Recent studies done by Paul Manger from Johannesburg’s University of the Witwatersrand indicates that dolphins may not be as bright as they’ve been given credit.  

Without jumping into the fray and taking sides on the issue (I’ve never spent much time with dolphins, myself), it did get me wondering.

How often do people really like smart animals?  Within dog breeds, it is my understanding that those which are more trainable are in greater demand than the breeds with lots of smarts.

Corvids are widely considered an intelligent family of birds, but crows, ravens, vultures and the rest have nowhere hear the sympathetic following of common bird-feeder varieties.  And speaking of bird feeders, what about the common North American squirrels?  When it come to problem-solving these guys are tough to top, but they’re much more likely to be labeled a vandal and menace than win a popularity contest.

So, aside from the dolphin question, do people prefer dumber and trainable animals to those who threaten our own intelligence?  It stands to reason.  Their will be many exceptions, I’m sure, but most people would choose to smile back at a darling dolphin doing tricks and pass on the mocking laughter of a creature who knows its own mind.