This is the most amazing science story I’ve read in years. In my mind, it really changes everything about what we think of as sentient species. Obviously it’s not totally a shock, given that elephants mourn their dead and seem to remember anniversaries of death, and primates exhibit quite human emotions. But this should give more ammunition to the cause of protecting this species from continued slaughter. If you haven’t seen it, you should see, “The Cove”, for more background on this, and why I and others boycott Japanese seafood products at all opportunities.
“Bottlenose dolphins call out the specific names of loved ones when they become separated, a study finds. Other than humans, the dolphins are the only animals known to do this, according to the study, published in the latest Proceedings of the Royal Society B. The big difference with bottlenose dolphins is that these communications consist of whistles, not words. Earlier research found that bottlenose dolphins name themselves, with dolphins having a “signature whistle” that encodes other information….”
Jennifer Viegas reports. Dolphins Call Each Other By Name http://news.discovery.com/animals/whales-dolphins/dolphins-call-each-other-by-name-130219.htm
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: Puget Sound |
