New research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that female dolphins can remember the aggressive behaviors of males, influencing their mating decisions. Conducted by Prof. Stephanie King from the University of Bristol, the study highlights the complex social structures of bottlenose dolphins, where males and females can maintain relationships over decades. During mating season, males often form aggressive alliances to herd females into consortships, which can involve coercive tactics such as biting and hitting. The study, focusing on a population of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins from Shark Bay in Western Australia, found that females can recognize individual males by their unique calls, known as signature whistles. When presented with these whistles, reproductively available females exhibited stronger avoidance responses to the calls of more aggressive males. This suggests that female dolphins actively track male behaviors to avoid potential coercion during mating. The findings underscore the intelligence and social complexity of dolphin societies.