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Review
. 2007 May;5(5):e139.
doi: 10.1371/journal.pbio.0050139.

Cetaceans have complex brains for complex cognition

Lori Marino  1 , Richard C Connor, R Ewan Fordyce, Louis M Herman, Patrick R Hof, Louis Lefebvre, David Lusseau, Brenda McCowan, Esther A Nimchinsky, Adam A Pack, Luke Rendell, Joy S Reidenberg, Diana Reiss, Mark D Uhen, Estel Van der Gucht, Hal Whitehead
Affiliations
Review

Cetaceans have complex brains for complex cognition

Lori Marino et al. PLoS Biol. 2007 May.

Abstract

A group of eminent cetacean researchers respond to headlines charging that dolphins might be "flippin' idiots". They examine behavioural, anatomical and evolutionary data to conclude that the large brain of cetaceans evolved to support complex cognitive abilities.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Relationships among Odontoceti and Mysticeti, between Neoceti and Archaeoceti, and higher level taxa of Whippomorpha (Cetacea + Hippopotamidae)
Note that within Cetacea, the only ghost lineage (any length of time missing fossils as inferred from the phylogeny) is a short gap at the origin of Odontoceti. There is a large ghost lineage between Hippopotamidae and the base of Cetacea. The temperature curve shows a smoothed record for the deep sea, in turn a proxy for global climate.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Spindle Cells in the Humpback Whale Anterior Cingulate Cortex
A large number of spindle cells (arrowheads) are found in the anterior cingulate and insular and frontopolar cortices. They exhibit an elongate morphology with clearly visible apical and basal dendrites, and frequent grouping in clusters. Scale bar = 100 μm.
Figure A
Figure A. Spectrograms of each of nine model sounds and the resulting imitation. The arrow points to the beginning of the dolphin's imitation.
Figure B
Figure B. Dolphin imitates the behavior of a human by using its tail as an analogy for a leg.
Figure 3
Figure 3. One of Two Bottlenose
Dolphins That Passed the Mark Test, Thus Demonstrating Mirror Self-Recognition (Photo credit: Diana Reiss, Wildlife Conservation Society)
None
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Marino L. A comparison of encephalization between odontocete cetaceans and anthropoid primates. Brain Behav Evol. 1998;51:230–238. - PubMed
    1. Herman LM. Cognitive characteristics of dolphins. In: Herman LM, editor. Cetacean behavior: Mechanisms and functions. New York: Wiley Interscience; 1980. pp. 363–429. editor.
    1. Connor RC, Smolker RA, Richards AF. Dolphin alliances and coalitions. In: Harcourt AH, de Waal FBM, editors. Coalitions and alliances in animals and humans. Oxford: Oxford University Press; 1992. pp. 415–443.
    1. Connor RC. Complex alliance relationships in bottlenose dolphins and a consideration of selective environments for extreme brain size evolution in mammals. 2007. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society: Biological Sciences FirstCite Early Online Publishing. DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2006. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Jerison HJ. Schusterman RJ, Thomas JA, Wood FG. Dolphin cognition and behavior: a comparative approach. New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum; 1986. The perceptual world of dolphins; pp. 141–166.

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