The article explores the evolutionary connections between humans and other species, like rats, dolphins, and Giant Ocean Mantas, emphasizing how distant ancestors share a lineage. It highlights the whimsical playfulness of marine creatures, drawing parallels to human experiences and domesticated animals like dogs. A marine biologist in Richard Powers' novel suggests that human caution towards animals like the manta ray can hinder true understanding, urging us to recognize behavior without bias, thereby breaking through perceptions of human exceptionalism. Additionally, the deep bond between humans and dogs illustrates a mutual evolution in communication and interaction over thousands of years.
"Scuba divers, guests in the subsurface realm, will harbor no prejudice against anthropomorphizing. Divers report that these big-brained beings play with their rising, silvery, exhaled bubbles."
"A marine biologist in Richard Powers' novel Playground swims with Giant Ocean Mantas and recognizes that her once healthy caution had become an obstacle of human exceptionalism."
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