Dolphin Intelligence – Just How Smart Are They?
Dolphins seem to be one of the most intelligent animals in the world, but how smart are they really? That is up for debate by many experts. Some say that they are extremely intelligent as proven by their highly sociable nature and their ability to vocalize. Yet some experts disagree and say that although they may be more intelligent than dogs, they are still not capable of the dolphin intelligence that some expect. So who is right?
Actually according to studies, both sides seem to have facts to back up their claims. Over time dolphin intelligence has been studied a great deal. As early as the 1950’s and 1960’s there was a neurologist who conducted experiments based on the concept that dolphin intelligence might just be as strong as humans. He attempted to communicate with them in their own language, but many of the other scientists who looked at his work said that it lacked any validity.
One can only assume that they are smart because of their ability to learn complex tasks when they are in captivity. They also have the ability to communicate with one another as proven in various studies. This gives hope that they can use their dolphin intelligence to learn a true language and someday be able to communicate with humans. Although not all agree, most do think that they can be compared to some primates in regards to intelligence but not human beings as of yet.
They do have very large brains for their bodies. In fact, a bottlenose dolphin, thought to have the most dolphin intelligence out of the entire species, is second only to humans in the ratio of brain to body size. After studying the brain of a dolphin some experts have concluded that the organization of their large cranium can point to a high level of dolphin intelligence. Some have even said that they have a language so complex that it something that humans cannot grasp. Still yet, others just think it is our need to force them to be more intelligent then they really are. Much of the dolphin’s brain is taken up with acoustical information which is what they really excel in. However, when given intelligence tests by scientists, they really don’t rank any higher than elephants.
That doesn’t mean that they aren’t excellent at mimicking sounds and clearly communicating with one another, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that they talk as we would think of talking. Basically, what it comes down to is that dolphin intelligence is still an ongoing mystery. Yes, they are able to perform tasks that most animals would not be able to do, but more than dolphin intelligence it comes down to training. Any animal when given food enough times is pretty much able to be trained to do things like retrieve and do “tricks.” Does that mean that there isn’t something to dolphin intelligence? No, it doesn’t mean that, but it does mean that no one can prove otherwise quite yet. While the research may suggest that dolphin intelligence is high, without concrete evidence people are having a hard time believing it.
