Into the brains of whales

Whilst studies on cetaceans have focused on a few populations of just a few species, various complex behaviours and social structures that support the notion that cetaceans should be regarded as intelligent animals have been revealed. The evidence to support this is reviewed here and is best developed for some odontocete species, although recent studies on minke whales show that the behaviour of baleen whales may be more complex than previously thought. As one consequence of high intelligence, the potential impacts of whaling and other removals may be far greater than they appear and a new approach to the conservation of these species – which takes into account their intelligence, societies, culture and potential to suffer – is advocated.

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