Cetacean intelligence

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/cetacean-intelligence

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Infraorder Cetacea
2. What makes whales and dolphins smarter than other animals?They have very big brains with lots of neurons, especially in the part that helps them think and learn. Their brains are bigger than expected for their body size.
3. How do dolphins know each other’s names?Dolphins use special whistles that sound like names. These signature whistles let them recognize friends and family.

Encephalization Quotient (EQ): A measure comparing an animal's actual brain size to the expected brain size for an animal of its body mass.
Cultural Transmission: The process by which learned behaviors, knowledge, and traditions are passed from one generation to the next within a population.
Self-Awareness: The capacity to recognize oneself as an individual separate from the environment and other individuals, often tested via mirror self-recognition.