• Question: are dolphins smarter than other animals if so why ???

    Asked by jordanbarker to Charlie, Eoin, Jemma, Julian, Steve on 18 Mar 2011.
    • Photo: Jemma Ransom

      Jemma Ransom answered on 17 Mar 2011:

      I certainly think that dolphins are smart, any marine biologist would tell you that. As for whether they are smarter than other animals, I think it is difficult to compare. Animals are very well adapted to their environment, so just because a dolphin is an expert in catching fish, whereas other sea creatures aren’t doesn’t mean to say that either skill is “smarter” than the other. However, having seen dolphin shows in the zoo, I would certainly say that dolphins are nae thick!

    • Photo: Stephen Moss

      Stephen Moss answered on 17 Mar 2011:

      Hi Jordan
      There is lots of evidence that dolphins are quite smart, and that they’re smarter than many other animals. Usually this is a sign of having a large brain, but it must also indicate that dolphins have a particular capacity to learn.

    • Photo: Julian Rayner

      Julian Rayner answered on 17 Mar 2011:

      Hi jordanbaker.

      It depends what you mean by intelligence. Scientists are finding out that many animals are smarter than we think, and that some things that we thought only people could do, animals can do too. Using tools for example – tool use was thought to be something that only humans do, but we now know chimps do it too, using twigs to fish grubs out of tree bark, that sort of thing.

      Don’t know much about dolphins, but I have a particular fondness for chimpanzees, and dolphins can’t use tools, so my money would be on the chimps.

    • Photo: Charlie Ryan

      Charlie Ryan answered on 17 Mar 2011:

      hi jordan i remember hearing that dolphins are very smart, along with chimpanzees, and bizarrely octopuses!! I don’t know why though!

    • Photo: Eoin Lettice

      Eoin Lettice answered on 18 Mar 2011:

      Hi jordan,
      Interesting question! I guess it depends on which dolphin you are talking about. I’m sure that like humans, some dolphins are smarter than others!
      Dolphins are certainly very smart, but comparing intelligience between animals species is a difficult thing to do. Humans are very smart too, but we dont have the physical skills that dolphins do, for example.

      Eoin

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