Newsflash: Manatee’s not slow-witted!
Yup, that’s right, Manatee’s might not be as stupid as you think.
Researchers contend that if the plant-eating beasts seem slow-witted, it is because they faced no threats to their survival before the advent of boat propellers.
“They’re not under any selection pressure to evolve the rapid-type behavior we’ve associated with hawks, a predator, or antelopes, a prey. They look like very contented animals that don’t have very much to do all day,” said Roger Reep, a neuroscientist at the University of Florida’s College of Veterinary Medicine.
http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/061110_ap_manatee_smart.html