Are Dolphins Really Smart?: The mammal behind the myth

by Justin Gregg

Overview

How intelligent are dolphins? Is their communication system really as complex as human language? And are they as friendly and peaceful as they are made out to be? The Western world has had an enduring love affair with dolphins since the early 1960s, with fanciful claims of their 'healing powers' and 'super intelligence'. Myths and pseudoscience abound on the subject. Justin Gregg weighs up the claims made about dolphin intelligence and separates scientific fact from fiction. He puts our knowledge about dolphin behaviour and intelligence into perspective, with comparisons to scientific studies of other animals, especially the crow family and great apes. He gives fascinating accounts of the challenges of testing what an animal with flippers and no facial expressions might be animal behaviour, Gregg challenges many of the widespread beliefs about dolphins, while also inspiring the reader with the remarkable abilities common to many of the less glamorized animals around us - such as chickens.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780191636035
Publisher:	OUP Oxford
Publication date:	09/26/2013
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Justin Gregg is a research associate with the Dolphin Communication Project, and Co-Editor of the academic journal Aquatic Mammals. He received his doctorate from Trinity College Dublin in 2008, having studied social cognition and the echolocation behavior of wild Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins. With an undergraduate background in linguistics, Justin is particularly interested in the study of dolphin communication as it pertains to comparisons of human (natural) language and animal communication systems.

Table of Contents

• Acknowledgements
• 1: The Second Most Intelligent Creature on Earth
• 2: What Big Brains You Have
• 3: Cogito Ergo Delphinus Sum
• 4: The Proof of the Pudding is in the Behaving
• 5: Dolphinese
• 6: A Most Gentle Mammal
• 7: The Deconstructed Dolphin
• Acknowledgements
• 1: The Second Most Intelligent Creature on Earth
• 2: What Big Brains You Have
• 3: Cogito Ergo Delphinus Sum
• 4: The Proof of the Pudding is in the Behaving
• 5: Dolphinese
• 6: A Most Gentle Mammal
• 7: The Deconstructed Dolphin
• Notes

Editorial Reviews

"In this thorough and engaging report on contemporary cetacean science, "Aquatic Mammals" coeditor and dolphin researcher Gregg separates the myths from the realities about these grinning SeaWorld stars." —Booklist

"The title of this book, "Are Dolphins Really Smart?", does not really do justice to the thorough investigation of dolphin behavior that follows... Many animals have specialized cognitive abilities and all, as he says, "lead equally as wondrous and worthy lives"; his carefully constructed exposition leads readers gently to this conclusion... Highly recommended." —Choice

"Eschewing the pervasive and nonscientific popular opinions regarding dolphin intelligence, playfulness, and peacefulness, Gregg instead dissects the scientific literature on dolphin behavior. The picture that emerges is something less flattering than Flipper, but one that serves as both a rigorous litmus test of animal intelligence and a check on human exceptionalism." —The Scientist

"The logic and writing are superb, the flow is easy enough to be read by bright inquisitive teenagers, and yet detailed and insightful enough for seasoned behavioral researchers... Open-minded readers will come away with a heightened understanding of dolphin behaviors and capabilities, and a renewed respect for marvelous animals among all of the marvelous biota around us." —The Quarterly Review of Biology

"The book is an excellent, entertaining read for anyone interested in animal cognition and welfare and should be required reading for all journalists writing on the topic." —Marine Mammal Science

From the Publisher