of the same traits conducted with humans and chimpanzees.
Social intelligence
The results of the work (published online in the Journal of Comparative Psychology) indicate that the personality traits of these cetaceans are similar to those of people and chimpanzees, but more to those of the latter. According to Yulán Úbeda, PhD student in Psychology at the University of Gerona and director of the research, “ours is the first study that examines the personality traits of orcas and how these are related to ours and those of other primates” .
Úbeda and his colleagues think that there is an evolutionary convergence between orcas and primates, explainable because the cognitive abilities for the complex social interactions that characterize these species are similar. Killer whales, as orcas are also known, live in small groups with strong ties between individuals: they hunt together, share food, establish prey capture strategies, and communicate in complex ways.
It is famous the case of a 20-year-old female orca who, with the help of other members of her clan, spent 17 days keeping her dead calf afloat. They traveled hundreds of miles with the corpse, an effort that interfered with the group’s hunting activities. Does it show pain (a very complex emotion) or pure instinct? The specialists do not agree. According to Úbeda, “some studies suggest that the mother’s physical contact with her dead calf helps her overcome the trauma. In any case, these behaviors demonstrate the complexity of these cetaceans ”.
How does captivity influence?
In such intelligent animals, it must be a factor that influences their personality and behavior. Some research indicates that living in a tank increases neuroticism and aggressiveness in killer whales.
The study from the University of Gerona does not analyze the effects of a reclusive existence on killer whales. Yulán Úbeda emphasizes that his work was done with these animals because doing it with free specimens is very complicated, and he admits that the observed personality traits could be different in nature.
Image (Robert Pittman / NOAA): Two killer whales jump near Unimak Island, part of the Aleutian archipelago, Alaska.
