People have been fascinated with the sea and its creatures since they first saw it. From the beginning, people harvested fish and shellfish from the ocean for food, but they also enjoyed the diversity of life under the waves. Over the centuries, people have become convinced that intelligent sea life exists.
The first scientists were simply people who knew a lot about plants and animals that surrounded them, heavenly bodies they could see, and the rhythms of life: seasons, day and night, high and low tide, and other natural phenomena. At first there was a treasury of anecdotal lore. Fishermen would watch dolphins at play, whales with their young, marine birds soaring over land and sea, and strange creatures they found in their nets or on their lines. Sometimes things could only be explained in myths and fantasy, but other things could mean the difference between a good catch or an empty boat or even between life and death.
Divers today swear that dolphins and even barracuda learn to recognize them if they swim in one area regularly. Everyone who has been at the seaside knows to be careful about throwing food to the gulls, because every bird in the sky will shortly be besieging them for handouts. There is no doubt that the wild animals quickly learn the habits of people who interact with them.
Goldfish were once thought to have a memory span of about three seconds. A modern study, however, explodes this idea. Not only can goldfish - not saltwater fishes, it's true, but representative of the species - learn to feed themselves by operating a lever, they also can learn to work it only at meal times. Moreover, researchers found that the fish remembered the trick for three months or more.
Every visitor to an aquarium with regular shows knows that dolphins and Orcas can be trained. They eagerly perform to earn a reward, but they also seem to enjoy the performance itself and the attention of the audience. Seals are famous circus stars.
Animals often exhibit traits once thought to be exclusive to humans. In one case, dolphins who were adorned with painted designs spent hours admiring their decorations in a mirror. Many creatures form family or group bonds, recognize each other after long separations, and remember people or animals they once interacted with. Some scientists think animals may remember words, from several to several hundred.
It is sometimes hard to distinguish between instinct, a fascinating subject in itself, and intelligence. Do salmon find their way on migrations with thought or with instinctive urges they mindlessly obey? Do they recognize landmarks to choose the right river and creek? Is maternal love as demonstrated by dolphins and whales merely a behavior pattern dictated by survival instincts? Those who believe in creation rather than evolution may have an easier time of believing that sea creatures can reason.
Octopus may camouflage themselves with shells. Whales may work together to capture prey or sing a new song, never recorded before. Creatures have been observed using inanimate objects as tools. Some denizens of the deep live together in symbiotic relationships that seem to require intent and choice. It could be true that animals under the sea are thinking all the time.
The first scientists were simply people who knew a lot about plants and animals that surrounded them, heavenly bodies they could see, and the rhythms of life: seasons, day and night, high and low tide, and other natural phenomena. At first there was a treasury of anecdotal lore. Fishermen would watch dolphins at play, whales with their young, marine birds soaring over land and sea, and strange creatures they found in their nets or on their lines. Sometimes things could only be explained in myths and fantasy, but other things could mean the difference between a good catch or an empty boat or even between life and death.
Divers today swear that dolphins and even barracuda learn to recognize them if they swim in one area regularly. Everyone who has been at the seaside knows to be careful about throwing food to the gulls, because every bird in the sky will shortly be besieging them for handouts. There is no doubt that the wild animals quickly learn the habits of people who interact with them.
Goldfish were once thought to have a memory span of about three seconds. A modern study, however, explodes this idea. Not only can goldfish - not saltwater fishes, it's true, but representative of the species - learn to feed themselves by operating a lever, they also can learn to work it only at meal times. Moreover, researchers found that the fish remembered the trick for three months or more.
Every visitor to an aquarium with regular shows knows that dolphins and Orcas can be trained. They eagerly perform to earn a reward, but they also seem to enjoy the performance itself and the attention of the audience. Seals are famous circus stars.
Animals often exhibit traits once thought to be exclusive to humans. In one case, dolphins who were adorned with painted designs spent hours admiring their decorations in a mirror. Many creatures form family or group bonds, recognize each other after long separations, and remember people or animals they once interacted with. Some scientists think animals may remember words, from several to several hundred.
It is sometimes hard to distinguish between instinct, a fascinating subject in itself, and intelligence. Do salmon find their way on migrations with thought or with instinctive urges they mindlessly obey? Do they recognize landmarks to choose the right river and creek? Is maternal love as demonstrated by dolphins and whales merely a behavior pattern dictated by survival instincts? Those who believe in creation rather than evolution may have an easier time of believing that sea creatures can reason.
Octopus may camouflage themselves with shells. Whales may work together to capture prey or sing a new song, never recorded before. Creatures have been observed using inanimate objects as tools. Some denizens of the deep live together in symbiotic relationships that seem to require intent and choice. It could be true that animals under the sea are thinking all the time.
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