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DolphinsClearlyExplained.Com 30 July 2007 by Richard Conan-Davies A straightforward and fast information
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A collage of dolphins at Seaworld, Gold Coast, Australia |
What is a dolphin?
Regarded as one of the most intelligent animals dolphins often appear friendly and their seemingly playful behaviour make them popular in human culture.
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Why are dolphins important?Dolphins are important from a range of perspectives... Culturally ... Due to their often close association with humans dolphins have been part of human culture for thousands of years. Dolphins and their legends and stories have inspired art works and poems and creativity over the ages. The smooth streamlined shape of dolphins have inspired works of art and jewels Naturally ... Dolphins play a role in the ocean ecosystems as one of the top predators. Their diet of fish and squid for example has an impact on the populations and may keep them in balance.
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Dolphin-human interactions. The social and playful nature of dolphins have made them a useful theraputic tool for people with a range of disabilities, particularly children with mental difficulties.
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News about dolphinsDolphins are occasionally reported in the press online. Here are some
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Some reliable and user-friendly information on dolphins
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How do dolphins live?Dolphins are mammals and so have many of the familiar characteristics of being a a mammal such as being warm blood, giving birth to live young. There is a minor exception: most dolphins have no hair. Except some dolphins (Boto river dolphin) have remnants. Dolphins are carnivorous eating mainly fish and squid. They are also quite social animals often found in groups called schools or pods. Dolphins in the wild are thought to live between 25-40 years, life in the sea is sometimes rather tough so can shorten life spans.
Dolphins tend to eat fish, particluarly schools of fish like anchovies, but also squid and octopus. Dolphins don't chew their food but swallow it whole or bash it about a bit. Reference: Diet and eating habits of bottlenosed dolphins, Seaworld
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History of dolphinsNatural history of dolphins. Dolphins and whales evolved from common ancestors that used to live on the land. It is thought that the land mammal they was something called Pakicetids. These were a bit like dogs but had teeth and ear positions very similar to modern cetaceans. This occured back during the Eocene times ( some 50 million years ago)
Later on evolutionarly, the ambulocetus was a creature that started to be more adapted to living in water.
reference: BBC evolution of whales
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Cultural history of dolphins... Dolphins have been known since antiquity, (ancient greek times). They are represented in a range of mythologies. For example the wikipedia recalls a story "A dolphin rescued the poet Arion from drowning and
Reference: Dolphins in Mythology, Wikipedia
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Future of dolphinsHow will dolphins change in the future? For example will we be able to communicate with dolphins more effectively? Could they one day help with understanding the oceans better. Could they become a marine scientists assistant to collecting data about the oceans?
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It is also important to ensure that dolphin's habitat is cared for through ensuring minimisation of threats to their environment.
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Dolphins are an aquatic, usually ocean dwelling, mammal. Varying in size from 1.2 metres and 40 kilograms (Maui's Dolphin), up to 9.5 m and ten tonnes which includes the Orca also known as the Killer Whale.
carried him safe to land, at Cape Taenarum, now Cape Matapan, a promontory forming the southernmost point of the Peloponnesus. There was a temple to Poseidon and a statue of Arion riding the dolphin. (Herodotus I.23; Thucydides I.128, 133; Pausanias iii.25, 4)"