Abstract
Marine mammals have demonstrated higher cognitive abilities through numerous scientific investigations analyzing cognition, behavior, and cultural dynamics (Clark, 2013; Hoelzel et al., 2009; Marino et al., 2007). However, the topic of creativity in marine mammals is still a relatively novel field of research (Dudzinski et al., 2018). Furthermore, a dearth of information exists on how creativity changes over time. In this study, we expanded upon the approach taken by Kuczaj and Eskelinen (2014) in retesting two Atlantic bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), examining their ability to vary behaviors produced during a “create” session. A create session is defined here as producing varying behaviors that have not already been produced during the current test session. These behaviors can include behaviors that are completely novel (i.e., never been trained in this individual before); however, this was not a requirement within the parameters of this experiment. This experiment sought to examine four main points: (1) dolphin memory or representation of past action over short-term sessions (not repeating any behaviors per session), (2) long term dolphin memory (not creating patterns of performing the same behaviors in sequence each test session), (3) strategies used during successful trials, and (4) similarities and differences within and between subjects and whether they change over time. The methods for this study mimicked those in Kuczaj and Eskelinen (2014). We found variable performance in our test subjects both between one another at present and individually over time. As was made evident in Kuczaj and Eskelinen (2014), individual differences are likely to affect how dolphins respond to the create sessions. Thus, it was essential to test how individual dolphins preform on cognitive tasks over time in regards to their play and problem-solving capabilities.