1.

Record Nr.

UNINA9910954896503321

Autore

Rauch Alan

Titolo

Dolphin / / Alan Rauch

Pubbl/distr/stampa

London : , : Reaktion Books, , 2014

ISBN

9781780231259

1-78023-125-3

Edizione

[1st ed.]

Descrizione fisica

1 online resource (209 pages) : illustrations

Collana

Animal

Disciplina

599.53

Soggetti

Dolphins

Human-animal relationships

Lingua di pubblicazione

Inglese

Formato

Materiale a stampa

Livello bibliografico

Monografia

Note generali

Bibliographic Level Mode of Issuance: Monograph

Nota di bibliografia

Includes bibliographcial references and index.

Nota di contenuto

Cover -- Dolphin -- Imprint Page -- Contents -- Preface -- 1. Zoology and Physiology: Evolution and Adaptation -- 2. Species of Dolphin: A Cosmopolitan Animal -- 3. The Dolphin in History and Mythology -- 4. Intelligence, Social Behaviour and Echolocation -- 5. Dolphin Dangers: Tuna, Predation, Pollution, Exploitation -- 6. Dolphins and Popular Culture -- Timeline -- References -- Select Bibliography -- Associations and Websites -- Acknowledgements -- Photo Acknowledgements -- Index.

Sommario/riassunto

From Flipper to SeaWorld, dolphins have long captured our hearts. We love these friendly, intelligent mammals, and they seem to return our feelings--they enjoy interacting with swimmers and have been known to encircle people under attack by sharks. Despite our familiarity with dolphins, though, we remain ill-informed about how they evolved, how they function, and how they have interacted with humans for millennia. Dolphin dives into the dolphin's zoology, as well as its social and cultural history, to offer a comprehensive view of these delightful creatures.   Drawing on his years of experience working with and studying dolphins, Alan Rauch explores their propensity to live in pods and their ability to communicate through a variety of clicks, whistles, and other vocalizations. He examines their long relationship with humans, describing how they became the emblem of safe travel and charity, that the ancient Greeks featured them on coins, and that Hindu



mythology associated them with Ganga, a river deity. As the rise in popularity of dolphinaria during the 1960s allowed the public access to dolphins, they became central characters in films like The Day of the Dolphin and Johnny Mnemonic and outsmarted humans in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy . Packed with images and thoughtful insights, Dolphin is a revealing look at one of our favorite sea creatures.