Training the Concept of Innovate in Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) Is Both Creative and Cognitively Stimulating.

Simple Summary: Creative or novel behaviors in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) can be indicators of flexible thinking and problem solving. Twelve bottlenose dolphins (five females, seven males) in managed care were reinforced for exhibiting different behaviors of their choosing in response to a hand gesture. Using a human-based theory of creativity, the dolphins' behaviors were assessed for four aspects: how many different behaviors they could produce in a session or in a row (fluency), how different the behaviors were from each other (flexibility), how simple or complex the behaviors were (elaboration), and how novel or new the behaviors were (originality). The results indicated that dolphins were variable in all aspects measured, with some animals producing more behaviors that were also more complex and variable in type and energy than the other dolphins. Behaviors were also invented by several dolphins. The dolphins were engaged and cognitively challenged by this task, which suggests this task facilitates cognitive welfare while providing a means to study innovative behavior across species. Creative or novel behaviors in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) can be indicators of flexible thinking and problem solving. Over 50 years ago, two rough-tooth dolphins demonstrated creative novel behaviors acquired through reinforcement training in human care. Since this novel training, a variety of species have been trained to respond to this conceptual cue. The current study assessed the creativity of 12 bottlenose dolphins (5 females, 7 males) housed at the Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences (RIMS) in Roatan, Honduras. Individual differences were found across four constructs measured for creativity: fluency, flexibility, elaboration, and originality. Variability in performance occurred across test sessions. Animals with less experience with this task performed fewer "innovative" behaviors as compared to more experienced animals. Despite errors, dolphins continued to attempt the task during test sessions, suggesting the concept of "innovate" was intrinsically rewarding and cognitively engaging. This task may be utilized across species to promote the comparative study of innovative or creative behavior as well as to promote cognitive welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]