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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
(Score: 2) by t-3 on Tuesday October 17 2017, @10:09PM (2 children)
Dogs and cats (and their wild counterparts) do this too, and they have tiny brains. Many bird species as well, with even smaller brains. Is it brain size or just a symptom of how the underlying hardware works? I'd find it far more plausible that problem solving and number crunching are benefited by larger brains rather than socializing, which is seen in nearly every social animal (which is most of them except for the largest predators).
(Score: 2) by Post-Nihilist on Tuesday October 17 2017, @11:48PM
Brain size is almost meaningless. The brain to mass ratio is the metric that correlate the best with problèms solving skills. Using that metric, birds fit were they belong ostrich(the stupidest bird not extinct) included...
Be like us, be different, be a nihilist!!!
(Score: 2) by JoeMerchant on Wednesday October 18 2017, @03:03AM
Just ask the French: size isn't everything: https://www.wired.com/2007/07/brain-not-neces/ [wired.com]
If you've never seen the story, take a good look at the MRI scan... this guy is nearly fully functional in society.
🌻🌻 [google.com]