The Dolphin Intelligence Quiz
Just how smart are dolphins? With years of research, scientists aren't even sure of their exact intelligence. They understand us, but do we understand them? Take this quiz to see how much you know about dolphins.
Dolphins travel in groups called ___.
Pods
Troops
Packs
Cluster
Dolphins develop strong social relationships with their friends and families. When traveling in pods, dolphins have been seen taking care of other members when they are sick, protecting other dolphins in their pod, and helping each other. In a pod, members can be many different species of dolphins.
Dolphins interact with each other using...
Body language
A series of clicks and whistles
Physical interaction
All of the above
Dolphins use clicks and whistles that are unique to each dolphin in order to communication and use echolocation. However, not all dolphins are able to whistle. So body language and physical interaction is also very important. Dolphins are extremely playful animals and love interacting with each other, just like humans!
A group of rough-toothed dolphins were rewarded when they came up with a new behavior like clapping or whistling. Both humans and dolphins were tested and when both figured out the experiment, humans expressed great relief. How did dolphins react?
They got angry
They continued to express new behavior for rewards
They relaxed their behaviors, or "felt relief"
They did not figure out the experiment
While humans and dolphins used about the same time to figure out they were being tested for an experiment, their reactions varied. While humans felt relief for being let in on the experiment, dolphins got more excited and continued to express new behaviors to gain more rewards. Which reaction do you think was smarter?
A group of young male bottlenose dolphins display characteristics similar to that of...
Teenage boys; they are rowdy and play physically
Young girls; they play with each other through speech or sonar
Old women; they swim mostly by themselves, occasionally speaking
Old men; they play golf
Dolphins love to be physically close with each other, as they are extremely social animals. Male dolphins tend to hang out in pairs which may be for reproductive benefits or just to have a friend to socialize with.
An EQ (encephalization quotient) is the ratio of brain size to body size. A bottlenose dolphin's EQ is high, but not higher than _____
Chimpanzees
Humans
Gorillas
Pseudo Orca (False Killer Whale)
The EQ of a bottlenose dolphin is 5.6, while humans posses an EQ of 7.4. Pseudo orcas come in third with an EQ of 2.57. Rounding out the list are the apes, with chimpanzees at 2.48 and gorillas at 1.76. Too many bananas maybe?
One dolphin, Akeakamai can understand up to ____ sentences in sign language
60
500
1,200
2,000
Akeakamai is a bottlenose dolphin that was studied in the 1970's by Louis Herman and his colleagues in Hawaii. Not only could Akeakamai understand words, she also was able to understand the grammatical structure of sentences. When Akeakamai was told something out of sentence structure, she worked to figure out the sentence or refused to follow the order because it didn't make sense. This shows a highly intelligent animal that can use critical thinking instead of blindly following orders.
Chimpanzees required a long period of training before being able to watch TV and understand. How long did it take for dolphins?
The same amount of training
Once
They have not yet
A slightly shorter amount of training
Dolphins were successfully able to understand that the television was just a representation, not the real world. Akeakamai was exposed to TV with a trainer on screen, who directed her as he would normally. Akeakamai was still able to respond accurately, even when the TV's image was only white hands and a black space. Contrastingly, chimpanzees were given months of training to understand that the TV was not just moving shapes.
Do dolphins have hair?
Yes
No
But only before birth! Dolphins have hair follicles but the hairs are usually gone by the time they are born. In order to stay warm, dolphins use a variety of methods; from their thick layer of blubber to eating lots of food.
Which of the human five senses do dolphins possess?
Hear, taste, touch
Hear, taste, touch, smell
Hear, taste, touch, sight
Hear, taste, touch, sight, smell
Dolphins have little to no reason to for a sense of smell. However, they have all of the other senses that humans do. Dolphins receive sound through their lower jaw! Find out more about how dolphin sonar works.
Wild dolphins are known to help people in times of trouble.
True
False
In 2004, a pod of dolphins surrounded a group of swimmers as a shark was closing in on them. The dolphins even attacked the shark when it moved too close. The pod continued to surround the humans until they left the water, protecting them. Stories of dolphins helping humans continue to surface as time goes on.
Correct
Better put on that dunce cap and try again.
Correct
Pretty close, but you'll still need a tutoring session or two before becoming a dolphin expert.
Correct
Congratulations! You are definitely a dolphin virtuoso. Next lesson: learn how to "speak" dolphin.
Advertisement
Blood Dolphins
-
our sites
-
video
mobile
-
shop
-
stay connected
-
corporate
