Male Whales are Momma's Boys (Video)

Christine Lepisto
Science / Ocean Conservation
September 16, 2012

Dave Lonsdale/CC BY 2.0
Female killer whales have the longest menopause of any non-human species. Now scientists think they know why.
If his mommy dies, a male whale is 14 times more likely to die within the year.
The research team, from the Universities of Exeter and York (UK), the Center for Whale Research (USA) and Pacific Biological Station (Canada) studied killer whales in the North Pacific ocean over a period of 36 years.
Menopause seems difficult to explain in evolutionary terms: how does surviving well past the age in which reproduction is possible contribute to the survival of a species? Attempts to answer the question have lead to the so-called "Grandmother hypothesis" which surmises that Grandma's contributions to the core family unit help the survival chances of the third generation.
In the case of whales, the mothers themselves remain dedicated to their offspring a lifetime long -- until well after their sons are mature whales in their own rights. According to Dr Dan Franks, a Biologist at the University of York:

Our analysis shows that male killer whales are pretty much mommy's boys and struggle to survive without their mother's help. The need for mothers to care for their sons into adulthood explains why killer whales have evolved the longest post-reproductive lifespan of any non-human animal.

The press release explains the unique social groups of killer whales: "Sons and daughters (stay) with their mothers in a single group throughout their lives. With this close association, older mothers have the opportunity to increase the transmission of their genes by helping their adult offspring survive and reproduce. When sons mate, their offspring are cared for by females in another group, whereas when daughters reproduce the offspring stay in the group, which increases local competition for resources within the group."
Southern resident killer whales. Credit: Center for Whale Research

Tags: Conservation | Oceans | Whales

RSS for Christine

---

Related

• Man Single-Handedly Saves Whale Trapped in Net
  
• Dolphins and Whales Engage in Rare Interspecies Play (Video)
  
• Fugitive Paul Watson Surfaces, Says "I Must Serve My Clients, The Whales"
  

Most Popular

• 

  2012 Paris Motor Show Preview

  Take these 6 slick new models for a virtual test drive.
  by Michael Graham Richard in Cars
• 

  Public Transit Art: Map of London Underground is Also a Working Radio Circuit Board!

  What can we say, we love beautiful transit maps. They're a modern artform, ...
  by Michael Graham Richard in Public Transportation
• 

  13 Great Posters on Preserving Food, When It Was Life or Death

  Preserving food is a hobby now, but during war times, it was a ...
  by Lloyd Alter in Green Food

Nature Blows My Mind!

• 

  World's Largest Mirror in Bolivian Lake

  A tiny amount of water turns this salt flat into the world's largest mirror
  by Jaymi Heimbuch in Natural Sciences
• 

  Utah Aspen Grove Is 80,000 Years Old

  The Trembling Giant grove has been around a mind-blowing 80,000 years!
  by Mat McDermott in Natural Sciences
• 

  The Amazing Shapeshifting Mimic

vOTING rESULTS FOR NEW ALBUMS FROM REVOLVER MAGAZINE ONLINE

As I Lay Dying – Awakened  5.54%   

 

Before the Dawn – Rise Of The Phoenix  0.49%   

 

Behexen – Nightside Emanations  0.01%   

 

Black September – Into The Darkness Into The Void  0%   

 

Blut Aus Nord – 777 – Cosmosophy  0%   

 

Bullet – Full Pull  0%   

 

Car Bomb – w^w^^w^w  0.01%   

 

Caspian – Waking Season  0%   

 

The Casualties – Resistance  0.02%   

 

Deception Of A Ghost – Life Right Now  0%   

 

Dokken – Broken Bones  0.07%   

 

Ektomorf – Black Flag  0.03%   

 

Eluveitie – The Early Years  0.01%   

 

Elvenking – Era  0.01%   

 

Empty Flowers – Six  0%   

 

Encrust – From Birth To Soil  0%   

 

Engel – Blood Of Saints  41.08%   

 

Evershine – Renewal  0%   

 

Execration – The Acceptance of Zero Existence  0%   

 

Fight Amp – Birth Control  0.01%   

 

The Gathering – Disclosure  0.02%   

 

Gojira – The Link Alive  0.15%   

 

Green Day – ¡Uno!  0.47%   

 

Heaven’s Cry – Wheels Of Impermanence  0%   

 

Hellwell – Beyond The Boundaries Of Sin  0%   

 

Hollow Haze – Poison In Black  0%   

 

Hooded Menace – Effigies Of Evil  0%   

 

Hotel Diablo – The Return To Psycho, California  0.02%   

 

In Dying Arms – Boundaries  0%   

 

Kix – Live In Baltimore  0.02%   

 

Magnum – On The 13th Day  0%   

 

Manetheren – Time  0%   

 

Midnight – Complete and Total Hell  0%   

 

Millions – Failure Tactics  0%   

 

Mongrel – Reclamation  3.24%   

 

Monuments – Gnosis  0.02%   

 

NettleCarrier – NettleCarrier  0%   

 

Noisear – Turbulent Resurgence  0.02%   

 

Oak Pantheon – From a Whisper  0%   

 

Pathology – The Time Of Great Purification  0.01%   

 

Posthum – Lights Out  0%   

 

Pro-Pain – Straight To The Dome  0.01%   

 

Revocation – Teratogenesis EP  0.09%   

 

Satan’s Wrath – Galloping Blasphemy  0.03%   

 

Silencer – The Great Bear  0%   

 

Steve Harris – British Lion  0.15%   

 

Therapy? – A Brief Crack of Light  0.06%   

 

This or the Apocalypse – Dead Years  0.01%   

 

Thy Majestie – ShiHuangDi  0%   

 

Thy Will Be Done – Temple EP  48.17%   

 

Various Artists – Re-Machined – A Tribute To Deep Purple’s Machine Head  0.12%   

 

Vehement Serenade – Refuse The Lie 7″  0.03%   

 

Winterfylleth – The Threnody Of Triumph  0%   

 

Witchcraft – Legend  0.03%   

Excerpt: Rob Zombie Talks ‘The Lords of Salem’ Movie

Josh Hart | Sep 27, 2012 | 0 Comments and 0 Reactions | Tags: Rob Zombie

 33 156 108 304

In the new Rock! Shock! and Horror! issue of Revolver, our old pal Rob Zombie opens up about his lifelong love of horror movies. In this excerpt, Rob discusses his highly anticipated new film The Lords of Salem. For the full interview — as well as features on Marilyn Manson, Kirk Hammett, Corey Taylor and more — pick up the issue on newsstands on October 3, or in our online store right now.
REVOLVER You’ve described The Lords of Salem as a “slow mindfuck,” not a “scary movie.” What do you mean by that?
ROB ZOMBIE I don’t even like the term “scary.” A lot of these words get perverted by studios because “scary” means there’s this loud noise and the audience jumps. A lot of times, I’ll watch a movie and go, C’mon, enough with the fuckin’ loud cues every second! I’m not scared, I’m annoyed. You might as well lean over and yell in someone’s ear. Yeah, they’re gonna jump, but they’re not actually scared. They’re startled.
How is The Lords of Salem different?
There’s a weird tone to Lords of Salem that has a cumulative effect on the viewer as the film progresses. I’ve approached people after they’ve seen it and they’ve given me this blank expression. They don’t even know what to say. I assumed they hated it. Then they called me the next day and went, “Sorry I didn’t say anything, man. I was in a state of shock after watching it. I had to digest it. I was up all night thinking about it. I had nightmares about it.” That’s the exact response I want.
Can you compare it to any other movies by any other directors?
It’s kind of like if Ken Russell [the director of the Who’s Tommy and Altered States] directed Rosemary’s Baby.
Does the movie have anything in common with some of the classic witch films like Mark of the Devil, Witchfinder General, or the original The Wicker Man?
I like those films, but none of them inspired Lords of Salem. I literally bought a book on the Salem Witch Trials one day at a hotel I was staying at. I started reading it and it refreshed my mind on the subject. But the idea lay around for years and years. At one point, I thought I’d just make it into a comic book. But then the opportunity came up and I thought, Why not?
For the full story, pick up the Rock! Shock! and Horror! issue of Revolver here.