Article: The Cetacean Brain and Hominid Perceptions of Cetacean Intelligence
More evidence to shatter the arrogant anthropocentric world view:
It is very likely that we humans are not the most intelligent creatures on earth.
We often associate intelligence with tool use (technology), just because with this definition we humans in fact are the most intelligent species (a misbelief we want/need to hear to satisfy our ego). Sea Shepherds Paul Watson, who is working with dolphins and whales over 50 years, wrote a very interesting and informative essay about this topic, saying that cetaceans [whales and dolphins] show an intelligence far superior to ours in therms of complex associative, linguistic, and survival abilities.
And think about it – what would a truly intelligent creature do? Would it behave like the people of our culture, destroying their own habitat? Watson says:
“Intelligence can also be measured by the ability to live within the bounds of the laws of ecology — to live in harmony with one’s own ecology and to recognize the limitations placed on each species by the needs of an ecosystem. Is the species that dwells peacefully within its habitat with respect for the rights of other species the one that is inferior? Or is it the species that wages a holy war against its habitat, destroying all species that irritate it? What can be said of a species that reproduces beyond the ability of its habitat to support it? What do we make of a species that destroys the diversity that sustains the ecosystem that nourishes it? How is a species to be judged that fouls its water and poisons its own food? On the other hand, how is a species that has lived harmoniously within the boundaries of its ecology to be judged?”
The Cetacean Brain and Hominid Perceptions of Cetacean Intelligence
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