The dolphin is a cetacean.
The etymology of dolphin takes us to the Latin word delphin , a term derived from the Greek delphis . A dolphin is an aquatic mammal animal that is part of the group of cetaceans .
Dolphins are piscivores : they eat fish. There are more than thirty species of this animal, which usually measures about three meters long and has a single nasal opening.
Dolphin Characteristics
The dolphin's body is dark on the upper part and whitish on the lower part. It has a large head, large mouth with teeth in both jaws, elongated snout and small eyes.
It is important to mention that members of the Delphinidae family live in salt waters, generally tropical or temperate. The so-called river dolphins , on the other hand, belong to the Platanistoidea family group.
Dolphins use jumping to communicate.
The intelligence
Intelligence is one of the most outstanding characteristics of dolphins. It is common for them to interact with people, often being trained to participate in different types of shows. They are even used by armies for mine detection and other tasks.
We must not forget that it is not easy to compare the intelligence of two species, and even less so if they are two as different as dolphins and humans, since each one has its own way of acquiring knowledge, communicating and living in society and Their physical characteristics also vary, among which we can highlight their speech system, their respiratory system and their extremities.
The dolphin's intelligence must focus on moving deftly through the water , in a way that we could not even begin to attempt; On the other hand, ours involves moving on land, using our legs, something they cannot do. In the same way we could contrast our ways of communicating, getting food and even playing; Neither side should seem less intelligent than the other, since their roles on the planet are very different, and nature does not intend for us to compete, but rather to complement each other.
Dolphin communication
To communicate with other specimens of its species, a dolphin can use jumps , dances and sounds . These animals also use echolocation to orient themselves: they make sounds and then interpret the echo that is produced.
It is known that the dolphin is a social animal, which shares its life with several individuals with whom it forms a family. In areas where food is abundant, each family can have more than a thousand members. This species can create very close social bonds, which are compared to what we call friendship , and this has been deduced from various situations; For example, it is common for a dolphin to help an injured companion reach the surface. Human beings have also verified that each individual has their own name, which others can pronounce to call them.
Hybridization
The crossing of two different species is known as hybridization , which occurs through the mating of two individuals that belong to the same genus or, at least, to the same family.
Speaking specifically of the members of the Delphinidae family, there are hybrids called whales , which are not found in nature but have been obtained artificially in a Hawaiian water park, where they were created by mixing female bottlenose dolphins and male false whales. killer whale.
Dauphin as a noble title
Dauphin, on the other hand, was a noble title granted to the crown prince of the king of France .
This distinction existed between the mid- 14th century and the first decades of the 19th century . Today, by extension, the successor who chooses a personality to follow in his or her footsteps is known as a dolphin.