How dolphins see the world: A comparison with chimpanzees and humans

Tomonaga, Masaki; Uwano, Yuka; Saito, Toyoshi

doi:10.1038/srep03717

Cited by 14 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…There were three distinct perceptual categories for the horses: shapes with curvature, shapes made of only vertical and horizontal lines, and shapes including diagonal lines. Figure 2c depicts the MDS results of previous studies [9]…”

Section: (B) Shape Discriminationmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…Three chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) participated in previous experiments [9]. The chimpanzees lived with a social group of 13 individuals (including themselves) indoors and in an environmentally enriched outdoor compound (770 m 2 ) at the Primate Research Institute at Kyoto University (KUPRI) in Japan [10].…”

Section: (A) Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on the accuracy data for all 28 pairs, multidimensional scaling (MDS) analyses were conducted to visualize the perceptual similarities in the two-dimensional space. To compare the data from the horses with those of the other species, the perceptual similarity data from the chimpanzees, humans and bottlenose dolphins obtained previously [9] were reanalysed. Of the nine stimuli used in this study, the six stimuli that were common to the tasks for all the species in both studies were used to conduct MDS analyses to obtain the two-dimensional solutions for each species.…”

Section: (C) Size Discriminationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, only a few studies have investigated visual perception in horses [5][6][7][8], and many issues remain to be addressed [8]. In this study, a computer-controlled touchscreen system was introduced to horses to investigate the visual size discrimination and shape perception abilities of these animals; the results were compared with those of other mammals that have adapted to different environments, including chimpanzees, humans and dolphins [9].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A horse's eye view: size and shape discrimination compared with other mammals

Tomonaga

Kumazaki²,

Camus³

et al. 2015

Biol. Lett.

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Mammals have adapted to a variety of natural environments from underwater to aerial and these different adaptations have affected their specific perceptive and cognitive abilities. This study used a computer-controlled touchscreen system to examine the visual discrimination abilities of horses, particularly regarding size and shape, and compared the results with those from chimpanzee, human and dolphin studies. Horses were able to discriminate a difference of 14% in circle size but showed worse discrimination thresholds than chimpanzees and humans; these differences cannot be explained by visual acuity. Furthermore, the present findings indicate that all species use length cues rather than area cues to discriminate size. In terms of shape discrimination, horses exhibited perceptual similarities among shapes with curvatures, vertical/horizontal lines and diagonal lines, and the relative contributions of each feature to perceptual similarity in horses differed from those for chimpanzees, humans and dolphins. Horses pay more attention to local components than to global shapes.

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Section: (B) Shape Discriminationmentioning

confidence: 98%

Section: (A) Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: (C) Size Discriminationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

A horse's eye view: size and shape discrimination compared with other mammals

Tomonaga

Kumazaki²,

Camus³

et al. 2015

Biol. Lett.

Self Cite

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show abstract

“…Tested in a visual-matching task, the patterns of perceptual similarities for two-dimensional forms of dolphins was found to be similar to those of chimpanzees and humans (Tomonaga et al, 2014). Contrarily to the previously mentioned hypothesis of color blindness in dolphins (Peichl et al, 2001), a behavioral experiment showed that a bottlenose dolphin had two peaks in spectral sensitivity and that it could discriminate between two wavelengths with equal brightness (Griebel and Schmid, 2002).…”

Section: Behavioral Data On Visionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Sensory Perception in Cetaceans: Part I—Current Knowledge about Dolphin Senses As a Representative Species

et al. 2016

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A large part of the literature on sensory perception and behavior in dolphins is devoted to its well-developed vocal and echolocation abilities. In this review, we aim to augment current knowledge by examining the literature on dolphins' entire "Merkwelt" (which refers to everything a subject perceives, creating a crucial part of the subject's Umwelt). We will show that despite extensive knowledge on audition, aspects such as context relatedness, the social function of vocalizations or socio-sexual recognition, remain poorly understood. Therefore, we propose areas for further lines of investigation. Recent studies have shown that the sensory world of dolphins might well be much more diverse than initially thought. Indeed, although underwater and aerial visual systems differ in dolphins, they have both been shown to be important. Much debated electro-and magnetoreception appear to be functional senses according to recent studies. Finally, another neglected area is chemoreception. We will summarize neuroanatomical and physiological data on olfaction and taste, as well as corresponding behavioral evidence. Taken together, we will identify a number of technical and conceptual reasons for why chemosensory data appear contradictory, which is much debated in the literature. In summary, this article aims to provide both an overview of the current knowledge on dolphin perception, but also offer a basis for further discussion and potential new lines of research.Keywords: cetaceans, Delphinidae, Tursiops truncatus, audition, vision, electroreception, magnetoreception, chemoreception DOLPHIN'S UMWELT Sensory perception is essential for the survival of organisms, be it for the detection of (un)favorable physical conditions, the presence/absence of food or predators, the detection of communication signals or the recognition of social partners. It is crucial for any species to perceive regularities and changes in the properties of their abiotic and biotic environment.

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The primary visual cortex of Cetartiodactyls: organization, cytoarchitectonics and comparison with perissodactyls and primates

et al. 2021

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Cetartiodactyls include terrestrial and marine species, all generally endowed with a comparatively lateral position of their eyes and a relatively limited binocular field of vision. To this day, our understanding of the visual system in mammals beyond the few studied animal models remains limited. In the present study, we examined the primary visual cortex of Cetartiodactyls that live on land (sheep, Père David deer, giraffe); in the sea (bottlenose dolphin, Risso’s dolphin, long-finned pilot whale, Cuvier’s beaked whale, sperm whale and fin whale); or in an amphibious environment (hippopotamus). We also sampled and studied the visual cortex of the horse (a closely related perissodactyl) and two primates (chimpanzee and pig-tailed macaque) for comparison. Our histochemical and immunohistochemical results indicate that the visual cortex of Cetartiodactyls is characterized by a peculiar organization, structure, and complexity of the cortical column. We noted a general lesser lamination compared to simians, with diminished density, and an apparent simplification of the intra- and extra-columnar connections. The presence and distribution of calcium-binding proteins indicated a notable absence of parvalbumin in water species and a strong reduction of layer 4, usually enlarged in the striated cortex, seemingly replaced by a more diffuse distribution in neighboring layers. Consequently, thalamo-cortical inputs are apparently directed to the higher layers of the column. Computer analyses and statistical evaluation of the data confirmed the results and indicated a substantial correlation between eye placement and cortical structure, with a markedly segregated pattern in cetaceans compared to other mammals. Furthermore, cetacean species showed several types of cortical lamination which may reflect differences in function, possibly related to depth of foraging and consequent progressive disappearance of light, and increased importance of echolocation.

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How dolphins see the world: A comparison with chimpanzees and humans

Cited by 14 publications

References 41 publications

A horse's eye view: size and shape discrimination compared with other mammals

A horse's eye view: size and shape discrimination compared with other mammals

Sensory Perception in Cetaceans: Part I—Current Knowledge about Dolphin Senses As a Representative Species

The primary visual cortex of Cetartiodactyls: organization, cytoarchitectonics and comparison with perissodactyls and primates

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