Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!bu.edu!bu-bio!colby
From: colby@bu-bio.bu.edu (Chris Colby)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Why do seals clap?
Summary: to get to the other side
Message-ID: <83245@bu.edu>
Date: 6 Jun 91 04:27:33 GMT
References: <1991May31.182707.13229@lgc.com>
Sender: news@bu.edu
Reply-To: colby@bu-bio.UUCP (Chris Colby)
Organization: Biology Dept., Bost
Lines: 20

In article <1991May31.182707.13229@lgc.com> cl@lgc.com (Cameron Laird) writes:
>I have unreliable images in my mind that seals (in zoos,
>circuses, television programs) clap their flippers.  Why?
>I'm looking for a structural-functional answer along the
>lines of,

	I don't know, but I'll be willing to bet someone has put
forth a parasite hypothesis (clapping dislodges parasites). That
is supposedly why whales breach; and virtually every animal behav-
iour that is not understood has a parasite hypothesis that is
supposed to explain at least part of it.  

	BTW, if a seal claps in the forest, and there's no one
there to hear it...

>Cameron Laird				+1 713-579-4613
>cl@lgc.com (cl%lgc.com@uunet.uu.net)	+1 713-996-8546 

Chris Colby
email: colby@bu-bio.bu.edu