Things We Can Learn From Dolphins: Electro-Sensing, Amazing Powers of Healing

Wednesday, July 27, 2011 - 14:30 in Biology & Nature

Dolphin Electro-Whiskers The dots on this dolphin's rostrum are hairless vibrissal crypts, structures originally associated with mammalian whiskers, which serve as electroreceptors. Czech-Damal et. al/Proceedings of the Royal Society B When we figure out how to communicate with dolphins pretty soon, these are some good questions to ask: Why don't you feel any pain when you're hurt? Can you teach us how to regrow missing body parts? And can you teach us how to sense electricity? These are some of the latest impressive attributes we humans have learned about dolphins. The animals can do much more than echolocate - they can sense the electric fields of other animals, according to a new study. This is mostly used to detect prey, although it might be useful for evading attacks. The Guiana dolphin has electro-whiskers in its rostrum, or dolphin nose, according to German researchers. Researchers at the University of Rostock noticed physiological activity...

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