Intelligence
Because dolphins are highly social and vocalize among themselves with a wide
range of sounds, it has been conjectured that they might possess an almost
humanlike intelligence. In the 1950s and '60s the American neurologist John
Lilly conducted well-publicized experiments based on this concept, in which he
attempted to communicate with dolphins in their own "language," but other
scientists have rejected his work as poorly documented and lacking scientific
validity. Most researchers agree that dolphins exhibit a level of intelligence
greater than that of dogs and even comparable to that of some primates--but not
human beings. Research into dolphin intelligence continues at centers such as
Hawaii's Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory.