Dr. Lori Marino

Founder and President; Neuroscientist

Whale Sanctuary Project

1990s–presentWhale Sanctuary Project
Specialization

Cetacean neuroanatomy and cognitive evolution

Key Findings
  • Documented sperm whales possess the largest brains on Earth (7.8 kg)
  • Showed dolphin brain-to-body ratios are second only to humans
  • Discovered spindle cells (Von Economo neurons) in cetacean brains — previously thought unique to humans and great apes
  • Established cetacean brains as an alternative evolutionary pathway to complex intelligence
  • Demonstrated evolutionary convergence in psychology between cetaceans and humans