Whales and Dolphins: Cognition, Culture, Conservation and Human Perceptions

ISBN-13: 9781849712248 / Angielski / Twarda / 2011 / 256 str.

Philippa Brakes; Mark Peter Simmonds

Opis

Whales and dolphins are icons for the conservation movement. They are the most conspicuous ambassadors for entire marine ecosystems and possibly even for the biosphere as a whole. Concurrent with our realisation of impending threats to their environment is a growing scientific understanding of the social and cognitive complexity of many of these species. This book brings together experts in the relevant diverse fields of cetacean research, to provide authoritative descriptions of our current knowledge of the complex behaviour and social organization of whales and dolphins. The authors consider this new information in the context of how different human cultures from around the world view cetaceans and their protection, including attitudes to whaling. They show how new information on issues such as cetacean intelligence, culture and the ability to suffer, warrants a significant shift in global perceptions of this group of animals and how these changes might be facilitated to improve conservation and welfare approaches.

Spis treści

1. Why Whales, Why Now?  Part 1: Whales in Human Cultures.  2. Impressions: Whales and Human Relationships in Myth, Tradition, and Law.  3. Whales of the Pacific  4. Whales in Latin America.  5. Whales and the USA.  6. Whales in the Balance: To Touch or To Kill? A View of Caribbean Attitudes toward Whales.  7. The British and the Whales.  8. Whales in Norway.  9. Of Whales, Whaling and Whale Watching in Japan: a Conversation.  10. A Contemporary View of the International Whaling Commission.  Part 2: The Nature of Whales and Dolphins.  11. The Nature of Whales and Dolphins.  12. Brain Structure and Intelligence in Cetaceans.  13. Communication.  14. Lessons from Dolphins.  15. Highly Interactive Behaviour of Inquisitive Dwarf Minke Whales.  16. The Cultures of Whales and Dolphins.  Part 3: New Insights; New Challenges.  17. Whales and Dolphins on a Rapidly Changing Planet.  18. From Conservation to Protection: Charting a New Conservation Ethic for Cetaceans.  19. What is it Like to be a Dolphin?  20. Thinking Whales and Dolphins.  21. Acknowledgements.  22. Authors' Biographies.