by Jen “Lil’ Bit” Schleusner
What can dolphins, bonobos, dogs, and even hermit crabs teach us about communication? At Dragon Con, we sat down with Dr. Heidi Lyn to talk about animal intelligence, language, and some of the surprising things she has learned during more than 30 years of research.
From Dr. Dolittle to Animal Communication
Dr. Lyn is a professor of experimental psychology who also works in marine sciences. Her interest in animal communication goes back to childhood, when she dreamed of being Dr. Dolittle.
That dream eventually led her to research involving dolphins and bonobos. Some of the bonobos she worked with could understand spoken English and communicate through a keyboard of symbols.
One bonobo, Kanzi, gave her a particularly memorable demonstration of just how much he understood. When the humans couldn’t figure out what he wanted, Kanzi was told to get his keyboard. He did — with an attitude that Lyn compared to a teenager — and promptly used it to tell them he wanted oranges.
For Lyn, it was a remarkable realization: she really was communicating with another species.
What Can a Hermit Crab Tell Us?
Not all of Lyn’s research involves animals we typically associate with intelligence.
Hermit crabs provide researchers with an opportunity to examine how intelligence develops in animals with very small brains. Lyn and her students have observed behaviors involving learning, threats, shell selection, and interactions with mirrors.
The crabs also give undergraduate students a chance to participate directly in behavioral research. The animals are collected from the wild, studied during the school year, and then released.
And yes, they really do spend time checking out potential new shells. We couldn’t resist comparing it to upgrading to a better condo.
Animals Can Be Sneaky, Too
Can animals deliberately deceive each other?
Lyn shared a story about Panbanisha, a bonobo who wanted some of her brother Kanzi’s juice. While Kanzi was distracted, she took his cup and poured half of his juice into her own.
Importantly, she didn’t take all of it.
To Lyn, the behavior suggested that Panbanisha understood that taking everything would make the theft much easier for Kanzi to notice.
What We Get Wrong About Animals
Our conversation also turned to zoos, aquariums, conservation, and the complicated relationship between humans and wildlife.
Lyn pushed back against the idea that life in the wild is automatically better for every animal. Human development, pollution, climate change, and habitat loss have affected environments around the world.
She also emphasized that this doesn’t mean zoos and aquariums should escape criticism. Instead, she argued for better welfare, responsible treatment, and a more nuanced conversation about the role human care can play in conservation.
Do Movies Get Talking Animals Right?
Naturally, this being Dragon Con, we had to talk about fictional animals.
Lyn pointed to the 1987 film Project X as an example she appreciates because its chimpanzee is still allowed to behave like a chimpanzee.
That’s very different from stories in which intelligent animals simply become furry or feathered versions of humans.
Real animal intelligence, she explained, often operates much more in the present. Even animals capable of understanding surprisingly complex communication don’t necessarily think about the future the way humans do.
So, at least for now, we probably don’t need to worry about the apes plotting to take over the world.
Science, Costuming, and Dragon Con
Animal communication isn’t Lyn’s only passion.
She won Top Novice in Dragon Con’s costume competition for an elaborate Chronicles of Narnia map dress. The project took about a year and included hand painting, 3D-printed castles, and even a tiny wardrobe that opens.
For Lyn, costuming provides something science also encourages: the chance to keep learning.
Whether she’s studying how another species thinks or figuring out a new technique for a costume, curiosity remains at the center of it all.
Listen to Dragon Con interview with Dr. Heidi Lyn for more about bonobos, dolphins, hermit crabs, animal intelligence, costuming — and one particularly unforgettable walrus.
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