Dolphins in the Mirror
While there are other intelligent animals living on the earth with us, only a few can be called conscious or self-aware. If you put a mirror in a cage with a bird, he will think he has a new friend. Dogs and cats scratch at mirrors, not realizing they are really seeing themselves. Now scientists have proved that dolphins can recognize their own images in a mirror.
This is a very rare ability that up until now has only been shown in humans and great apes, according to researcher Lori Marino. Marino and colleague Diana Reiss studied 2 teenaged dolphins. They put a mirror in a small, round pool that was connected to a larger, oval pool by an open gateway. The mirror was positioned just inside the gateway so it could not be seen from the larger pool.
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