Ever thought about what it is that makes us human? Complex, self aware, or conscious communicator? According to The New York Times, “self-recognition is often taken as a measure of intelligence and self-awareness.” Research shows, though, this characteristic is not unique to human beings.
Photo courtesy of Mental Floss
Self Awareness
Dolphins, for instance, are known to be extremely intelligent creatures with high emotional intelligence. The New York Times continues, “children start showing signs of self-recognition at about 12 months at the earliest.” Dolphins, on the other hand, “start mugging in [front of] a mirror as early as seven months.”
In a study published in the Public Library of Science, Foster, a 14 month old male, “had a particular fondness for turning upside down and blowing bubbles in a one-way mirror in the aquarium wall.” In addition to Foster, “seven months was when Bayley, a female, started showing self-directed behavior, like twirling and taking unusual poses.”
Dolphins are not only playfully self-aware, they are beneficial in military operations. According to National Geographic, “the ability of these animals to detect and find targets at depth or in murky water is something technology can’t yet duplicate, which militaries find very valuable.”
Communication
Dolphins also have their own form of communication. Scientists in the Independent suggest dolphins possess, “highly developed spoken language” which closely resembles that of human communication.
As an example, baby dolphins seem to babble as babies do when first learning language. As reported on PRI; Public Radio International, researchers are, “able to mathematically prove that baby dolphins are born babbling and they learn language the same way humans do.”
Pulses produced by dolphins are each different from one another in regards to time span and frequencies. Considering this, “we can assume that each pulse represents a phoneme or a word of the dolphin’s spoken language.” Furthermore, “the pulses, clicks and whistles made by dolphins are listened to fully by another before a response is made.” The moral may be that dolphins are too polite to interrupt each other.