Dolphins Communicate. Most people have heard at least once the hissing and screaming of dolphins, whether for having the chance to meet them or watching a documentary. Know that they are not mere sounds. Indeed, it is a very complex communication system.
How do Dolphins Communicate
The ability to speak only exists in animals whose brains weigh more than 700 g. In dolphins, this organ can weigh up to two kilos. In addition, it has been discovered that these animals have quiet areas in the cerebral cortex, a characteristic hitherto uniquely attributed to humans.
All this information indicates that the whistling and clicking that dolphins emit are more than just meaningless noises.
In 1950, John C. Lilly began to study dolphin communication in depth and discovered that these animals communicate in two ways: by echolocation and through a verbal system. If you’d like to learn more about how dolphins communicate, read this article in its entirety.
Mode of communication of dolphins
echolocation
As mentioned above, dolphin communication is divided into two different systems, one of them being echolocation. Dolphins emit a kind of clicks that work in a similar way to the sonar of a boat. Thanks to them, they can know the distance to which objects are located, as well as their size, shape, texture, and density.
The ultrasonic clicks they emit, inaudible to humans, collide with surrounding objects and return a noticeable echo to dolphins, even in very noisy environments. This allows them to navigate at sea and avoid predators.
Language of dolphins
It has also been discovered that dolphins possess the ability to communicate orally through a sophisticated verbal system. This is the method that these animals use to communicate with each other, both in the water and on the surface.
Some studies claim that dolphin communication goes even further and that they have specific and sometimes very complex sounds to warn of danger or the presence of food. It has also been shown that when they meet, dolphins greet each other with a certain vocabulary as if they were proper names.
Some research claims that each group of dolphins has its own vocabulary. This was discovered through studies in which different groups of the same species were brought together but did not mix.
Scientists claim that this phenomenon was due to their inability to understand each other, each group developing its own language incomprehensible to others, just as it would be the case between human beings from different countries.
These discoveries, added to the other curiosities about dolphins, prove that these cetaceans possess an intelligence superior to most animals.
Curiosities about dolphins
The Dolphins are among the creatures of the kingdom’s most popular animal, charismatic and intelligent. With their always smiling expression, they are a symbol of joy and freedom. The dolphins transmit positive sensations … How to forget the famous Flipper, a dolphin who seemed to be very happy.
There are more than 30 species of dolphins sailing in the oceans and rivers of the earth. They are considered the dogs of the sea to be very friendly and have good relations with human beings.
But this is just the tip of the iceberg, our favorite marine animals are very interesting and complex creatures. There are probably many things you do not know about them. In this article, we present 10 curiosities about dolphins that will surprise you.
Dolphins, an unknown world
The list of 10 curiosities about dolphins begins with impressive information: dolphins are relatives of whales and, similarly, killer whales. In fact, whales are a type of dolphin, since both species belong to the cetacean family.
A big family
They are very social with each other and like to hunt, play and swim together. Large groups of dolphins can be formed of up to 1000 specimens. Imagine being on a boat and seeing so many dolphins at a time. A real show!
Although this figure may seem important and suggest that there are a large number of dolphins, the fact is that some species are critically endangered, such as the pink dolphin of the Amazon.
The bottlenose dolphin can use tools
The species of bottlenose dolphins or “bottlenose dolphins” are particularly intelligent. To hunt and dig in the seabed and in the rocks, they do not use their jaws or their noses to avoid hurting themselves. Instead, they learn from each other to use the materials they encounter while swimming.
The extraordinary intelligence of dolphins
Another of the most striking curiosities about dolphins is that they are considered even more intelligent and evolved than monkeys. Their brain is incredibly similar to the brain of a human being.
Curiosities on dolphin mothers
Depending on the species, the gestation of a dolphin can last up to 17 months. Mother dolphins are often very affectionate, expressive, and protective, and they never separate from their young.
They can hear 10 times more than we
As for the senses, dolphins can see almost perfectly both in and out of the water, they have an excellent sense of touch, and although they do not have a sense of smell, their hearing Offset it largely. These marine animals can hear frequencies 10 times higher than the limit for an adult human being.
The origin of dolphins
The dolphins have come a long way to get where they are. They descend from land mammals that returned to the waters more than 50 million years ago. The most interesting is that other animals descended from the same terrestrial mammals evolved differently, such as giraffes and hippos. In the end, all animals are parents.
They know the meaning of death
Dolphins smell and suffer very much like humans. They feel pain and may be subject to stress. It has been discovered that dolphins are aware of their own mortality, which means they know they will leave this land at some point. This is why some people prefer to remain masters of their destiny and commit suicide.
So, another curiosity about the most shocking dolphins is that, with the man, they are the only animals capable of committing suicide. The most common forms of suicide in dolphins are to suddenly collide with something, stop feeding and breathe.
The communication of dolphins
To communicate, they use a highly developed and complex method called ” echolocation “. This method works to navigate long distances and for a very long time, sending signals to find prey, and avoid obstacles and predators.
How it works? This consists of the dolphin delivering a range of sounds in the form of bursts of sound pulses that help one or more other dolphins to analyze the environment as the echo arrives. The sound is captured by the teeth of the lower jaw which absorb the sound vibrations.
They feel the pain of their
In order to close the list of 10 curiosities about dolphins, it must be emphasized that in addition to being very intelligent animals, they are also very sensitive to the suffering of other dolphins. If a dolphin is dying, others will come to rescue him and support him.
They will take him altogether to a place above the water level where he can breathe through the hole at the top of his head known as the “vent”.
