... that's the question!

In a recent article in the newspaper, I read that some people tend to believe that dolphins have quite a good notion about the meaning of 'death'. They are not the only animals showing emotions when a member of their group dies - elephants, chimps and gorilla's can also exhibit behaviour which looks like mourning - but apparently the reaction of dolphins is rather profound. At least that's what Joan Gonzalvo, a dolphin specialist working in a research institute in Milano, claims.

Somehow, this article made me think of something I have read a few years ago: together with human beings, dolphins are the only creatures that can have sex for pleasure. Now this raises at least a few questions. First of all, and most obviously: is it true? As a matter of fait divers, I couldn't care less. The answer is either yes or no. Black or white. Heads or tails.

What I find more interesting is the following question: who conjectured this, and why? Seriously, being an academic myself, I am no stranger to coming up with silly questions - or what seems like a silly question to the outer world. Has Mongolia ever won the Paralympics, for example? But the thing is that my own curiosity is usually triggered by something. Inspiration doesn't come for free - especially not when, as is often the case, it is to be found in a glass of alchol. So this leads me right back to the aforementioned question: who came up with the idea that dolphins might be the only animals having sex for pleasure, and why?

Either the Fish Porn Departement does not only have an extensive selection of cod mating classics (this is what comedians describe as a call-back) but also caters for dolphin lovers ('Flipper and the Blowhole', anyone?), or this person was engaged in sexual intercourse with a Delphinidae family member and got compliments afterwards. Which is not some sick twist of my mind, by the way. Check the following page in case that crossed yours...

The most interesting question however, is the following: how do you (dis)prove that claim? Think about it: how can you verify whether dolphins really are the only animals enjoying the act of procreation? There's only one way to do that, right? Testing all other animals.

Which, in a moment of pure insight, lead me to the obvious answer to questions 2 and 3.

The only guy that could have concluded this, was Noah.

Yups, Noah from the Bible story.

The one about his Ark.

Or, as I would call it, his Love Boat...