Tool use, is rare in the wild, documented in 0.01% of non-primate mammalian species, 10 primate species, and 30 bird species. We suggest that the ecological, social, and developmental mechanisms involved likely (1) help explain the high intrapopulation variation in female behaviour, (2) indicate tradeoffs (e.g., time allocation) between ecological and social factors and, (3) constrain the spread of this innovation to primarily vertical transmission. With a solitary lifestyle, specialization, and high foraging demands, spongers used tools more than any non-human animal. We also show a clear female-bias in the ontogeny of sponging. We compared sponge-carrying (sponger) females to non-sponge-carrying (non-sponger) females and show that spongers were more solitary, spent more time in deep water channel habitats, dived for longer durations, and devoted more time to foraging than non-spongers and, even with these potential proximate costs, calving success of sponger females was not significantly different from non-spongers. In Shark Bay, Australia, only a subset of the bottlenose dolphin population uses marine sponges as tools, providing an opportunity to assess both proximate and ultimate costs and benefits and document patterns of transmission. Despite such attention, quantifying the costs and benefits of tool use has been difficult, largely because if tool use occurs, all population members typically exhibit the behavior. Tool use is rare in wild animals, but of widespread interest because of its relationship to animal cognition, social learning and culture.
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