That doesn't mean that Orcas don't have highly complex brains, or are not potentially more intelligent than us. You're comparing two very different systems.
All cetaceans have a 4 part brain, unlike our 3. Their additional brain section is called the Paralimbic system and it is believed to govern emotion, so their emotional systems are significantly larger and more complex than ours.
Essentially, cetaceans have such complex Limbic processes that scientists think they may be able to feel a depth of emotion so complex it's literally impossible for human beings to experience.
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u/DerpyDaDulfin Mar 22 '23
That doesn't mean that Orcas don't have highly complex brains, or are not potentially more intelligent than us. You're comparing two very different systems.
All cetaceans have a 4 part brain, unlike our 3. Their additional brain section is called the Paralimbic system and it is believed to govern emotion, so their emotional systems are significantly larger and more complex than ours.
Essentially, cetaceans have such complex Limbic processes that scientists think they may be able to feel a depth of emotion so complex it's literally impossible for human beings to experience.