GRASSY KEY - A NEW study reports a blindfolded dolphin can detect and imitate the fin splashes, swimming movements and other behaviour of fellow dolphins even when it can't see them.
Dr Kelly Jaakkola at the nonprofit Dolphin Research Center in the Florida Keys says the study involved a male bottlenose dolphin named Tanner who was blindfolded with opaque latex goggles and able to detect the movements of its companions.
Dr Jaakkola says it's still unclear if dolphins use sonar or naturally emitted sounds to detect fellow dolphins, a form of navigation called echolocation. But she says the research is pursuing new insights about dolphin intelligence.
The study called 'Blindfolded Imitation in a Bottlenose Dolphin' has been published in the International Journal of Comparative Psychology. -- AP
By The Straits Times
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