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takyon [soylentnews.org] writes:

Whales and dolphins lead 'human-like lives' thanks to big brains, says study [theguardian.com]

[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 [nature.com] [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0336-y] [DX [doi.org]], 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 [theguardian.com].

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 [newsweek.com].

Previously: Inter-species Communication Inches Closer [soylentnews.org]
Dolphins Have a Language That Helps Them Solve Problems Together [soylentnews.org]

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