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Treat Dolphins Like Persons, Scientists Say

Submitted by LiveScience Staff

posted: 04 January 2010 12:05 pm ET


Adult male Amazon river dolphins, or botos, carry natural objects such as sticks and rocks, sometimes throwing them or thrashing them against the surface, likely to impress females. Credit: Tony Martin.

Full Size 1 of 1.Adult male Amazon river dolphins, or botos, carry natural objects such as sticks and rocks, sometimes throwing them or thrashing them against the surface, likely to impress females. Credit: Tony Martin.

Dolphins are turning out to be smarter than once thought and should be considered as "non-human persons" making them eligible for more humane treatment, the Times of London reports.



Dolphins are among several animals that use tools. But studies have shown they can do much more. Dolphins name themselves and they can recognize themselves in mirrors. They think about the future, can learn a basic symbol-based language, and behave more socially than was known. One dolphin taught to tail-walk in captivity later spread the trick to wild dolphins. Dolphins may even think about thinking.



"The scientific research . . . suggests that dolphins are 'non-human persons' who qualify for moral standing as individuals," says Thomas White, professor of ethics at Loyola Marymount University.