Meanings
nounallokelping (uncountable)
- uncountablebiologyAn apparent form of allogrooming in which orcas rub each other with kelp.
We hypothesize that allokelping is a cultural behavior unique to southern resident killer whales. Future work should investigate if and how allokelping is learned, and whether it occurs in other killer whale societies.
2025 June 23, Michael N. Weiss, Rachel E. John, Alondra M. Caro-Ruiz, David K. Ellifrit, Charli A. Grimes, Taylor A. Redmond, Arlene A. Vargas, Darren P. Croft, “Manufacture and use of allogrooming tools by wild killer whales”, in Current Biology, volume 35, number 12 (Correspondence), →DOI, page R600
Cite this entry
APA
allokelping. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/allokelping
MLA
“allokelping.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/allokelping. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “allokelping,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/allokelping.
Source: allokelping on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.