Last updated on March 16, 2014 at 1:21 EDT  Wild Bottlenose
Dolphins: Research Shows They Can Be Stuck Up  August 1, 2012
Image Credit: Photos.com  Lee Rannals for redOrbit.com — Your
Universe Online  Talk about stuck up, new research shows that
bottlenose dolphins form elite societies and cliques.
Scientists found that wild bottlenose dolphins bond over the use
of tools, with distinct cliques and classes forming over decades
as a result of their skills. The research suggests that humans
are not the only animal species that understand what its like to
be picked last in gym class.  According to the findings, the
dolphins in the communities share their knowledge only with
those in their own circle, passing it down the family line.
Georgetown University noticed that some dolphins in Shark Bay,
Australia used a sponge to protect their beaks while hunting,
and others did not. The team wanted to understand why the
practice had not spread.  They found the tool was first used by
a single dolphin nicknamed “Sponging