Home Science 1001 questions: Did dolphins evolve from a terrestrial animal?

1001 questions: Did dolphins evolve from a terrestrial animal?

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It is considered one of the most intelligent and friendly animals on the planet. Did this species evolve from a terrestrial animal?

Dolphins evolved from a terrestrial animal Dolphins evolved from a terrestrial animal Dolphins are mammals, closely related to whales, often living in the shallow seas of the continental shelf. Dolphins have the ability to understand simple human behavioral language. With their inherent magical ability, dolphins can understand and organize common objects into groups together. They understand both sounds and images, and even respond to images just like humans. Explaining this, scientists have confirmed that dolphins are the most intelligent animals in the world (while humans are only third in intelligence). Millions of years ago, the ancestor of the dolphin did not swim in the water as we know it today, but was a carnivore that lived entirely on land. However, about 50 million years ago, a mysterious event happened that forced them to adapt to the underwater environment, and gradually evolved into a mammal like today. Although they are considered extremely friendly animals, dolphins also have creepy habits, typically juggling their young out of the sea. This sounds like a very funny joke, but in reality, it is one of the ways adult males are killing their young so their mothers can return to mating. Dolphins can’t sleep for weeks at a time A recently published study has revealed the surprising ability of dolphins: They can stay awake for days or weeks at a time without sleep. So how can they survive without sleep? Dolphins possess a very special sleep mechanism, they can let half of their brain rest at a certain time while the other half is still awake – a process called “Unihemispheric sleep”. This special sleeping mechanism not only keeps dolphins from drowning, but also allows them to stay alert to any danger and even encourages brain development. Most dolphins don’t chew their food Dolphins do not chew food, or rather they cannot chew. Dolphin’s teeth are developed for the purpose of gripping prey. Sometimes they will shake or rub the food on the ocean floor to tear it into smaller pieces that are easier to swallow. One theory is that dolphins’ prey are mainly small fish, and they need to quickly grab the prey in their mouth before their meal can swim away. Skip the chewing process to make sure the prey can’t escape. Dolphins call each other by their own names, forming friendships through shared interests Researchers from the Universities of Bristol, Zurich and Western Australia have found that dolphins living in the Shark Bay area form friendships based on shared interests – in this case, the habit of using foam. sea ​​to hunt. This tool-using trait is found mainly in female dolphins, but by studying the behavior of a few expressed male dolphins, researchers have found a new discovery: The relationship of dolphins is formed through general tooling techniques. Dolphins have their own names and they will respond when called. Dolphins in each population possess their own “characteristic whistle”, just like a name, and other dolphins can use that distinctive whistle to get the attention of their mates. In fact, dolphins are also an extremely social species. The discovery opens up entirely new questions about how dolphins communicate and their “vocabulary,” and may reveal clues about the evolution of our own language skills. Dolphins use prey’s toxins as ‘addicts’ We know that puffer fish have strong toxins. Apparently dolphins know this too, but they use it for ‘high’ purposes. Usually, the puffer fish toxin is deadly. However, in small doses, it can act as a narcotic. The BBC once filmed a video in which dolphins gently play with a puffer fish for 20 to 30 minutes, then hang around and behave “weird”. Dolphins possess great “teamwork” ability A team of researchers from the University of Bristol recently discovered that male dolphins can work and work together as a team – an attribute previously thought to be unique to humans. Observing the behavior of male dolphins as they coordinated courtship with female pigs, the researchers saw cooperation rather than competitive behavior, which is particularly unusual in mate-finding in the animal kingdom.