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Dolphins are almost as smart as people |
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Written by Administrator
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Wednesday, 03 February 2010 |
Dolphins are the most intelligent creatures on Earth. Not counting, of course, people. Evolution of the dolphin brain, researchers describe the site scientific Discovery News.
Lori Marino of Emory University for many years researching intelligence of dolphins. Emphasizes that intelligence is a very complex and high capacity, difficult to study within a single species. So the more difficult to use interspecies comparison. Intelligence is a component, which consists of the ability of species to survive. One might argue that the spider is it exactly as it needs to preserve its kind - explains. However, if the standards of human intelligence applied to animals, it appears that it is the dolphin brain is closest to the level of the human brain - Marino argues that guided the study of mammalian brain using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In her opinion, the dolphins have relatively large brains compared to the size of the rest of the body. Cerebral cortex is folded more than in the human brain. Furthermore, in particular developed countries are the structures responsible for the processing of complex emotions and self-awareness. Marino and her team analyzed the evolution of the dolphin brain, examining fossils of mammals. Tried to explain when and why the dolphins became intelligent. The first "jump" occurred in brain development are about 39 million years ago, when the O (suborder containing, inter alia, dolphins, porpoises and some whales) separated from. Then, with some of them decreased body size, increased the size of the brain. This came primarily with the ancestors of dolphins. This process went hand in hand with the emergence of capacity for echolocation, which was connected with the improvement of communication. The next jump occurred 15 million years ago. According to Marino, this resulted in the intensification of social life of dolphins. Evolutionary skills were promoted communication and cooperation.
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Last Updated ( Friday, 05 February 2010 )
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