Sat Feb 01 15:45:00 UTC 2025: ## Dolphin Babies Use Specialized Tongue Receptors to Detect Fat in Mother’s Milk: Study
**CHENNAI, February 1, 2025** – A new study published in *The Hindu* reveals that juvenile bottlenose dolphins possess specialized taste receptors on their tongues that allow them to detect fatty acids in their mother’s milk. Researchers discovered unique structures at the back of the tongue containing receptors specifically tuned to long-chain fatty acids, along with enzymes to aid in fat breakdown. This allows the young dolphins to assess the nutritional value of their mother’s milk. Analysis of the milk revealed the presence of seven saturated and sixteen unsaturated long-chain fatty acids. Behavioral tests further confirmed that young dolphins can identify the presence of milk in water. The findings are significant because dolphins, unlike land mammals, have limited olfactory capabilities in water. This specialized taste system likely serves as a crucial sensory mechanism for these marine mammals.
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