Janet Mann, a Professor of Biology and Psychology at Georgetown University in the U.S.A., has studied the Shark Bay bottlenose dolphins for 25 years with a focus on females, their calves and their varied hunting tactics.

She has tracked the tool-using ‘sponger’ dolphins from birth to old age and with her team, has discovered why some of the dolphins develop this odd hunting technique which qualifies as the only well documented case of tool use in any wild dolphin or whale.

She will discuss the ontogeny of tool-use, what dolphins are doing with sponges, why some males don’t use sponges and whether sponging can be considered a cultural behaviour.

RSVP by 16 July (the cost is free) to:

• psychalum@psy.uq.edu.au

Update - 10th September 2012:

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