Several people agree that dolphins are among the sea's greatest brainiacs. As millions of years have passed, the brains, bodies, sensory systems, and intelligence of these creatures have progressed, adapted, and evolved to allow them to live in varied and rich waters.
Measuring Intelligence
According to Earth.com, when it comes to gauging intelligence, there is a popular test known as the mirror test. This test assesses if animals are familiar with their own reflection. Overall, it measures self-awareness. While this aspect is a vital facet of human intelligence, it is only one piece of the puzzle.
Other behaviors, including tool use and communication, are all hallmarks of intelligence. Complex emotions and social behaviors are also indicators of such.
Earth.com notes that it is difficult to define as the problem-solving techniques of species greatly depend on the situation. For instance, dolphins do not know how to climb trees, but this does not mean that they are less smart than squirrels or other tree-climbing animals.
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How Smart Are Dolphins?
According to Whales and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), dolphins (and whales) have big brains. Though sperm whales are known to have the largest brains, dolphins are recognized to have a brain-body ratio that only falls second compared to humans. Dolphins World also reports that MRIs have revealed that the brains of these creatures are roughly four to five times bigger compared to other similar-sized creatures.
Generally, big-brained creatures share common features. They are social and have long lives. Their behavior is also known to be complicated.
The WDC adds that the clearest difference between human and dolphin brains is that the latter have a full region allocated for echolocation. Dolphins are armed with a skill known as echolocation that enables them to "see" using sonar or sound. Because the travel of sound in water is faster than light, it makes sense for these creatures to navigate through their surroundings using sound.
Moreover, dolphins are considerably self-aware, as they can recognize their reflection when they are subjected to the mirror test. This signifies that abstract thinking is developing. Cognitive psychologist Diana Reiss also explains that the learning ability of these creatures can be likened to a 3-year-old child's.
Earth.com also adds that dolphins are quite empathetic. This is demonstrated in how they mourn for family member losses. Their empathy, however, goes further, as they may feel empathetic towards members of other species.
Such complex features and behaviors just show that dolphins are indeed smart creatures. Their communication, social behaviors, tool use, and empathy all showcase their intelligence. While it is hard to exactly define their intelligence, all of these clearly show that these creatures are indeed brainy and smart.
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