Deep thinkers : inside the minds of whales, dolphins, and porpoises

Humans aside, dolphins, whales, and porpoises are often considered to be the smartest creatures on Earth. Science and nature buffs are drawn to stories of their use of tools, their self-recognition, their beautiful and complex songs, and their intricate societies. But how do we know what we know, and what does it mean? In Deep Thinkers , renowned cetacean biologist Janet Mann gathers a gam of the world's leading whale and dolphin researchers--including Luke Rendell, Hal Whitehead, and many more--to illuminate these vital questions, exploring the astounding capacities of cetacean brains. Diving into our current understanding of and dynamic research on dolphin and whale cognition, communication, and culture, Deep Thinkers reveals how incredibly sophisticated these mammals are--and how much we can learn about other animal minds by studying cetacean behavior. Through a combination of fascinating text and more than 150 beautiful and informative illustrations, chapters compare the intelligence markers of cetaceans with those of birds, bats, and primates, asking how we might properly define intelligence in nonhumans. As all-encompassing and profound as the seas in which these deep cetacean cultures have evolved, Deep Thinkers is an awesome and inspiring journey into the fathoms--a reminder of what we gain through their close study, and of what we lose when the great minds of the sea disappear. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION - Janet Mann CHAPTER 1. BENEATH THE SURFACE - Janet Mann & Andrew Read HOW & WHY DO WE STUDY CETACEANS? FIELD RESEARCH CASE STUDY: FOCAL SAMPLING CHAPTER 2. THE CETACEAN BRAIN - Camilla Butti & Patrick Hof EVOLUTION OF THE CETACEAN BRAIN ANATOMY OF THE CETACEAN BRAIN COMPARING THE BRAINS OF ODONTOCETES & MYSTICETES BRAIN MASS, BODY MASS & THE ENCEPHALIZATION QUOTIENT CHAPTER 3. COGNITION - Heidi E. Harley KNOWING WHAT DOLPHINS KNOW DOLPHINS KNOWING HUMANS AN ADVENTUROUS MIND: JOHN CUNNINGHAM LILLY HUMANS KNOWING DOLPHINS CASE STUDY: ECHOIC EAVESDROPPING CASE STUDY: ECHOLOCATION & VISION KNOWING WHAT DOLPHINS KNOW IS THAT DOLPHIN IN THE MIRROR ME? CHAPTER 4. CETACEAN COMMUNICATION - Laela Sayigh & Vincent Janik HOW DO CETACEANS COMMUNICATE? WHAT TYPES OF SOUNDS DO CETACEANS USE? CASE STUDY: PLAYBACK EXPERIMENTS CALL FUNCTION CASE STUDY: SIGNATURE WHISTLE FUNCTION & PERCEPTION VOCAL LEARNING LONG-DISTANCE COMMUNICATION IN A NOISY WORLD CHAPTER 5. QUINTESSENTIALLY SOCIAL CETACEANS - Janet Mann A CLOSE FRIENDSHIP WHAT IS SOCIAL LIVING? LIFE HISTORY OF CETACEANS THE MOST BASIC SOCIAL UNIT: MOTHER & CALF SOCIAL ENCOUNTERS FRIENDS, ALLIES & AGGRESSIVE ENCOUNTERS CLIQUES, CLUSTERS & NETWORKS CHAPTER 6. DEEP CULTURE - Hal Whitehead & Luke Rendell HUMAN CULTURE, CETACEAN CULTURE DOLPHIN LIFESTYLES: THE ROLE OF CULTURE IN SMALL CETACEANS BIG WHALE CULTURE: SONGS, MIGRATIONS & INNOVATIONS IN MYSTICETES CASE STUDY: KICK FEEDING IN HUMPBACK WHALES MOTHER CULTURES: SPERMWHALES & KILLER WHALES WHY IS CETACEAN CULTURE IMPORTANT? GONE FISHING - Janet Mann CHAPTER 7. CETACEAN TOOL USE - Eric Patterson & Janet Mann DEFINING TOOL USE SOCIAL TOOL USE FORAGING TOOL USE CASE STUDY: WHY THE TOOL? FACTORS INFLUENCING CETACEAN TOOL USE CHAPTER 8. US & THEM - Andrew Read THE CASE FOR CONSERVATION HUNTING FISHERIES CASE STUDY: USING PASSIVE ACOUSTIC MONITORING TO COUNT VAQUITAS POLLUTANTS DISTURBANCE OTHER THREATS & HOW YOU CAN HELP GLOSSARY RESOURCES & NOTES ON CONTRIBUTORS INDEX & ACKNOWLEDGMENTS "Humans aside, dolphins, whales, and porpoises are often considered to be the smartest creatures on Earth. Science and nature buffs are drawn to stories of their use of tools, their self-recognition, their beautiful and complex songs, and their intricate societies. But how do we know what we know, and what does it mean? In Deep Thinkers, renowned cetacean biologist Janet Mann gathers a gam of the world's leading whale and dolphin researchers--including Luke Rendell, Hal Whitehead, and many more--to illuminate these vital questions, exploring the astounding capacities of cetacean brains. Diving into our current understanding of and dynamic research on dolphin and whale cognition, communication, and culture, Deep Thinkers reveals how incredibly sophisticated these mammals are--and how much we can learn about other animal minds by studying cetacean behavior. Through a combination of fascinating text and more than 150 beautiful and informative illustrations, chapters compare the intelligence markers of cetaceans with those of birds, bats, and primates, asking how we might properly define intelligence in nonhumans. As all-encompassing and profound as the seas in which these deep cetacean cultures have evolved, Deep Thinkers is an awesome and inspiring journey into the fathoms--a reminder of what we gain through their close study, and of what we lose when the great minds of the sea disappear."--Book jacket Introduction -- Beneath the surface / Janet Mann and Andrew Read -- The cetacean brain / Camilla Butti and Patrick R. Hof -- Cetacean cognition / Harley -- Cetacean communication / Laela Sayigh and Vincent M. Janik -- Quintessentially social cetaceans / Janet Mann -- Deep culture / Luke Rendell and Hal Whitehead -- Cetacean tool use / Eric Patterson and Janet Mann -- Us & them / Andrew Read