ScienceAugust 17, 2026
rostrum
ROS-trum
Definition
The beak or snout of an animal, specifically in this context, the elongated nose area of a dolphin.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin word 'rostrum', which originally meant 'beak' or 'bill' and later referred to the metal-covered prow of an ancient warship.
In the news
In the article, the rostrum is the part of the dolphin's body that it covers with a sea sponge to protect it while foraging along the sharp, rubble-filled ocean floor.
Dolphins off Western Australia carry sea sponges on their beaks while foraging along the ocean floor — a rare tool-use behaviour passed mainly from mothers to daughters, making it one of the few animal cultures shaped so strongly by gender
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com