Yes, some species of dolphin have hair at birth; however, the hair falls out once they are born or shortly after birth.
After the hair falls out, hair follicles can still be seen on the dolphin’s face and snout.
Dolphins are marine mammals and share several common characteristics among most mammals, one of which is the presence of hair.
Hair can often be seen on a dolphin jaw bone or snout area when they are infants, although it falls off and disappears entirely within a short amount of time.
Although dolphins may lose their hair very quickly after birth, their hair follicles may remain visible throughout their lives.
While some species of dolphin have hair when they are born, not all species are born with hair, and since dolphins do not require hair to in order maintain their body heat, “the dolphin’s blubber keeps their vital organs warm,” scientists have speculated other possible reasons for the presence of hair.
One possible explanation as to why dolphins are born with hair has to do with the fact that dolphins (actually their relatives) were once land-dwelling creatures that walked on land and had body hair to keep them warm.
Although they evolved over millions of years, they still have some hair follicles that can be found on their face and snout.
Another possible reason for the existence of hair is that it may play a role in communication between mother dolphins and their young.
Since hair is susceptible to the touch, it may act as a contact point for close bonding when a mother rubs against the light hairs of their young.
It may also be used as a mating ritual in which the hair stimulates sexual behavior.
However, the fact that most species lose their hair shortly after birth makes this theory less compelling.
Other Mammal Features
Besides the presence of hair, dolphins have several other characteristics that are common among other mammal species:
- Dolphins give birth (dolphins give birth to live young just like humans and unlike fish that lay eggs)
- Dolphins require air (dolphins get their oxygen from the air above the surface of the water)
- Dolphins are warm-blooded (they have thick layers of blubber to keep their vital organs warm in cold climates)
- Dolphins produce milk (female dolphins feed their milk from their mammary glands, which the child suckles from her nipple)
- Dolphins have hair (not all species possess hair)
Interestingly dolphins aren’t the only species known to have hair.
In addition to dolphins, whales also possess hair.
Dolphins are part of the cetacean family and makeup about half of the 80 – 90 species within the family.
The cetacean family consists of all whale, dolphin, and porpoise species.
All cetaceans are marine mammals, breathe air, give birth, are born warm-blooded, and produce milk.
Some even have hair, as stated above.
As a species, these marine mammals can be seen traveling in all of the world’s oceans, from the tropics to the northern and southern polar regions of the world.