Intelligence and Language
- Intelligence
- The Brain
- Old Stories
- The Big Question
- Language
Intelligence
The Brain
Dolphins have very large and folded brains, which (besides the large
body mass) suggest exceptional intellectual capacity. According to brain
researcher Pilleri, it can be called into question whether or not the
brains of Sapiens(human) are the highest in the rankings. Dolphins are
easily trained and they learn exceptionally fast.
However, recent research has shown that the amount of braincells found
in dolphins is comparatively small. Scientists are coming to the
conclusion that the dolphin is probably less intelligent than once
thought. Humans have many more braincells and can therefore learn and
think a lot quicker.
Old Stories
There are lots of old stories about dolphins that took place thousands
of years ago. Telemachus, the son of navigator Odysseus, fell into the sea
and he nearly drowned. Fortunately, a dolphin saved him and brought him
ashore. As a result of this, he thanked the dolphin by engraving a dolphin
onto his shield. There is another story, told by the Roman scientist
Plinius, about a friendship between a little boy and a dolphin. The
dolphin was so attracted to the little boy that the dolphin played with
him and brought him to school every day.
These stories are very unrealistic for these times, and are completely
discarded by modern scientists.
The Big Question
Dolphins are highly intelligent mammals. There are a lot of stories
claiming that they have talents that are beyond Man's understanding and
which are unresearchable.
There are trips which take incurable patients for a swim with dolphins,
and these trips are believed to be able to cure their illnesses because
dolphins are thought to bring forth ultrasonic sounds which have a healing
function.
The myth about the healing therapy of dolphins can be explained as
followed. Humans generally have a very strong willpower and this willpower
is very important if one wants to achieve something. Let's say someone who
has got cancer went to swim with a dolphin and he or she is convinced that
this dolphin will cure his illness. Fueled by his own belief, his
willpower to get well has increased and this will increase the chance that
he will actually recover.
Many people also suggested that dolphins have a special liking for
humans, meaning also that dolphins can get attached to a particular
person. There was a dolphin who at first contact with a man constantly
swam to him and implied that it wanted to be stroked. Once the man stroked
it, he saw tears in its eyes, like it was crying with pleasure.
Just like humans can save other people from drowning, dolphins can do
the same as well. There are also recent stories of people-saving dolphins.
Is this because they want to be helpful, or is it instinct? People have
also seen that they bring mattresses and other dolphins to shore. This
innate behaviour makes it understandable that dolphins occasionally save
people.
There has been a lot of research on the behaviour of dolphins. It seems
that they have a lot in common with humans. If a dolphin is given a mirror
to see itself, it pays attention to its looks. If for example, a black
circle is stuck to its side, it will look at it with disgust.
So the big question now is: Why do dolphins do things that humans
usually do? Are they really that intelligent?
Dolphins are surely intelligent creatures. But it is doubtful whether
their intellectual capabilites exceed that of humans. Some say it is and
others deny it. We have not come to a conclusion at this point of time.
However, most people agree that the intelligence of a dolphin is
comparable to that of a monkey.
Language
Dolphins have a language to communicate with one another. It differs a
lot from that of humans.
For an example, we use facial expressions as a way of communicating.
When we are angry, this can be read from our facial or body expressions
like clenching fists or frowning. When we are happy we smile, and
sometimes we will raise our hands to show extreme happiness.
Dolphins cannot do all these. They can't make facial expressions and
they can't do many actions with its body. The spoken language is another
thing which dolphins can't use. They don't have vocal chords and the only
body part that can create any sound is the blowhole. This makes it very
difficult to communicate with one another. Researchers have tried
deciphering the sounds of dolphins but nothing really significant has come
out of their research.
Another example of a shaky communication is between the dog and the
cat. They have the same ways of communicating but not the same language.
When for example the dog wags its tail, it means that it is happy. When
the cat uses this same signal, it is an indication of hostility. This is
the reason that the communication between a dog and a cat falters.
There are two causes for bad communication. Firstly it is the different
ways of communicating and secondly the different language. For the
communication between people and dolphins, both factors clash. In the
first case it is the different communicational methods which cause the
clash. Secondly, it is the constant facial expression of dolphins and the
incomprehensible sounds that a dolphin produces, of which humans can
decipher almost nothing.
The only communication that exists is the movements that we make. This
is very helpful in dolphinariums. When an attender turns, the dolphin has
to follow. When the attender claps his hands, the dolphin will perform
another trick. This is the only effective way of communication so far.
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