The finding may help explain some of the behaviors seen in whales, such as intricate communication skills, the formation of alliances, cooperation, cultural transmission and tool usage, the researchers report in The Anatomical Record.
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Spindle neurons probably first appeared in the common ancestor of hominids, humans and great apes about 15 million years ago, the researchers said -- they are not seen in lesser apes or monkeys.
In cetaceans they would have evolved earlier, possibly as early as 30 million years ago, the researchers said.
Either the spindle neurons were only kept in the animals with the largest brains or they evolved several times independently, the researchers said.
"In spite of the relative scarcity of information on many cetacean species, it is important to note in this context that sperm whales, killer whales, and certainly humpback whales, exhibit complex social patterns that included intricate communication skills, coalition-formation, cooperation, cultural transmission and tool usage," the researchers wrote.
"It is thus likely that some of these abilities are related to comparable histologic complexity in brain organization in cetaceans and in hominids."
I have always felt that the Human species was not the only intelligent form of life on Earth. We just evolved that way first. Indeed, I felt that if Dolphins had opposable thumbs and legs, they would have ruled this planet eons ago. I recall one of my favorite childhood moves, Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, wherein a mysterious probe returns to Earth from a galaxy far away. This probe emits a signal, that, if not answered in the signal's language, would destroy Earth itself. Turns out that the signal, after adjusting for water density and pressure, sounds exactly like a Humpback whale song. Spock remarked "Only Human arrogance would presume that such a signal had to be meant for man."
But I digress.
Now, when reading a news item such as this, how does a wingnut respond?
The Judeo-Christian Creation story holds that, approximately 7,000 years ago,
...God created the universe. At first the earth was shapeless and covered in darkness, and God's spirit hovered over the waters. God said, "Let there be light". And there was light. God divided the day from the night, naming them 'day' and 'night'. This was the first day and God saw that it was good. On the second day God made the heavens to separate the water from the earth and on the third day he raised the dry land up from the waters below the heavens and commanded the earth to bring forth all plants. God saw that it was good. God then made the greater light for the day and the lesser light for the night, and he saw hat it was good. This was the fourth day. On the fifth day God commanded the waters to fill with living creatures and the air to fill with birds. And he was pleased with what he saw. On the sixth day God commanded the earth to bring forth all kinds of living creatures and he saw that it was good. God then said "Let us make man in our own image". So God created man and woman in his own likeness and gave them authority over all living things. God looked at everything he had made and was very pleased. On the seventh day, God rested.
Now, the defining aspect of humanity is our capacity for intelligence, in my opinion. The Judeo-Christian Creation Story holds that humans were made in God's own image. That image undoubtedly contains the notion and building blocks of intelligence. What happens to this Creation Story if it is proven that many species share the defining aspect of humanity? Were they all created in God's image, or does God simply mean that man was created with God's likeness (i.e. two arms, two legs, standing and walking erect, etc.)?
These questions are of course rhetorical. As a Christian, I understood long ago that the Creation Story found in Genesis was an allegory to be sure, meant for the understanding of primative man unversed in the complexities of science and evolution. Indeed, most of the Bible can be viewed as an allegory, and not literal truth. However, many less intelligent people, I call them Republicans, have yet to achieve this understanding. As such, when they do not understand something, they attack it. Remember the Salem Witch Trials. What was mental illness was understood to be possession by Satan, and thus deserving of attack and execution.
Thus the reaction of Creationists to this new discovery and news story will be to attack the messengers and to denounce science as the work of Satan. They will pause not to consider this discovery and broaden their understanding of the world. They will simply revert to their old ways.
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