Abstract
The Social Brain (or Social Intelligence) hypothesis is a very influential theory that ties brain size and, by extension, cognitive ability to the demands of obligate and intense sociality. Initially developed to explain primate brain size evolution, the Social Brain hypothesis has since been applied to a diverse array of other social taxa, both mammalian and avian; its origins as a primate-based hypothesis (especially as articulated by Humphrey, 1976), however, mean that it retains a heavily anthropocentric tinge. This colors the way in which other species are viewed, and their cognitive abilities tested, despite fundamental differences in many aspects of bodily morphology, brain anatomy and behavior. The delphinids are a case in point and, in this review, we demonstrate how the anthropocentric origins of the Social Brain hypothesis have pushed us toward a view of the delphinids as a species of� 'aquatic� ape'.� Wthat a more ecological, embodied/embedded, view of dolphin behavior and psychology undercuts such a view, and will provide a more satisfactory assessment of the natural intelligence the delphinids display.
Highlights
Tracing the history of ideas, scientific or otherwise, is always interesting, and the social intelligence hypothesis is no exception
Has a robust relationship been found between primate sociality and the size of the neocortex, but other taxa show a relationship between brain size and sociality, suggesting that the effect is general and not exclusive to the primates
It is the case that, as already mentioned, many of the tests presented to dolphins lack ecological validity and show little sensitivity to the animals‘ evolved anatomy and the niche they occupy; again, one could be forgiven for inferring that the specific aim of such studies has been to show the convergence of primate-like intelligence in another taxa, as opposed to tackling the issue of how cetacean brains give rise to any distinctively cetacean forms of cognition (one doesn‘t always have to infer this: Marino (2002), for example, is explicit about the convergence between primate and cetacean intelligence but— and again to highlight our main point—the skills emphasized include the very human-like traits of ―artificiallanguage‘ comprehension and self-recognition‖)
Summary
Developed to explain primate brain size evolution, the Social Brain hypothesis has since been applied to a diverse array of other social taxa, both mammalian and avian; its origins as a primate-based hypothesis (especially as articulated by Humphrey, 1976), mean that it retains a heavily anthropocentric tinge This colors the way in which other species are viewed, and their cognitive abilities tested, despite fundamental differences in many aspects of bodily morphology, brain anatomy and behavior. Humphrey defined and conceptualized social intelligence in heavily anthropocentric terms, the legacy of which is still felt today This has hampered our attempts to understand why sociality is linked to enlarged brain size across a broad range of taxa, including the taxonomic order of cetaceans, and in particular, the delphinids and sperm whales. We highlight certain theoretical and conceptual issues that suggest why the social intelligence hypothesis needs some tweaking, and why this move will give cetaceans (and other non-primate species) their due with respect to understanding how and why their way of encountering the world gives rise to flexible, adaptive behavior
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