Killer whales moms spend more time with sons than daughters. It may be threatening their survival. | Business Insider

David K. Ellifrit/Center for Whale Research, permit number: NMFS 21238.Scientists have observed them feeding their sons well into adulthood, an expert said. For more stories,Southern Resident killer whales look after their sons well into adulthood, and it may be threatening the population's ability to survive, according to a study published Wednesday.

While this behavior probably gave the moms an evolutionary advantage in the past, it's backfiring now that the whales have less food. Here's how. A Southern Resident killer whale and a calf.All killer whales work in a matrilineal society, which means families tend to stick with the mother.killer whales — a small population that spend the summer and fall off the coast of Washington state — daughters will learn pretty quickly how to fend for themselves.

"There's just a really strong social bond between the mom and the kid. They spend a lot of time floating at the surface together, rubbing on each other, and swimming in tandem and in synchrony," he said.David K. Ellifrit/Center for Whale Research, permit number: NMFS 21238. A 21-year-old female has a one in five chance of having a calf in the coming year. If she has a son, that drops to one in ten, the study found. "They actually don't have enough resources to take on that extra burden of gestating and nursing a calf," said Weiss. A Southern Resident killer whales.It may come down to the size of the males. They are enormous, about 50% bigger than their moms, which means they need more food than females.

It may be that when food was plentiful, this was a great strategy, which is why moms hardwired to care for their sons were selected by evolution.Resident Southern killer whales are now critically. There are only three family pods known in the world J, K, and L, for a total of 73 individuals.

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