Male dolphins have 'wingmen' just like humans.
Male bottlenose dolphins have 'wingmen' to attract females
A research team has found that male bottlenose dolphins form tactical alliances with other males and will compete together against other alliances for the attention of females.
The team, led by experts from the University of Bristol, discovered that the marine mammals build more alliances than any species with the exception of humans.
They also found that different groups of dolphins will co-operate to allow males to spend more time with the females they are pursuing and resulting in the long-term benefit of reproductive success.
Co-lead author Dr. Stephanie King said: "Our work highlights that dolphin societies, as well as those of nonhuman primates, are valuable model systems for understanding human social and cognitive evolution.
"Not only have we shown that male bottlenose dolphins form the largest known multilevel alliance network outside humans, but that cooperative relationships between groups, rather than simply alliance size, allows males to spend more time with females, thereby increasing their reproductive success."