For more than 40 years, researchers in Shark Bay, Western Australia, have been watching the lives of a very unusual group of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus). The male dolphins in this group form one of the most complex social systems known outside of humans, complete with lifelong friendships, supportive alliances, and cooperative partnerships that shape their entire lives, including how many calves they sire.
Now, our new research shows these friendships may do more than influence social and reproductive success. They may actually slow biological ageing.
