Already in ancient Greece, these marine predators were treated with great respect. But are they as smart as we think? Justin Gregg conducts an investigation.
As soon as the American neurophysiologist John Lilly (John Lilly) opened the skull of a dolphin, a convex pink mass was exposed. He immediately realized that he had made an important discovery. The brain of an animal was huge: even more than a human. It was 1955. After studying the brains of five euthanized bottlenose dolphins, Lilly concluded that these fish-like aquatic mammals must have intelligence. Possibly superior to human intelligence.
When Lilly made his discovery, the connection between intelligence and brain size seemed simple: more brain the smarter the animal. We, with our huge brains stuffed into our swollen skulls, by this logic, naturally turned out to be the most intelligent species. Therefore, the dolphins must have been smart as well. But research since then has shown that the dolphin's "claim" to be the most intelligent (apart from humans) is not so well founded. Crows, octopuses, and even insects show intelligence comparable to that of a dolphin, even though they don't even have nearly as much gray matter.
So are dolphins as smart as we think?
CE test
Encephalization Coefficient (EC) is a measure of relative brain size, calculated as the ratio of actual brain size to the average predicted brain size for a mammal of a given size. According to some measurements, the largest EC (7) is in humans, since our brain is 7 times larger than expected. Dolphins are in second place, for example, in large-toothed dolphins, the EC is approximately 5.
However, when it comes to comparing EC with the intelligent behavior of animals, the results are mixed. Large ECs correlate with the ability to adapt to a new environment or change one's behavior, but not with the ability to use tools or imitate. The matter is further complicated by the growing last years criticism of the very principle of calculating the FE. Depending on the data entered into the model, humans may have a normal brain-to-body ratio, while gorillas and orangutans have an incredible big bodies compared to a standard brain.
Gray matter
Having a large brain - or a large EC - does not in itself guarantee that an animal will be intelligent. But not only the size of the brain intrigued Lilly. Inside the skull of a dolphin, he found an outer layer of brain tissue that, just like human brain, was twisted like crumpled paper stuffed into a thimble.
The outer layer of the mammalian brain, called the cerebral cortex, in humans is involved in complex cognitive processes, including our ability to speak, as well as self-awareness. It turns out that a dolphin's cerebral cortex is larger than a human's. What could this mean?
In many species that have passed tests of self-awareness (such as the mirror test), relatively most of the cerebral cortex is located in front. It is this frontal cortex that appears to be responsible for the ability of chimpanzees, gorillas, and elephants to recognize themselves in a mirror. Dolphins also successfully passed this test. But here's the catch: they don't have a frontal cortex. Their enlarged cerebral cortex is squeezed into the area on the sides of the skull. The front of the brain remains strangely sunken. And since magpies, which also recognize themselves in the mirror, have no cortex at all, we have to scratch our heads in an attempt to figure out which parts of the brain in dolphins and magpies are responsible for self-awareness. Perhaps dolphins, like magpies, don't use their cerebral cortex to recognize themselves in a mirror. What exactly the dolphin's cerebral cortex does and why it is so large remains a mystery.
Name that whistle
This is not the only mystery surrounding the dolphin's intelligence. For many years, the debate about the mismatch of dolphin brains with their behavior has been so fierce that Canadian marine mammal specialist Lance Barrett-Lennard (Lance Barrett-Lennard) was forced to declare: “If the brain of a dolphin was the size of a walnut, this would not affect that their lives are complex and highly social.”
Lilly could oppose the remark about walnut. But with the idea that dolphins are complex in terms of social structure beings, he would agree. While conducting rather unpleasant invasive experiments on the brains of living dolphins, he noticed that they often call each other (using whistles) and seek comfort from each other. He considered this evidence for the theory that dolphins are social animals and that their communication system can be as complex as human language.
After 15 years, there is evidence that Lilly was not very far from the truth. During experiments, when it comes to understanding the meaning of signs and their combinations in sentences, dolphins cope with tasks almost the same as great apes. It has not yet been possible to establish two-way communication with dolphins as well as with higher primates. But the ability of dolphins to understand signs in laboratory studies is amazing.
However, Lilly's suggestion that the dolphin's communication system is as complex as ours is probably not true. In fairness, it must be said that scientists generally understand practically nothing about how dolphins communicate. But they managed to find out that dolphins have a feature that is not inherent in the rest of the animal world (with the exception of humans). Among some species of dolphins, each member of the species has its own special whistle, which he uses throughout his life and which serves as his "name".
We know that dolphins can remember the whistles of their relatives and playmates, they even remember whistles that have not been heard for 20 years. Dolphins respond when they hear their own personal whistles from others, according to new research, suggesting that dolphins call each other by name from time to time.
Lilly, of course, couldn't know that. But he could very well have witnessed just such behavior during his experiments half a century ago.
How a dolphin learns
If dolphins try to attract the attention of their relatives by calling them by name, then they are to some extent aware that they are conscious. Unlike most great apes, dolphins seem to immediately understand human pointing gestures. This suggests that they are able to correlate mental states, such as looking or pointing, with the people making those pointing gestures. How an animal that does not have hands is able to understand the pointing gestures of a person is simply a mystery. And although there is no evidence that dolphins are fully capable of understanding the thoughts and beliefs of others (some call this a “model of consciousness”), they, wanting to draw people's attention to an object, point to it with their heads.
Some awareness of their own thought processes (and the thought processes of other creatures) apparently allows dolphins to solve complex problems, as they did in the laboratory. In the wild, a female Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin has been caught removing the skeleton of a cuttlefish to make it easier to eat. This is a long process that requires planning.
When hunting, no less ingenuity can manifest itself. Wild bottlenose dolphins in Shark Bay, Australia use sea sponges to drive fish out of their hiding place, a skill that has been passed down from generation to generation. Many dolphin populations learn hunting techniques from their peers. Bottlenose dolphins in South Carolina (USA) gather at the shore exposed at low tide to trap fish, while killer whales in Antarctica form groups to create waves and wash seals off the ice.
Such "social learning" is an integral part of the theory of animal culture, defined as knowledge that is passed from animal to animal. This is probably the best explanation for how young killer whales learn the dialect of their family.
One of the hypotheses about why dolphins have such big brain, may rehabilitate Lilly's original ideas: she suggests that dolphins have a kind of social intelligence that makes it possible for them to solve problems, culture and self-awareness. Many species of dolphins live in complex societies with intricate and ever-changing alliances, the relationship between groups of males in Shark Bay is reminiscent of the plot of a soap opera. Living in a society riddled with political intrigue requires considerable mental ability, because you have to remember who owes you and who you can rely on. The leading theory is that dolphins developed such large brains because they needed additional "cognitive muscles" to remember all these complex social connections. This is the so-called “social brain” hypothesis.
brainy creatures
This may explain why other animals leading a complex social life, also a large brain (for example, in chimpanzees, ravens and humans). But do not completely write off the owners of a small brain with a small EC yet. Many of the complex behaviors we see in dolphins are also seen in non-complex species. social groups. A border collie named Chaser knows more than 1,000 signs for objects, a "vocabulary" the size of which would make dolphins and great apes blush when tested under similar conditions. Octopuses use coconut shell to protect themselves from predators. Goats are able to follow human pointing gestures. Fish are able to acquire a range of skills through communication with each other, including defense against predators and foraging. And ants exhibit a behavior called "tandem running," which is probably the best example of non-human learning.
Lars Chittka, an insect behavior scientist, is a strong believer in the idea that small-brained insects are smarter than we think. He asks: “If these insects are so little brain able to do that, who needs a big brain then?”
The more we learn about neuroscience, the more we realize that the relationship between brain size and intelligence is tenuous at best. Dolphins no doubt exhibit a rich range of intellectual characteristics. But what exactly this overgrown nut in the dolphin skull does is now even more of a mystery than before.
Justin Gregg - dolphin communication researcher and author Are Dolphins Really Smart? (Are Dolphins Really Smart)
Dolphins are the smartest mammals on earth. The brain of a dolphin and are similar in structure. Despite numerous studies, they remain the most mysterious mammals on earth.
Studies of the extraordinary capabilities of marine life confirmed their intellectual abilities. Using MRI diagnostics, scientists found that the complexity of the brain structures in dolphins is not inferior to the human center, but, on the contrary, in comparison with humans, there are even an order of magnitude more convolutions and nerve cells.
The brain of a bottlenose dolphin has a weight of 1700 gr., only 350 gr. exceeding the weight of the central organ of the nervous system in an adult male. The external difference is only in the form: in mammals it has the shape of a sphere, the human brain is slightly flattened. The associative area of the cortex is absolutely identical with a person, thus confirming the presence of intelligence in marine life.
The parietal lobe in dolphins is comparable in size to the parietal and frontal lobes in humans. The visual part of the brain (occipital), in mammals is very large.
Despite excellent vision, and the ability to move their eyeballs in different directions, thereby covering a radius of 300 degrees, mammals use ultrasound for vision - directing it to various objects. Pushing off, the sound returns, thereby the dolphin determines the shape and distance to the object.
Unlike humans, dolphin brains can do without sleep, which is fatal to humans. The peculiarity of these creatures is the ability to turn off one half of the center, while maintaining all reactions. One part of the brain takes over all the functions when the other is in a state of sleep - this is tantamount to having two centers.
Dolphins, like humans, have the ability to reproduce sound. Mammals can accurately copy the various noises or trills of birds. Communication between relatives occurs through signals that are formed by the passage of air through the nasal passages.
Dolphin Vocabulary:
- Basic sound signals (about 60);
- Five levels of their different combination;
- 14 thousand different signals.
This is identical to the human vocabulary and if you translate the sound of mammals into words, it will look like a hieroglyph. Dolphins have a good memory and mental capabilities, which allows, like a person, to pass on experience to generations.
A feature of the central apparatus in cetaceans is the presence of magnetic crystals that orient in a wide expanse of the ocean.
Who is smarter?
Numerous studies of the brain structures of cetaceans confirm their evolutionary development and the presence of a higher form of reason (logic). Australian scientists have attributed dolphins to the closest human relatives, based on DNA analysis.
Perhaps this became the basis for the hypothesis - all cetaceans are the distant ancestors of man and they were forced to leave the land for good reasons. The size of the hemispheres is explained by oxygen starvation and, as a result, an increase in the organ.
Scientists - ichthyologists have proven that the brain of mammals is capable of expressing feelings: jealousy, resentment, love. This indicates the presence of a long-term memory and a mind close to a person.
Certain individuals of dolphins perceive complex linguistic constructions and are capable of analyzing the situation. Their level of intelligence is similar to that of a preschool child.
The big brain in dolphins is not associated with huge intelligence - there are too few neurons. Marine life needs a central organ for spatial orientation and thermoregulation. Based on this, mammals occupy an honorable second place in intellectual development after humans.
If we compare animals in terms of intelligence, then the king of animals will not be a lion at all. The first place will be occupied by dolphins, and the second - by elephants. Monkeys will get only the fourth place. What explains such a "arrangement" in the "hit parade" of abilities?
As you know, in monkeys, visual memory is better developed than auditory. Dolphins are exactly the opposite. They remember sounds much better than pictures. Thanks to this, dolphins distinguish each other by whistling. Each dolphin knows the voices of individuals from its flock and has its own personal "name". With the help of whistles different lengths, tonality and melody dolphins communicate with each other. One dolphin, not seeing another, can “whistle” to him which pedal, right or left, you need to press to get the fish. With the help of a whistle, you can also describe to a friend the size of an obstacle invisible in muddy water. And echolocation impulses will help the dolphin to recognize the obstacle - they play in the life of dolphins even big role than vision.
Dolphins are excellent imitators. They not only recognize sounds when listening, but also imitate them themselves. The creak of a rusty door, the gurgling of water, bell ringing, birds chirping - talented dolphins can portray this or that noise in such a way that with your eyes closed you cannot distinguish it from the real one! They can even copy human speech or laughter. If you record such an onomatopoeia on film and then listen at a slow speed, the resemblance to the human voice will clearly manifest itself.
These marine inhabitants well distinguish shades of many colors, except for blue. Memorizing geometric shapes is also not difficult for them. Moreover, dolphins are distinguished from each other by flat and voluminous forms. They will never confuse a paper circle or a square with a ball or a cube. V Soviet time over dolphins put such an experiment. The trainer showed the ball to the animal, then hid the toy behind the screen. When the screen was parted, the dolphin saw a flat shield and a voluminous box. A ball was hidden in one of the objects. The dolphin only needed to pull the loop connected to the desired object so that the ball fell out. So, even when the experiment was first performed, the dolphins always chose the box and never tried to look for the ball inside the flat shield. So experience has shown that dolphins can distinguish between flat and voluminous objects.
Dolphins easily find attractive objects for them. If you show a dolphin, say, a fish or a ball, and then remove it behind a screen, the dolphin will easily guess where and how to look for the object. The dolphin's eye is also good - you just have to look at the dexterity with which they jump through a hoop or throw the ball into the basket!
Dolphins are very emotional and this can affect the learning process. For example, in the course of scientific experiments, an angry or irritated dolphin makes more mistakes than a calm one. If a person hits or punishes a dolphin, the animal will refuse to perform his tasks and work with him in pairs. Therefore, when training and researching dolphins, they are encouraged with food, games, as well as affection and kindness.
Dolphins have well-developed imitation behavior. They quite easily remember and repeat the actions of other individuals. For example, off the coast of Australia in 2008, a flock of dolphins was seen, where the leader was able to stand on his tail. Other members of the clan quickly adopted this ability, imitating the leader. It is worth considering that this was not a requirement of the hierarchy. The dolphins decided to repeat the trick of the leader out of interest and curiosity.
Scientific articles describe a case when a female dolphin, having lived for some time in a dolphinarium, began to repeat the numbers after its inhabitants, although she was not specially prepared for this. After she was released into the wild, she taught the members of her pack to repeat these tricks.
But dolphins can imitate not only each other. There is a case when two dolphins, who lived in the same pool with a fur seal, began to copy his actions. They slept in the same positions as the cat, adopted his manner of swimming, paddling their fins like flippers and keeping their tail motionless, although they did not have a strict need to repeat his actions. Dolphins have even learned to rub their stomachs while lying on their backs near the surface of the water, and yawn, imitating a cat!
The dolphin's brain stores a large number of information obtained in different ways. But in addition to its accumulation, dolphins know how to use it. They are not alien to the research approach, and it manifests itself in them more often than passivity or caution. They quickly assess the situation and adjust their behavior to it, they are well oriented in what is happening.
I recently posted a post on LiveJournal about dolphins. About their extermination by people
Some comments, from seemingly reasonable people, struck me .. - Well, how do you not understand, - they wrote to me under this post, - After all, dolphins eat almost all the fish and people, Danes and Japanese, have nothing to eat ..
- Well, people kill wolves so that wolves do not eat our sheep, sheep, cows .. Wolves are also smart animals ..
The plan of the World Government immediately popped into my head that no more than 500 million inhabitants should remain on Earth.
And in Russia, 10 million is enough, Margaret Thatcher said publicly.
This information is in the public domain, anyone who is interested can study this plan for the depopulation of people on Earth.
There is nothing, they say, to feed all these billions of people. Work to reduce the population has been going on for a long time.
This is also well known. Alcohol, drugs, GMO products, vaccines, vaccinations, chemicals in dishes, in cosmetics, invented diseases. Well, wars, of course, are also there ..
They kill medicine in Russia, that's why, too. Why do we need healthy people?
During the time of Peter the Great, amaranth was almost destroyed. But before that, Russ baked amaranth bread. They ate amaranth, which can very quickly saturate a person.
There are many vitamins in amaranth.
But people are being forced to eat specially the wrong food. Many plants and vegetables that are useful for humans are banned.
And I will never believe that by killing dolphins, a person ceases to be hungry. A person can eat a lot of things. And a lot of things to get enough of, and besides fish, in the end.
Killing dolphins reminds me of Sacrifices. This is the answer of these killings. Since dolphins are intelligent creatures. By the way, sometimes it’s interesting for anyone, dolphins can communicate telepathically. Strong telepaths can understand what they want to convey to a person. Dolphins know each other by name.
Sharks are afraid of dolphins. Why? A flock of dolphins can attack sharks with a powerful psi-blow.
In 1987, a group of scientists arrived at the Batumi Dolphinarium. Among them was Natalya, a telepath. So Natalya was able to establish a telepathic connection with the dolphin Lada.
She was very happy and told about the fact that they have to perform stupid tricks in order not to die of hunger. She also told that the trainer hides fresh fish, and gives them rotten))
Somehow he hit Lada in the muzzle (or face?) When Natalya asked the trainer about all this, he was clearly confused. How did Natalya find out all this?
The trainer could not even imagine that a stupid animal could tell all this ..
Once upon a time, on the island of Crete, there was a cult of the Dolphin. Ancient sculptures of dolphins, images of dolphins are found all over the island. People of the past knew how to get into telepathic communication with dolphins.
In 1949, the American psychoanalyst John Lilly, known for his work in the field of neurophysiology and psychiatry, learned from his fellow zoologists that cetaceans have a brain that surpasses the human brain in absolute weight. This fact shocked Lilly so much that he delved into the study of dolphins for many years. After 12 years, the researcher expressed a striking idea that on our planet, perhaps, there is another truly intelligent humanoid, comparable to a person in terms of his mental development. And in 1967, his sensational book “The Mind of a Dolphin. Intelligence beyond the human. The scientist was not afraid to declare to the whole world that people would have to free themselves from the usual ideas about “reasonable man” as the crown of creation.
Dolphins are the second intelligent Race on Earth.
If the Man can again get in touch with them telepathically, the dolphins will be able to tell us a lot about the mysteries of the oceans..
Ecology
Dolphins are cute and friendly sea creatures that are often confused with fish. However, dolphins are intelligent and inquisitive mammals whose mental abilities many surprise scientists.
Dolphins have evolved complex abilities living in the harsh conditions of the oceans and seas. For example, did you know that dolphins can for a long time stay awake, have the unique ability to navigate in space, have a magnetic sense, and even control the blood flow in the body?
Dolphin brain
Dolphins can't sleep
All animals on the planet need sleep, including humans. The world record for sleep deprivation belongs to Randy Gardner who hasn't slept in 11 days. However, already on the 4th day he began to hallucinate.
If a person does not sleep, he will eventually die. The same thing will happen to any creature with developed brain functions, except for the dolphins who, as it turns out, have learned to deprive themselves of sleep and still feel great. For example, baby dolphins do not sleep in the first month of their lives in the same way as their parents.
The thing is that these amazing creatures can turn off half of your brain for some time. Scientists continuously tested the reactions of dolphins for 5 days, and as it turned out, their reactions did not slow down. Blood tests for signs of stress or insomnia were negative. Dolphins can use this ability indefinitely.
Another study showed that dolphins can use echolocation for 15 consecutive days with almost perfect precision. This makes sense, as it allows the animals to always be on the alert and notice the approach of predators.
However, the most surprising thing is that part of the dolphin's brain is still asleep. At the same time, visual information begins to be processed by another, active part of the brain. In other words, if a dolphin "turns off" part of its brain, the second part of it can take on all the functions of the first. It's like having two brains instead of one.
Dolphin vision
Amazing vision of dolphins
It is known that dolphins use echolocation in order to navigate the world in which they live. Since visibility is poor in the depths of the sea, it is easier for animals to use sounds to "see" objects. You might think that they do not need vision at all, but this is not so.
Dolphin vision much better than it might seem. Firstly, their eyes are located on both sides of their heads, which allows them to cover a huge area. at 300 degrees. They can see what is behind. Second, each eye moves independently of the other, allowing the animals to look in different directions at the same time.
Dolphins also have reflective cell layer, which is located behind the retina and is called tapetem lucidem. This allows them to see perfectly in low light. Moreover, dolphins see just as well above the surface of the water as they can see underwater.
Dolphin skin
You may be wondering why dolphins are not latched onto by other marine life, such as barnacles. Whales are often hung with these creatures, but dolphins seem to have immunity. Dolphin skin always looks smooth, clean and shiny. What is her secret?
Unique dolphin skin has a lot of advantages. Firstly, the top layer of the skin - the epidermis - in dolphins is not rougher than in humans, it is in 10-20 times thinner than the epidermis of any land animal. However, it is growing 9 times faster than ours.
The unique lungs of dolphins
Dolphins are known to be excellent swimmers. For example, a bottlenose dolphin can hold its breath while underwater, up to 12 minutes while diving deep up to 550 meters! They are capable of this thanks to their unique lungs.
Although the lungs of these animals are no larger than ours, they work much more efficiently. With every breath the dolphin changes about 80 percent or more air in the lungs. We can only change 17 percent.
The blood and muscles of dolphins can accumulate and transport a huge amount of oxygen due to the fact that in the body of animals more red blood cells. This means a higher concentration of hemoglobin than in humans.
However, all this cannot fully explain how dolphins manage to hold their breath for so long and dive to such depths. Turns out the dolphins able to direct blood flow in the right direction. For example, during deep-sea diving, blood moves from the limbs to the heart and brain, improving their performance in extreme conditions.
Wound healing in dolphins
When injured, dolphins are able to miraculously restore health. From the point of view of science, their ability to recover is comparable with something fantastic.
For example, dolphins can survive severe injuries and can regenerate large amounts of damaged flesh in just a couple of weeks. Moreover, their appearance is able to return to its original form. without any scars or deformities.
By the way, dolphins also there is no bleeding. For example, a person with a serious open injury may die only due to blood loss. When injured, the dolphin directs the blood flow in the right direction in the same way as it does when diving, which does not allow it to bleed out.
Dolphin natural painkillers
Dolphins don't seem to care about inconveniences like physical pain. After they sustain serious injuries that would immobilize anyone creature on the planet, they can safely continue to play, swim and even eat normally.
With open wounds in dolphins, nerve endings are not exposed, which causes severe pain. This does not mean that they do not experience pain at all, they are also very sensitive, like us.
However, when seriously injured, dolphins just know how to.. ignore her. It is believed that their body is able to produce special painkillers, such as morphine, which, however, do not cause any addiction.
Dolphins developed such abilities during evolution, which allowed them to survive in dangerous conditions. For example, if a predator is chasing you, it is better not to show him that you are injured and that you are in pain. Then you have more likely to survive and not draw attention to yourself as weak and helpless.
Dolphins and infections
With open wounds on their bodies, dolphins are able to swim in water teeming with bacteria, and at the same time not pick up any infections. They don't even seem to be afraid of wounds from dirty shark teeth. A person in this situation would immediately die from blood poisoning within a few days. However, dolphins at least that!
It turns out that no infections cling to dolphins. It is known that the immune system of these animals is similar to ours, but how then do they manage to ward off all infection?
In fact, no one can say for sure where dolphins have such miraculous abilities. There is speculation that dolphins get some sort of antibiotics from plankton and algae.
The chemicals that these microscopic creatures produce have been found in dolphin subcutaneous fat. If the fat layer is damaged by injury, antibacterial substances are released.
How do dolphins manages to accumulate these life-saving substances under the skin, and not to process them during metabolism, remains a mystery to scientists.
Dolphins are the best swimmers
In 1936 the British zoologist Sir James Gray I was amazed at how fast dolphins can swim. He began to study their anatomy in great detail and found out that the skin of dolphins should have magical properties, which would prevent friction, only then would they be able to develop such a speed. This idea has been called "Grey's Paradox" and until 2008, scientists could not solve it.
Gray was partially right: dolphins do have anti-friction features. However, Gray underestimated the strength of the muscles of dolphins, which is 5 times greater than the strength of the muscles of the strong man on the planet. Moreover, dolphins also know how to use their energy very efficiently.
A person can use only 4 percent of their energy to move through the water. Dolphins, in turn, transform 80 percent energy into thrust, making them the most efficient swimmers.
Dolphins magnetic sense
Why do dolphins and whales sometimes thrown ashore? This mystery has puzzled the minds of scientists for many years. Various theories have been proposed: strange diseases, pollution environment or testing military equipment. However, research has not supported either of these theories.
Cases when animals washed ashore were recorded for many hundreds of years, but only recently scientists began to guess what main reason: it turns out that it's all about the Sun and the magnetic field of our planet.
The brains of dolphins and whales have special magnetic crystals, which allow them to sense the Earth's magnetic field. With the help of this built-in GPS system, they can move around the vast expanses of the ocean, orienting themselves in space without much difficulty.
One group of researchers mapped the east coast of the United States, where mass deaths of dolphins. As it turned out, these areas coincided with places where magnetic rocks lowered the levels of the planet's magnetic field.
Thus, a dolphin or whale that navigates by a magnetic field could simply "not notice" shore and landed on dry land.
Scientists also found that when the sun emits too much radiation, it affects the magnetic senses of marine mammals and also confuses them. Most animals wash ashore when the activity of the Sun is at its strongest. This may also explain why rescued animals return to shore again.
Dolphin electroreception
The echo sounders in the body of dolphins are truly incredible. Amazes their ability feel objects in the distance. Animals are able to send sound signals and listen to echoes reflected from objects.
If we add to this rare feeling the rest of the abilities of dolphins, which were mentioned above, we can conclude that dolphins really have fantastic feelings and abilities that distinguishes them from other living beings.
However, mother nature endowed them with something else: electroreception - the ability to feel electrical impulses sent by other living beings.
Guyanese dolphins live off the coast South America and outwardly similar to bottlenose dolphins. Researchers have found specific indentations in their beaks, which are able to recognize electrical impulses sent by the muscles of fish.
A similar feature is found in animals such as platypuses. They use it to find fish hiding in the mud. Echolocation allows dolphins to determine the position of objects in space, but it not particularly effective at close range, so electroreception comes into play.
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