item 727
[25-11-2011 to 31-01-2012]
News Item:
Grey seal personalities affect pups
Grey seals have different types of personality that affect the extent to which they guard and care for their young, according to new research.
Researchers Dr Patrick Pomeroy (University of St Andrews, SMRU) and Dr Sean Twiss (Durham University) found seal mothers were often unpredictable and adopted a wide variation of mothering styles. Some were attentive to their pups while others were not and the study shows, for the first time, the extent of personality differences in marine mammals in the wild, as well as how individual animals have differing behavioural styles and how they may be limited in their ability to respond to different environments.
The researchers said the findings could have benefits for future conservation policy, habitat management and reveals new information about the process of evolution.
see here for further details
contact: Dr Paddy Pomeroy