You have reached your maximum number of saved items. Remove items from your saved list to add more. Rare footage of a sperm whale giving birth has offered scientists a window into the behaviour of these large, elusive mammals. The video, taken in 2023, shows female whales from two family lines working together to support the labour during critical moments and to lift the newborn calf above the water. It’s a level of co-ordination that is extremely uncommon in the animal kingdom, especially outside of primates such as monkeys and humans. “The group quite literally helps bring the calf into the world,” said Oregon State University behavioural ecologist Mauricio Cantor. He had no role in the new research. Scientists want to know how whales co-operate and socialise in the wild, but it’s tough to study this in animals that spend most of their time underwater. There are just a handful of sperm whale birth records from the past 60 years, and all are anecdotal accounts or from whaling boats.…