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posted by martyb on Tuesday October 17 2017, @07:01PM   Printer-friendly
from the 'Flipper'-would-approve dept.

Whales and dolphins lead 'human-like lives' thanks to big brains, says study

[In] a new study, researchers compiled a list of the rich behaviours spotted in 90 different species of dolphins, whales and porpoises, and found that the bigger the species' brain, the more complex – indeed, the more "human-like" – their lives are likely to be.

This suggests that the "cultural brain hypothesis" – the theory that suggests our intelligence developed as a way of coping with large and complex social groups – may apply to whales and dolphins, as well as humans.

Writing in the journal, Nature Ecology and Evolution [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0336-y] [DX], the researchers claim that complex social and cultural characteristics, such as hunting together, developing regional dialects and learning from observation, are linked to the expansion of the animals' brains – a process known as encephalisation.

The researchers gathered records of dolphins playing with humpback whales, helping fishermen with their catches, and even producing signature whistles for dolphins that are absent – suggesting the animals may even gossip. Another common behaviour was adult animals raising unrelated young. "There is the saying that 'it takes a village to raise a child' [and that] seems to be true for both whales and humans," said Michael Muthukrishna, an economic psychologist and co-author on the study at the London School of Economics.

Also at Newsweek.

Previously: Inter-species Communication Inches Closer
Dolphins Have a Language That Helps Them Solve Problems Together


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  • (Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday October 18 2017, @04:04AM

    by c0lo (156) Subscriber Badge on Wednesday October 18 2017, @04:04AM (#583798) Journal

    Gorillas and Chimps live in a harem structure.
    Bonobos have sex all the time as part of social interactions.

    Who's the damn stupid species with laws, religions, and money, again?

    Mmm...
    It's only that "money" part that disturbs the picture abit, you willing to mellow that requirement?
    If positive, here's the perfect answer within the context you defined: the Capuchins [wikipedia.org].

    --
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0 https://soylentnews.org/~MichaelDavidCrawford
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