Whatever the mirror test tells us, beluga whales pass it
Summary
Researchers studied hours of old video of two beluga whales named Natasha and Maris at a New York aquarium. They found the whales showed behaviors that suggest they recognize themselves in a mirror, a sign of self-awareness seen in only a few animal species.Key Facts
- The study analyzed over 20 years old video footage of beluga whales interacting with a two-way mirror.
- Natasha and Maris, two beluga whales, showed behaviors like looking at and touching marks on their bodies only visible in the mirror.
- The mirror self-recognition test involves placing a mark on an animal’s body where it can only be seen in a reflection. If the animal touches or inspects the mark, it indicates self-awareness.
- This test has been passed by humans (from age 2), some great apes, elephants, dolphins, magpies, orcas, and a species of fish called cleaner wrasse.
- Many animals once thought to be self-aware, like dogs and cats, have failed the test.
- The original experiment marked the whales with waterproof lipstick while they were awake and included control sessions without marks, confirming the response was to seeing the mark in the mirror.
- Only Natasha and Maris showed clear interest and advanced in the experiment out of four belugas tested.
- This finding adds belugas to the short list of species believed to have the cognitive ability of mirror self-recognition.
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