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Beautiful Minds: The Parallel Lives of Great Apes and Dolphins
Apes and primates and cetaceans. Could any creatures appear to be more different? Yet both are large-brained intelligent mammals with complex communication and social interaction. In the first book to study apes and dolphins side by side, Maddalena Bearzi and Craig B. Stanford, a dolphin biologist and a primatologist who have spent their careers studying these animals in the wild, combine their insights with compelling results. Beautiful Minds explains how and why apes and dolphins are so distantly related yet so cognitively alike and what this teaches us about another large-brained Homo sapiens. Noting that apes and dolphins have had no common ancestor in nearly 100 million years, Bearzi and Stanford describe the parallel evolution that gave rise to their intelligence. And they closely observe that intelligence in action, in the territorial grassland and rainforest communities of chimpanzees and other apes, and in groups of dolphins moving freely through open coastal waters. The authors detail their subjects’ ability to develop family bonds, form alliances, and care for their young. They offer an understanding of their culture, politics, social structure, personality, and capacity for emotion. The resulting dual portrait—with striking overlaps in behavior—is key to understanding the nature of “beautiful minds.”
368 pages, Hardcover
First published April 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
December 19, 2008
Fascinating book. It talks about the social structures, politics, tool use, and signs of intelligence in dolphins and apes. I particularly enjoyed the final chapters which described the evolution of apes and dolphins and the current dangers both species face. It was quite sobering to read.
There are only minor complaints I had with the book. It was a bit limited in describing the rich emotional lives of apes and dolphins, which is often tied to intelligence. (For instance, to show empathy, you have to have a theory of mind which the authors seem more willing to characterize in dolphins than apes- though previous anecdotal evidence suggests that apes can be quite empathetic). I also wondered why the research on chimpanzees far over-shadowed research on orangutans and gorilla.s Was it because of lack of conclusive research or understanding? Not sure.
Anyone with an interest in apes, dolphins, or animal intelligence studies should find this a great read. We still have yet to learn so much about dolphins and apes: I'm looking forward to more studies in the future!
There are only minor complaints I had with the book. It was a bit limited in describing the rich emotional lives of apes and dolphins, which is often tied to intelligence. (For instance, to show empathy, you have to have a theory of mind which the authors seem more willing to characterize in dolphins than apes- though previous anecdotal evidence suggests that apes can be quite empathetic). I also wondered why the research on chimpanzees far over-shadowed research on orangutans and gorilla.s Was it because of lack of conclusive research or understanding? Not sure.
Anyone with an interest in apes, dolphins, or animal intelligence studies should find this a great read. We still have yet to learn so much about dolphins and apes: I'm looking forward to more studies in the future!
November 26, 2010
Npt as captivating as the synopsis might suggest
September 20, 2009
The underlying premise for this book is a fascinating one: how is intelligence evolved? The book provides extensive comparisons between the social, behavioral and cognitive traits of both dolphins and chimpanzees whose similarities stem from the convergent evolution of their intelligence. However, the writing style is redundant and piecemeal due to the repetitive writing structure both authors struggle to employ in order to make the parallels between their research more apparent. At times reading the text feels like reading two journals from separate authors cut and paste together, and the analytical comparison of their studies makes a late appearance in the text. While the synergy between their ideas needs some polishing, the evidence is there. This book also delves into how the evolution of chimp and dolphin intelligence relates to understanding the origins and evolution of human intellect and how we relate to our mammalian brethren. A good read for those enthusiastic about evolution and biological anthropology.
July 12, 2019
How dolphins and apes (and humans) are alike and different
Bearzi is the dolphin biologist and Stanford is the primatologist. The "parallels" between dolphins and great apes that the authors speak of are mostly in the use of what we call "intelligence" in their adaptations to life. Consequently this is a comparison of dolphin intelligence with primate intelligence, and of course implicitly with human intelligence.
The sections within the chapters are written first on one species and then on the other so that dolphin social behavior, for example, can be compared with primate social behavior (Chapter 4) or that their navigation through their differing environments can similarly be compared as in "Swimming with Dolphins, Swinging with Apes" (Chapter 3).
I was semi-surprised to learn that wild bottlenose dolphins even without hands have nonetheless been observed using tools--or at least one tool, a sponge worn as "a nose cap." The main speculation here is that the dolphins use the sponges "to protect themselves from a variety of harmful and toxic organisms near the sea floor and to avoid the abrasive sand, rocks, and broken shells that litter the deep waters…" (pp. 144-145).
Of course dolphins in sea shows have been taught to use balls and other objects as "tools for entertainment"--which brings me to this consideration: is dolphin intelligence limited by the fact that dolphins have no hands with which to use tools? The authors seem to think so, and at any rate the sponge use is the only example of tool use in the wild that they report, although the use of air bubbles to surround and confuse schooling fish can be seen as another bit of “tool” use, I guess. Which brings up the question of how much do we really know about dolphin behavior and intelligence? Observing animals in zoos or as part of a theatric show is one thing; observing animals in the wild is another. Animals in the wild behave in ways that may surprise us, and our knowledge of the use and extent of dolphin intelligence may be limited because we are not able to systemically follow them in the wild.
The same is true for chimpanzees and other primates. In the February, 2010 issue of "National Geographic" there is an interesting article by Joshua Foer (with photos by Ian Nichols) about an encounter with chimps in the Congo's Nouabale-Ndoki National Park. Unlike other places in Africa the chimps encountered here had apparently never seen humans before. Their behavior--full of curiosity and "approach/avoidance" displays including nesting overnight in the trees directly above the camp of biologists Dave Morgan and Crickette Sanz--proved most surprising. The chimps spent part of the night "testing" the humans by throwing down urine and feces onto the tents and howling! This is a bit different from other reports that I have read.
In "Beautiful Minds," the authors speculate on whether dolphins and apes have "a theory of mind"--that is, whether they are aware of what others may be thinking and whether they have a sense of self. Some dolphins were "marked with black ink in an area of their bodies not visible to them. They could, however, feel the ink. A mirror was offered, and the dolphins were watched to see if they were visually monitoring their bodies to find the ink spot." Some were. (pp. 180-181) This suggests self-awareness. In chimps it has long been known that they recognize themselves in mirrors and realize that the image in the mirror is not some other chimp. Here it is reported that an Asian elephant "was also able to pass the mirror self-recognition test, repeatedly touching a white X on the side of her head with her trunk." (p. 180)
What is clear to me is that the great intelligence demonstrated by chimps, bonobos and dolphins (and humans, by the way) is primarily the result of the need to understand and negotiate the complex social relationships they have with others. This is the key to the growth of these big brains. But intelligence defined as the ability to solve problems applies directly to the search for and procurement of food. Dolphins use cooperative hunting to surround and force to the surface schools of fish so that they cannot easily escape. As mentioned above, they even use bubbles to confuse and confine the fish. Apes use their minds to find and recall where and when they found fruits in season in a vast forest.
Ape intelligence is apparently limited by their inability to form abstract concepts, especially in terms of language that would allow them to pass on information to others. In the case of dolphins this is not so clear since we are at a loss when trying to understand what they are "saying" or why they do some of the things they do. It may be that we will find that dolphins do indeed have some sense of the abstract and can communicate about things such as fish not immediately present or actions and events in the past or imagined, which is the essence of human conceptual abilities. The trick is to have symbols such as words to stand for something not present or for acts not in evidence. Apes are limited in their ability to symbolize. Are dolphins so limited? We don't yet know.
Bearzi and Stanford in this very readable book have done a great job of bringing to a general readership some of the latest ideas and discoveries that are leading us toward a greater understanding of these unique beings, and of course to a better understand of ourselves.
--Dennis Littrell, author of “Understanding Evolution and Ourselves”
Bearzi is the dolphin biologist and Stanford is the primatologist. The "parallels" between dolphins and great apes that the authors speak of are mostly in the use of what we call "intelligence" in their adaptations to life. Consequently this is a comparison of dolphin intelligence with primate intelligence, and of course implicitly with human intelligence.
The sections within the chapters are written first on one species and then on the other so that dolphin social behavior, for example, can be compared with primate social behavior (Chapter 4) or that their navigation through their differing environments can similarly be compared as in "Swimming with Dolphins, Swinging with Apes" (Chapter 3).
I was semi-surprised to learn that wild bottlenose dolphins even without hands have nonetheless been observed using tools--or at least one tool, a sponge worn as "a nose cap." The main speculation here is that the dolphins use the sponges "to protect themselves from a variety of harmful and toxic organisms near the sea floor and to avoid the abrasive sand, rocks, and broken shells that litter the deep waters…" (pp. 144-145).
Of course dolphins in sea shows have been taught to use balls and other objects as "tools for entertainment"--which brings me to this consideration: is dolphin intelligence limited by the fact that dolphins have no hands with which to use tools? The authors seem to think so, and at any rate the sponge use is the only example of tool use in the wild that they report, although the use of air bubbles to surround and confuse schooling fish can be seen as another bit of “tool” use, I guess. Which brings up the question of how much do we really know about dolphin behavior and intelligence? Observing animals in zoos or as part of a theatric show is one thing; observing animals in the wild is another. Animals in the wild behave in ways that may surprise us, and our knowledge of the use and extent of dolphin intelligence may be limited because we are not able to systemically follow them in the wild.
The same is true for chimpanzees and other primates. In the February, 2010 issue of "National Geographic" there is an interesting article by Joshua Foer (with photos by Ian Nichols) about an encounter with chimps in the Congo's Nouabale-Ndoki National Park. Unlike other places in Africa the chimps encountered here had apparently never seen humans before. Their behavior--full of curiosity and "approach/avoidance" displays including nesting overnight in the trees directly above the camp of biologists Dave Morgan and Crickette Sanz--proved most surprising. The chimps spent part of the night "testing" the humans by throwing down urine and feces onto the tents and howling! This is a bit different from other reports that I have read.
In "Beautiful Minds," the authors speculate on whether dolphins and apes have "a theory of mind"--that is, whether they are aware of what others may be thinking and whether they have a sense of self. Some dolphins were "marked with black ink in an area of their bodies not visible to them. They could, however, feel the ink. A mirror was offered, and the dolphins were watched to see if they were visually monitoring their bodies to find the ink spot." Some were. (pp. 180-181) This suggests self-awareness. In chimps it has long been known that they recognize themselves in mirrors and realize that the image in the mirror is not some other chimp. Here it is reported that an Asian elephant "was also able to pass the mirror self-recognition test, repeatedly touching a white X on the side of her head with her trunk." (p. 180)
What is clear to me is that the great intelligence demonstrated by chimps, bonobos and dolphins (and humans, by the way) is primarily the result of the need to understand and negotiate the complex social relationships they have with others. This is the key to the growth of these big brains. But intelligence defined as the ability to solve problems applies directly to the search for and procurement of food. Dolphins use cooperative hunting to surround and force to the surface schools of fish so that they cannot easily escape. As mentioned above, they even use bubbles to confuse and confine the fish. Apes use their minds to find and recall where and when they found fruits in season in a vast forest.
Ape intelligence is apparently limited by their inability to form abstract concepts, especially in terms of language that would allow them to pass on information to others. In the case of dolphins this is not so clear since we are at a loss when trying to understand what they are "saying" or why they do some of the things they do. It may be that we will find that dolphins do indeed have some sense of the abstract and can communicate about things such as fish not immediately present or actions and events in the past or imagined, which is the essence of human conceptual abilities. The trick is to have symbols such as words to stand for something not present or for acts not in evidence. Apes are limited in their ability to symbolize. Are dolphins so limited? We don't yet know.
Bearzi and Stanford in this very readable book have done a great job of bringing to a general readership some of the latest ideas and discoveries that are leading us toward a greater understanding of these unique beings, and of course to a better understand of ourselves.
--Dennis Littrell, author of “Understanding Evolution and Ourselves”
February 22, 2012
Great book. I'm incredibly interested in wildlife and the endless possibilities and variations that go with natural selection. We live in an amazing time of rapid scientific development. This book does a great job at illustrating the various ways in which these two disparate groups of animal converge.
I found it to only be preachy in the conclusion, but it was preachiness in a practical way (as in: we are the problem and here are some possible ways to solve this problem). Highly recommended.
I found it to only be preachy in the conclusion, but it was preachiness in a practical way (as in: we are the problem and here are some possible ways to solve this problem). Highly recommended.
September 13, 2013
Interesting essay on the parallel minds of great apes and dolphins with respect to humans. I learned some fascinating anecdotes and increased my definition of intelligence, culture, social skills, etc.
The book is meant to be a high level discussion with a focus on anecdotes and not hard science. As such, they really didn't have a lot of anecdotes to share, so it was a little repetitive. Still, it was a fast, enjoyable read in one of my favorite subjects - evolution.
The book is meant to be a high level discussion with a focus on anecdotes and not hard science. As such, they really didn't have a lot of anecdotes to share, so it was a little repetitive. Still, it was a fast, enjoyable read in one of my favorite subjects - evolution.
July 15, 2011
Stanford and Bearzi, just as they say, "incorporate a respect and sense of stewardship" for the apes and dolphins they study. Both concepts are vividly addressed throughout this informative, eye-opening read.
October 7, 2008
Interesting book although I think it could have been shorter. Worth reading for sure if you are interested in the big brained animals of this earth and about the present research being done.
December 24, 2019
I read this along with whatever else I had in my crockpot of literature, and for what it is, I found it so much more peaceful than what I have read in the biological reams of writing out there. To be honest, I couldn't be bothered about the holy question, hence I am not out celebrating but reviewing books. I prefer cetaceans. That was honestly what I sought in the library catalog. However, this is what I found.
Even though I couldn't find Lisa Frank there, I think this is the next best option. Please see how these seemingly unlike creatures on the outside are really alike on the inside!
Recently, I did a ton of research on Jane Goodall, a primatologist you may have heard of - have you seen the recent book of hers I reviewed? The review I did was about birds though, since this November I wrote extensively about A. Qui Line the overweight bald eagle and his methodologies for catching all the chickadees, sparrows, nuthatches, finches, cardinals, and weavers for carbo-loading; in fact, when I go abroad I want to take with me a copy of that manuscript for copyediting.
I hope I'll have enough ink and enough paper in the printer for these purposes...
ANYWAY I really liked the ethical questions this book poses towards the end about keeping these creatures in captivity.
The authors explore how these creatures seem to have high cognition powers, which is highly interesting for an INTJ (or INTP depending on how decisive I'm being that day) such as yours truly to ponder. This book made me think of playing Ecco the dolphin when I was a youth. (That final boss was a real killer!)
Furthermore, it seems that until I get back into the university proper, I will have to refer to the Internet, i.e. Wikiversity and not the public library for good and proper peer-reviewed research. What I last found at the public library was an unfortunate disappointment. (Maybe, if not the Internet, I could show my face at my alma mater's library where I essentially lived the past five years...?)
I think the reason I don't really want to do much online is due to eyestrain. I'll think this out more soon.
Even though I couldn't find Lisa Frank there, I think this is the next best option. Please see how these seemingly unlike creatures on the outside are really alike on the inside!
Recently, I did a ton of research on Jane Goodall, a primatologist you may have heard of - have you seen the recent book of hers I reviewed? The review I did was about birds though, since this November I wrote extensively about A. Qui Line the overweight bald eagle and his methodologies for catching all the chickadees, sparrows, nuthatches, finches, cardinals, and weavers for carbo-loading; in fact, when I go abroad I want to take with me a copy of that manuscript for copyediting.
I hope I'll have enough ink and enough paper in the printer for these purposes...
ANYWAY I really liked the ethical questions this book poses towards the end about keeping these creatures in captivity.
The authors explore how these creatures seem to have high cognition powers, which is highly interesting for an INTJ (or INTP depending on how decisive I'm being that day) such as yours truly to ponder. This book made me think of playing Ecco the dolphin when I was a youth. (That final boss was a real killer!)
Furthermore, it seems that until I get back into the university proper, I will have to refer to the Internet, i.e. Wikiversity and not the public library for good and proper peer-reviewed research. What I last found at the public library was an unfortunate disappointment. (Maybe, if not the Internet, I could show my face at my alma mater's library where I essentially lived the past five years...?)
I think the reason I don't really want to do much online is due to eyestrain. I'll think this out more soon.
July 13, 2018
2018 Popsugar Reading Challenge: a book with multiple authors
The information presented in this book was fascinating, but I didn't feel that the segments on apes and dolphins were integrated very well. It almost felt like these were two separate (though well-written) books that somehow got taped together.
The information presented in this book was fascinating, but I didn't feel that the segments on apes and dolphins were integrated very well. It almost felt like these were two separate (though well-written) books that somehow got taped together.
August 6, 2010
I was at my local Borders, glancing over the two shelves of horse books, whose spines I have all memorized by now, when I decided to take a step over to the "Miscellaneous Animals" shelf. I always have high hopes that a paperback edition (I simply abhor hardcovers) of "The Age of Empathy" will magically appear that shelf, a couple of months before it's official release. Of course, it wasn't there, but I found this small paperback in my search. I love dolphins. Almost as much as humans. Apes are always interesting as well. A book that combines the two? And talks about their behavior? I was sold. Not to mention the book itself was nice and compact--a size I almost wish all paperbacks came in (mass-market paperback editions? Yes please!).
Pretty good book. It included some incredible anecdotes about dolphin and ape behavior. I only wish the book contained more of those anecdotes. Instead a large part of it was rather dry and repetitive. The writing styles of the two writers also wasn't the most compatible. I however applaud them for pursuing such a unique topic. It's simple fascinating how two species of animals, so incredibly different from each other, have both evolved brains capable of language, culture, problem-solving, self-awareness, etc. Comparing the two species puts the focus on the book on the subject of evolution and intelligence, which gives me little right to criticize the lack of stories on interactive behavior. So for what it's worth, the authors did an excellent job in their task. Intelligence and evolution are however, at least in my opinion, rather dry topics. Funny I should say that considering I was briefly a Cognitive Science major in college. No wonder it didn't last...
I would also like to point out how this book had me laughing out loud when it reminded me of the scientist John Lilly and his quote "scientists should learn how to communicate with dolphins to prepare for communication with life in outer space." Oh the wonderful 60s.
To say the least, I learned a ton about dolphins and apes. There's an excellent "Further Reading" list in the back of this one, and I plan on adding most of these suggestions to my list.
Pretty good book. It included some incredible anecdotes about dolphin and ape behavior. I only wish the book contained more of those anecdotes. Instead a large part of it was rather dry and repetitive. The writing styles of the two writers also wasn't the most compatible. I however applaud them for pursuing such a unique topic. It's simple fascinating how two species of animals, so incredibly different from each other, have both evolved brains capable of language, culture, problem-solving, self-awareness, etc. Comparing the two species puts the focus on the book on the subject of evolution and intelligence, which gives me little right to criticize the lack of stories on interactive behavior. So for what it's worth, the authors did an excellent job in their task. Intelligence and evolution are however, at least in my opinion, rather dry topics. Funny I should say that considering I was briefly a Cognitive Science major in college. No wonder it didn't last...
I would also like to point out how this book had me laughing out loud when it reminded me of the scientist John Lilly and his quote "scientists should learn how to communicate with dolphins to prepare for communication with life in outer space." Oh the wonderful 60s.
To say the least, I learned a ton about dolphins and apes. There's an excellent "Further Reading" list in the back of this one, and I plan on adding most of these suggestions to my list.
May 5, 2009
This had alternating sections on different aspects of ape (mostly chimp) and dolphin life in an attempt to compare them with human beings. I was more interested in the sections on chimps, since I've read more about them and well, they are more human-like than dolphins. There were some interesting facts and anecdotes about dolphins - in one part the author (there are two authors; one discusses chimps and, yes, the other discusses dolphins) recalls the story of a trainer who was smoking a cigarette outside of a dolphin tank. An infant dolphin watched him closely, then swam to its mother, took a sip of milk, went back to the trainer, and spurted the milk into the water so it came out like a cloud of smoke from its mouth. Adorable!
Unfortunately the authors don't actually begin discussing the evolution of intelligence until about two chapters before the book ends. By then I had forgotten that this was the whole point of the book, since they had spent 250+ pages talking about tool use and hunting habits, etc. It was all very interesting, but not as interesting as the little time they devoted to talking about evolutionary intelligence. Too bad. They talk about the ancestors of today's chimps/humans/dolphins, all topics I'm interested in - but then it ends. The final chapter was pretty distressing because it covers all the threats currently facing the Great Apes and pretty much all animals at sea. It seems that fish and ocean wildlife are at the greatest risk right now in terms of imminent extinction, though apes don't have too much of a chance, either. So sad. I spent the drive to work this morning thinking about how screwed up the whole situation is - you know, the human situation.
This review is more depressing than I intended it to be, but I'm very tired right now. It was a good book and I especially liked the chimp sections.
Unfortunately the authors don't actually begin discussing the evolution of intelligence until about two chapters before the book ends. By then I had forgotten that this was the whole point of the book, since they had spent 250+ pages talking about tool use and hunting habits, etc. It was all very interesting, but not as interesting as the little time they devoted to talking about evolutionary intelligence. Too bad. They talk about the ancestors of today's chimps/humans/dolphins, all topics I'm interested in - but then it ends. The final chapter was pretty distressing because it covers all the threats currently facing the Great Apes and pretty much all animals at sea. It seems that fish and ocean wildlife are at the greatest risk right now in terms of imminent extinction, though apes don't have too much of a chance, either. So sad. I spent the drive to work this morning thinking about how screwed up the whole situation is - you know, the human situation.
This review is more depressing than I intended it to be, but I'm very tired right now. It was a good book and I especially liked the chimp sections.
March 24, 2012
Dolphins and apes and humans--all quite different, yet alike in many ways. This book explores the parallel evolution and the development of intelligence in dolphins and apes.
The book details the ability of these intelligent creatures to develop family bonds, form alliances, and care for their young. The culture, politics, social structure, personality, and capacity for emotion are discussed with wonderful examples. This dual portrait—with striking overlaps in behavior—is key to understanding the nature of “beautiful minds.”
The last section of the book discusses the perilous plight of these creatures as their habitat is rapidly being destroyed and what can be done to reverse this and save these beautiful minds.
The book details the ability of these intelligent creatures to develop family bonds, form alliances, and care for their young. The culture, politics, social structure, personality, and capacity for emotion are discussed with wonderful examples. This dual portrait—with striking overlaps in behavior—is key to understanding the nature of “beautiful minds.”
The last section of the book discusses the perilous plight of these creatures as their habitat is rapidly being destroyed and what can be done to reverse this and save these beautiful minds.
January 29, 2015
While Lillefors is an exploration of space and place, Bearzi and Britton's Beautiful Minds is an exploration of the similarities between apes, dolphins and humans. Biologists they seek to explain how these three different species share common traits of culture, language and society. It is a really easy and enjoyable read for anyone interested in any of the groups they discuss and it is filled with lots of interesting knowledge about the behaviour of apes and dolphins. After discussing the majesty of these creatues they end the book with a call for conservation and stewardship, for us to be more sensitive to how we use the earth and those who share it with us.
January 19, 2009
Adult nonfiction; biology/psychology/anthropology. I guess I was hoping that this one would have more of a narrative, but I found this one somewhat dry and barely readable, despite my genuine interest in both dolphins and apes. It was ok for a while but sort of dragged... and eventually I gave up on it (too many other excellent books I'd rather read). Perhaps I shouldn't have tried to read it at the end of the day when I am already tired out.
October 25, 2008
This is a survey and speculation about the convergent evolution that produced arguably the brainiest creatures on the planet. It is well worth reading.
October 31, 2016
An informative and fascinating read.
Read
December 1, 2008for animal cognition; easy, pleasant read
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews