Marine biologist Kathleen Dudzinski presented her research into dolphins and the various ways they communicate with each other during a Voices of Discovery science lecture Thursday, Feb. 17.
Dudzinski’s unique research has offered insights into the way dolphins communicate with each other. She told the audience in McCrary Theatre that dolphins have been measured to have high levels of cognition and can understand various forms of human communication.
“They understand human pointing and they seem to understand language and syntax,” Dudzinski said. Though the dolphins don’t speak human languages, Dudzinski said it is important to remember that “language and communication are different things. Though we may not share a language, that doesn’t mean we can’t communicate.”
She has conducted extensive studies on the ways dolphins communicate through touch. She believes the touching of flippers and fins between dolphins may be similar to a handshake between humans or the grooming instinct of many primates. Dolphins also use a variety of vocal and non-vocal sounds, such as whistles, chirps, screams and tail slaps to communicate.
Dudzinski has begun groundbreaking research into the differences between dolphins who live in human captivity and those in the wild. “Dolphins have been in captivity for 200 years but have only been studied underwater in the wild for the last 20 years,” Dudzinski said, adding that comparative studies between wild and captive dolophins have never been done. “The early results show that there may not be that much difference between dolphins in captivity and those in the wild, and that surprises me.”
In 1999, Dudzinski founded the Dolphin Communication Project, a private, nonprofit research foundation whose mission is to gain knowledge about marine mammals, increase public awareness and promote conservation. She was chosen as the lead scientist for “Dolphins,” a documentary nominated for an Academy Award in 2001.
The Voices of Discovery science speaker series, sponsored by Elon College, the College of Arts and Sciences, invites noted scholars in science and mathematics to Elon to share their knowledge and experience with students.
The next Voices of Discovery science speaker is at 7:30 p.m., Wednesday, March 2 in McCrary Theatre. The speaker will be Dr. R. Michael Blaese, a leader in the field of immunodeficiency and gene therapy.