Akeakamai 3473576 207357182 2008-04-22T13:52:13Z Zandperl 26861 '''Akeakamai''' (c [[1976]] - [[November 2]], [[2003]]) was a female [[Atlantic]] [[bottlenose dolphin]], who along with a companion female dolphin named '''Phoenix''', as well as [[aquarium|tank]]mates '''Elele''' and '''Hiapo''', were the subjects of [[Louis Herman]]'s [[animal language]] studies at the Kewalo Basin Marine Mammal Laboratory in [[Honolulu, Hawaii]]. The most well known paper is the original work described in Herman, Richards, & Wolz (1984). Akeakamai was also the subject of many other scientific studies of dolphin cognition and sensory abilities. Physically identifying features of Akeakamai included a straight eyeline, a half-circle shaped notch in the right side of her tail fluke, a small "Eiffel Tower"-shaped mark above her right eye, a thin notch in the side of her upper mouth, and a particularly wide melon. She also had characteristic in-air whistle calls including an unusual high-low-high whistle that was well below typical signature whistle frequencies. In the [[Hawaiian language]], Akeakamai roughly corresponds to: lover (ake) of wisdom (akamai). Akeakamai was also inserted as a character in [[David Brin]]'s science fiction novel [[Startide Rising]]. Akeakamai died of cancer on [[November 2]], [[2003]]. ==See also== * [[Animal Language]] * [[Cetacean intelligence]] ==References== ===Media and Press Appearances=== * Akeakamai can be seen in: [[National Geographic]]'s Dolphins with [[Robin Williams]], [[BBC]]'s Wildlife on One's [http://library.digiguide.com/lib/episode/334493 Dolphins: Deep Thinkers] with [[David Attenborough]], ABC's Touched by a Dolphin with [[Sharon Lawrence]], The Discoverers [[IMAX]], Dolphins [[IMAX]], and NOVA. ===Scientific References=== <div class="references-small"> * Cowan, R. (2003). Short-term memory for behavior in bottlenosed dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Unpublished Masters thesis. University of Hawaii, Honolulu. * Herman, L. M. (2002). Exploring the cognitive world of the bottlenosed dolphin. In M. Bekoff, C. Allen & G. Burghardt (Eds.) The cognitive animal: Empirical and theoretical perspectives on animal cognition. Pp. 275-283. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. * Herman, L. M. (2002). Vocal, social, and self-imitation by bottlenosed dolphins. In C. Nehaniv & K. Dautenhahn (Eds.). Imitation in Animals and Artifacts. Pp. 63-108. Cambridge, MA. MIT Press * Mercado, E. III, Killebrew, D.A., Pack, A.A., Macha, I.V.B., Herman, L.M. (2000). Generalization of 'same-different' classification abilities in bottlenosed dolphins. Behavioural Processes, 50, 79-94. * Herman, L.M., Abinchandani, S.L., Elhajj, A.E., Herman, E.Y.K., Sanchez, J.L., & Pack, A.A. (2000). Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) comprehend the referential character of the human pointing journal. Journal of Comparative Psychology, 113(4), 347-364. * Braslau-Schneck, S. (1994). Innovative Behaviors and Synchronization in Bottlenosed Dolphins. Unpublished master's thesis, University of Hawaii, Honolulu. * Herman, L.M., Pack, A.A. & Wood, A. M. (1994). Bottlenosed Dolphins Can Generalize Rules and Develop Abstract Concepts. Marine Mammal Science, 10, 70-80. * Herman, L.M., Kuczaj, S. A. II, & Holder, M. D. (1993). Responses to Anomalous Gestural Sequences by a Language-Trained Dolphin: Evidence for Processing of Semantic Relations and Syntactic Information. Journal of Experimental Psychology, General, 122, 184-194. * Herman, L. M., Pack A. A. & Morrel-Samuels, P. (1993). Representational and conceptual skills of dolphins. In H. R. Roitblat, L. M. Herman & P. Nachtigall (Eds) : Language and Communication: Comparative Perspectives, 273-298. Hillside, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. * Holder, M. D., Herman, L. M. & Kuczaj, S. III (1993). A bottlenosed dolphin's responses to anomalous gestural sequences expressed within an artificial gestural language. In H. R. Roitblat, L. M. Herman & P. Nachtigall (Eds): Language and Communication: Comparative Perspectives, 299-308. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. * Morrel-Samuels, P. & Herman, L. M. (1993). Cognitive factors affecting comprehension of gesture language signs: A brief comparison of dolphins and humans. In H. R. Roitblat, L. M. Herman & P. Nachtigall (Eds): Language and Communication: Comparative Perspectives, 211-222. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum. * Prince, C. G. (1993). Conjunctive Rule Comprehension in a Bottlenosed Dolphin. Unpublished master's thesis, University of Hawaii, Honolulu. * Herman, L. M. (1990). Cognitive performance of dolphins in visually-guided tasks. In J. A. Thomas and R. A. Kastelein (Eds.), Sensory abilities of cetaceans: Laboratory and field evidence, (pp. 455-462). New York: Plenum. * Herman, L. M. , Morrel Samuels, P. (1990). Knowledge acquisition and asymmetries between language comprehension and production: Dolphins and apes as a general model for animals. In M. Bekoff & D. Jamieson (Eds.), Interpretation and explanation in the study of behavior: Vol 1: Interpretation, intentionality, and commumication, 283-312. Boulder: Westview Press. * Herman, L. M., Morrel-Samuels, P. and Pack, A. A. (1990). Bottlenosed dolphin and human recognition of veridical and degraded video displays of an artificial gestural language. Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, 119, 215-230. * Shyan, M. R. and Herman, L. M. (1987). Determinants of recognition of gestural signs in an artificial language by Atlantic bottle-nosed dolphins (Tursiops turncatus) and humans (Homo sapiens). Journal of Comparative Psychology, 101, 112-125. *Herman, L. M. (1987). Receptive competences of language-trained animals. In J. S. Rosenblatt, C. Beer, M. C. Busnel, & P. J. B. Slater (Eds.), Advances in the Study of Behavior. Vol. 17, 1-60. Petaluma, CA: Academic Press. *Herman, L. M., Richards, D. G. & Wolz, J. P. (1984). Comprehension of sentences by bottlenosed dolphins. Cognition, 16, 129-219. *Herman, L. M. and Forestell, P. H. (1985). Reporting presence or absence of named objects by a language-trained dolphin. Neuroscience and Bioehavioral Reviews, 9, 667-691. </div> ==External links== *[http://www.dolphin-institute.org The Dolphin Institute] *[http://www.dolphin-institute.org/our_research/dolphin_research/dolphinresearchpublications.htm Dolphin research publications]. Not all include Akeakamai. *http://starbulletin.com/2004/02/26/news/story3.html [[Category:1976 animal births]] [[Category:2003 animal deaths]] [[Category:Famous cetaceans]]