How smart are dolphins? - Lori Marino

Prevodilac: Milenka Okuka Lektor: Mile Živković

In 1985, three researchers on a dolphin-studying expedition

Godine 1985, trima istraživačima na ekspediciji izučavanja delfina

got a little bored.

je postalo malo dosadno.

To lighten things up, one pretended to be Poseidon

Kako bi se razvedrili, jedan od njih se pretvarao da je Posejdon

by placing a seaweed garland on his head and then throwing it into the ocean.

tako što je stavio venac od morske trave na glavu i potom ga je bacio u okean.

Moments later, a dolphin surfaced with the seaweed crowning her head.

Momenat kasnije, delfin je isplovio sa krunom od morske trave na glavi.

Sure, this could have been a coincidence,

Naravno da je ovo mogla da bude slučajnost,

but it's also entirely possible that the dolphin was mimicking the scientist.

ali je i u potpunosti moguće da je delfin imitirao naučnika.

That's because dolphins are one of the smartest animals species on Earth.

To je zato što su delfini jedna od najpametnijih vrsta na Zemlji.

So exactly how smart are they?

Pa, tačno koliko su pametni?

Like whales and porpoises,

Poput kitova i morskih prasadi,

dolphins belong to the group of aquatic mammals

delfini pripadaju grupi morskih sisara

known as cetaceans who comprise 86 different species,

poznatih kao cetacea, čija se grupa sastoji od 86 različitih vrsta

and share a common link with ungulates, or hoofed animals.

i dele zajedničku kariku sa ungulatima iliti kopitarima.

Originally land mammals,

Prvenstveno su bili kopneni sisari,

the first cetaceans entered the water about 55 million years ago

prve cetacee su ušle u vodu pre otprilike 55 miliona godina

as large predators with sharp teeth.

kao veliki predatori sa oštrim zubima.

Then, a shift in ocean temperatures about 35 million years ago

Potom je zbog promene temperature okeana, pre otprilike 35 miliona godina,

reduced the availability of prey.

plen postao manje dostupan.

One group of cetaceans who survived this distruption,

Jedna grupa cetacea koje su preživele ovaj poremećaj,

the odontocetes, wound up smaller with less sharp teeth,

odnotoceti, završili su manji sa manje oštrim zubima,

but also larger and more complex brains

ali i sa krupnijim i složenijim mozgovima

that allowed for complex social relationships,

koji su im omogućavali složenije društvene veze,

as well as echolocation to navigate and communicate.

kao i eholokaciju kako bi se snalazili i komunicirali.

Jump ahead to the present,

Preskočićemo sve do sadašnjosti,

and modern dolphins' brains are so large that their encephalization quotient,

mozgovi modernih delfina su toliko veliki da njihov koeficijent encefalizacije,

their brain size compared to the average for their body size,

veličina mozga upoređena sa prosekom za njihovu zapreminu tela,

is second only to humans.

je drugi po visini, nakon ljudskog.

Dolphins have evolved to survive

Delfini su evoluirali da prežive

through their ability to form complex social networks

kroz sposobnost stvaranja složenih društvenih mreža

that hunt, ward off rivals, and raise offspring together.

koje love, odbijaju neprijatelje i zajedno odgajaju potomke.

For example, one group of Florida dolphins

Na primer, jedno jato delfina iz Floride

practices a sophisticated form of cooperation to hunt fish.

upražnjava sofisticiranu saradnju prilikom lova na ribu.

A dolphin designated as "the net-maker" kicks up mud

Delfin određen kao "tvorac mreže" podiže mulj

while another gives the signal

dok drugi daje znak ostalim delfinima

for the other dolphins to simultaneously line up and catch the escaping fish.

da se istovremeno poređaju i hvataju ribu u begu.

Achieving a goal like this requires deliberate planning and cooperation,

Postizanje ovakvog cilja zahteva promišljeno planiranje i saradnju,

which, in turn, requires some form of intentional communication.

koji, s druge strane, zahtevaju neki oblik namerne komunikacije.

Dolphins pass down their communication methods and other skills

Delfini prenose svoje metode komunikacije i druge veštine

from generation to generation.

s kolena na koleno.

Different dolphin populations exhibit variations in greetings,

Različite populacije delfina pokazuju varijacije u pozdravljanju,

hunting strategies, and other behaviors.

strategijama lova i drugom ponašanju.

This sort of cultural transmission even extends to tool use.

Ovaj tip kulturološkog prenošenja se čak odnosi i na upotrebu alata.

One group of bottlenose dolphins off the Australian coast

Jedno jato kljunastih delfina iz okoline australijske obale,

nicknamed The Dolphin Sponge Club,

nazvani Delfinski sunđerasti klub,

has learned how to cover their rostrums with sponges when rooting in sharp corals,

naučilo je kako da prekrije svoje kljunove sunđerom dok iskopavaju oštre korale,

passing the knowledge from mother to daughter.

to znanje prenose s majke na kćerku.

Dolphins have even demonstrated language comprehension.

Delfini su pokazali čak i da razumeju jezik.

When taught a language based on whistles and hand gestures,

Kada nauče jezik zasnovan na zvižducima i pokretima ruku,

they not only understood what the signals meant,

oni ne samo da razumeju šta znakovi znače,

but that their order had meaning:

već i da njihov redosled ima značenje:

the difference between bringing the ball to the hoop

da postoji razlika između doneti loptu do obruča

and bringing the hoop to the ball.

i doneti obruč do lopte.

So they were able to process two of the main elements of human language:

Dakle bili su u stanju da obrade dva glavna elementa ljudskog jezika:

symbols that stand for objects and actions,

simbole koji označavaju objekte i radnje

and syntax that governs how they are structured.

i sintaksu koja određuje njihovu strukturiranost.

Dolphins are also one of the few species who pass the mirror test.

Delfini su takođe jedna od nekoliko vrsta koja može da položi test sa ogledalom.

By recognizing themselves in mirrors, they indicate physical self-awareness,

To što prepoznaju sebe u ogledalu nagoveštava nam fizičku samosvest

and research shows they can recognize not just their bodies,

a istraživanje je pokazalo da ne samo da prepoznaju svoja tela,

but also their own thoughts, a property called metacognition.

već su i svesni svojih misli, svojstvo koje se zove metakognicijom.

In one study, dolphins comparing two sounds

U jednom istraživanju, delfini koji su upoređivali dva zvuka

could indicate a same, different, or uncertain response.

mogli su da pokažu istu, različitu ili nejasnu reakciju.

Just like humans,

Baš kao i ljudi,

they indicated uncertainty more often with difficult trials,

češće su pokazivali nesigurnost kod teških zadataka,

suggesting they're aware of what they know,

nagoveštavajući da su svesni onoga što znaju

and how confident they feel about that knowledge.

i da se osećaju samouvereno zbog tog znanja.

But some of the most amazing things about dolphins

Ali najneverovovatnija osobina delfina

are their senses of empathy, altruism, and attachment.

je njihov osećaj empatije, altruizma i povezanosti.

The habit of helping injured individuals extends across the species barrier

Navika da pomažu povređenim pojedincima prelazi granice vrste,

as evidenced by the many accounts

kao što znamo iz mnogih priča

of dolphins carrying humans to the surface to breathe.

gde su delfini iznosili ljude na površinu kako bi disali.

And like us, dolphins mourn their dead.

Kao i mi, delfini oplakuju svoje mrtve.

When we consider all the evidence,

Kada razmotrimo sve dokaze,

we may wonder why humans still hunt dolphins for meat,

možemo da se pitamo zašto ljudi i dalje love delfine zbog mesa,

endanger them through fishing and pollution,

dovode ih do istrebljenja lovom i zagađenjem

or imprison them to perform tricks.

ili zašto ih drže u zatočeništvu radi izvođenja trikova.

The ultimate question may not be whether dolphins are intelligent

Konačno, možda se ne radi o tome da li su delfini inteligentna

and complex beings,

i složena bića,

but whether humans can empathize with them enough to keep them safe and free.

već mogu li ljudi da saosećaju s njima dovoljno da ih održe sigurnim i slobodnim.