THE MAKING OF VISUALIZING REVERSE PARALLELS

an exploration on human and animal cognition

McKenzie Smith

A story of a year long examination of researching and designing and becoming completely consumed in the process.

Humans and animals have formed a strong relationship. Many animals take after humans, or maybe some humans take after animals.

I have been contemplating the cognition between these two diverse species, and am fascinated by the connection we share.

Bonds are shared between humans and animals, from a mans best friend, to a pigeon that poops on your shoulder. Animals are surprisingly much more like us than you might have thought.

EXPLORATION RESEARCH FRAMING LOOKING PLANNING MAKING INSTALLING EXHIBITION VISUALS THANKING

EXPLORATION
Documenting the various topics I considered, but ultimately chose only one.

Choosing a topic to study for an entire year was a bit difficult. Working on a year long project...I thought I was crazy. I knew I wanted to choose a subject that I was passionate and interested about. And so my hunt began.

What are your beliefs on animal consciousness? Not sure, but they are aware enough to display affection.

PICKING A TOPIC

My ideas for topics ranged significantly, from health patterns in women, to advertising across different countries and cultures. On each topic I chose, I did further research, in order to find out the amount of information I could find, and if it was easily found.

TOPIC

A perspective on animals and humans.

Humankind has long history of relationship with animals. Many people believe that animals play very important role in human life. There are many advantages if a family has a pet. One of the benefits of this is that pets impact on childrens upbringing really very positive way. From my every day experience and observation children from families who have a cat or a dog are usually very kind, humane and merciful. One of the reason of it Pets have been scientifically proved to support the humans, they bring love out of humans and help humans in troubles. So there relationship with humans is a wonderful experience. he relationship of is a need to take care of a pet. I have chose to write about animal and human relationships because it is such a large topic, and there is so much evidence that provides facts and statistics on it. pets with humans is so grave and strong that sometimes people prefer to have pets over life partner in their lives. Pets do not expect any thing but love. They do not crave for material like mates do. All they need is just a piece of crumb and affection from humans and in return pets love humans unconditionally. Pets always obey and follow their masters, so there is no ego clashes between two beings. The relationship between two humans can get stressed but with a pet, it will never.

Considering your personality and interests, name an animal that you relate to most.

My topic was chosen after several thesis proposals and changing ideas. This topic has had many opportunities to extend beyond anything else I could have chosen.

cat, or maybe a hawk

A topic on animal and human relationships and the consciousness and facts that bring us together.

RELATIONSHIP

Describe your most memorable experience with an animal.

I used to have a cat that I could carry around in a pillow case, or make the bed with her under the covers..totally trusting .

What are your beliefs on animal consciousness? They have feelings but in all its hard to translate.

A study providing facts and insights to challenge human and animal relationships and a greater understanding of the ways in which animals figure in our lives and us in theirs. Visualizing Reverse Parallels is presented through information graphics, prototypes, and other inviting visuals.

What are your beliefs on animal consciousness? I think its true, we are similar .

design isnt just a collection of input.

design can bring challenge

Throughout this study I have provided facts and insights to challenge human-animal relationships.

and provoke the unexpected.

BIRD NEST

Almost all birds build their own nest. A few dont build any at all while scores will utilize abandoned nests, burrows or cavities on trees. Some birds are bizarre in creating their nest. Cave Swiftlets nests are made of their saliva. These saliva nests of Cave Swiftlets are used to make Birds nest soup in parts of Southeast Asia. Birds nest soup is one of the most expensive food in the world and is regarded as an exotic aphrodisiac.

RESEARCH
Gathering information, data, and other useful information on animals and humans.

Non human animals are amazing and magnificent beings, with a wide range of capacities. We can learn a lot from other animals if we open our minds and also hearts.

We could truly learn a lot if our minds and hearts are open to who and not what they really are. Every human really needs to look at our relationship from a different point of view. How is it that humans and animals are so different yet quite similar to one another? One reasoning could be the relationship that are shared between humans and animals. Many animals take after their owners, or maybe some humans take after animals. Many of us have bonds between certain animals, maybe a pet or a friends pet. But there are also several animals that are very strangely unique to us.

The diversity and idea of psychology resists easy generalizations. All of the psychological topics: environmental, sex, gender, religion, experimental - they all form one umbrella of this amazing psychology. The human and animal relationship umbrella has been ignored for quite some time now. It is not truly classified under a psychological component of this umbrella, but it should be the handle at least. Psychology is defined as a study of living things and their interaction with the environment in such activities including being able to sense perceptions, response to stimuli, learning, problem-solving, emotions, motivations, personality, mental disorders, and individual group interaction.

brain alone. We all know that much of the functioning and maintenance of our body is controlled covertly by the brain or by biological systems that work beneath our threshold of awareness. We do not consciously decide to sweat, or digest our food, or replace our cells. And yet, in spite of the fact that we know this, we still cling to the illusion that the functioning of our thoughts, our decisions, our perceptions, our preferences, our memories, and our reasoning are under our direct, conscious control. But neuroscience and psychology are now showing us that this simply is not the case, that the processes of mind and awareness function just as covertly as our biological systems. How is it that the mind is also the one place in which awareness itself is known to exist? The truth is that we dont know ourselves as well as wed like to believe. We dont control our decisions, our perceptions, our motivations, or our memories as well as we think we do. What is mind? What is consciousness? There seems to be no single answer that explains the phenomenon of mind. The contemporary views of philosophy, psychology, and evolution all come up with different interpretations of mind and consciousness. It is a bit ironic that something we claim to possess is so hard to explain. Obviously mind cannot be an

object of itself. Or can it? If we should one day understand the chemical and electrical processes in the brain completely, would this explain mind? Would this understanding account for all faculties including our intelligence, consciousness, emotion, and volition? How can you tell?

PHYSICAL WORLD
Another more serious problem is that the scientific definition makes no reference to conscious experience and its subjective qualities. This epidemic is vastly growing. It is not easy to see how the experience of sensations and feelings could be part of the physical world. For example, how can emotions, such as love and hate which we seem to share with some animals, be described in terms of physical structures and processes? The subject of animal and human relationships is commonly found today, in our community, and in the world. There is much common negotiation that occurs today on this subject. Much of it stems from animal rights, which I have chosen not to discuss in my topic as it is a touchy subject matter. Plus things like that always tend to evoke emotions in people, which can be extremely negative to some of us.

ABOUT CONSCIOUSNESS
Animals can be perceived in many different ways. While some humans consider animals to be mindless machines programmed with instinct, others view them as spiritual creatures capable of coherent thought and emotions, with animals in the middle. Although they rely heavily on instinct, the ability to feel emotions shows that their mental capacity is not far from that of a human. Although mind and body cannot exist without one another, and indeed they shape one another, it does seem that the very core of the human experience of self exists in the

Nonhuman animals are magnificent and amazing beings. They clearly have wideranging cognitive, emotional, and moral capacities. We should be proud of our citizenship in the animal kingdom. Scientific research is changing the way we view other animals. We dont have to go beyond the science or embellish what we know to appreciate how they express their intellectual skills and emotional capacities. Were clearly neither the only conscious beings nor the sole occupants of the emotional and moral arenas in which there are also some surprising residents including honeybees, fish, and chickens. Surely we have no right to intrude wantonly into the lives of other animals or to judge them or blame them for our evil ways. have one. Emotions, like love, attraction, and hate are all shared among animals. I wanted to see what else humans share with animals, besides emotions. Not surprisingly, there are numerous similarities and differences between humans and animals. Human and animal relationships is a huge topic all in itself. Therefore, I had to more direct my topics of which I wanted to investigate. I began searching, mind mapping, and sketching various things about animals and humans. I listed out various outcomes I would like to see at the end of this year long project. Some of them were chosen in the end, and some, well I have no idea what I was thinking Doing sketches and mind maps really helped to plan everything out, and made the whole process go smoother. It was overwhelming with the amount of projects I chose to complete in one year.

THE QUESTION IS NOT, CAN THEY REASON? NOR, CAN THEY TALK? BUT RATHER, CAN THEY SUFFER?
JEREMY BENTHAM

THE IRONIC MIND

I have a strong interest in human consciousness and psychology, understanding how our body is controlled so much by the mind. Psychology shows that the processes of mind and awareness function just as our biological systems do. Obviously, we dont know ourselves as much as we think. We arent able to control our perceptions, memories, or even perceptions. The mind is a bit ironic, since we possess it but it is still so hard to explain. The mind can be easily compared to that of animals, since we all

Sketching Design sketches to help narrow my topic, and choose final outcomes.

Describe your most memorable experience with an animal.

Probably when my cat that I raised died. I never realized how close I thought of him.

Considering your personality and interests, name an animal that you relate to most.

humanistically we familiarize ourselves with a chimpanzee like parrots

List the animals that have a strong relationship with humans and explain why.

What are your beliefs on animal consciousness?

THOUGHTS 01
good one and put a smile on our faces.

Dogs are our best friends. They adapt to all situations and try to make a sad situation into a

Very high, my dog has a mind of her own and she knows it.

THOUGHTS 02

Cats require a good warm house and cat litter, but they return the love to humans just as dogs do. Birds give the same amount of care as cats.

THOUGHTS 03

ANY animal can have a strong relationship with a human if the human is willing to do the work.

THOUGHTS 04 THOUGHTS 05
Pets...may seem like kids to them.

Youve not said what sort of relationship. I have a strong relationship with the crows in the area; they fly away every time they see me, mostly out of fear.

IDEA BOARD

At the start of the project I began gathering various photos and organizing them on a large idea board. Doing so really helped me to gather and organize various ideas. Coming in to the project I was a bit overwhelmed with data and information and had to condense down to a solid idea to continue on with.

Describe your most memorable experience with an animal.

PINTEREST BOARD
Being pooped on from above, darn bird!

Considering your personality and interests, name an animal that you relate to most.

At the same time I created a visual board, I created a board on Pinterest. This helped about the same way as the idea board, but using Pinterest, I could easily refer back to my exact web pages. A great amount of my inspiration for colors, graphs, and exhibits came from this board. It also helped to condense my ideas even further, but more importantly, I found information I had not yet come across by using the Pinterest board.

my cat and best friend

PINTEREST BOARD

GET INSPIRED
PLACES PEOPLE LOCATIONS

Where can I go to get inspired?

Inspiration is easy to come by. There are a lot of sites that have inspiration, from illustration to logos to websites. Behance is an amazing site to get inspiration from. It is based on a platform that users can submit their designs and get appreciated. Since Behance has such a clean, attractive user interface, you get true professionals uploading their artwork. Deviant Art is part of the largest art community in the world has a lot of crap for sure. But you can find some real gems in a large pile of crap; like the collections about graphic design for instance. No frills and no hassle is Design Flavrs moto. They have the freshest art served up daily and since its based on a rating system you get (for the most part) unbiased great design with a flava flave! Abduzeedo is such a great blog to get inspiration from. They have tons of daily inspiration posts and roundups. After you get inspired and your creative juices are flowin, take a tutorial or two! Practice makes perfect! Every weekday Creative Tempest delivers the work from the most inspiring artists. Instead of posting in a roundup fashion, they just choose an artist and feature them.

Who can I follow to get ideas?

As a designer I am constantly searching for inspiration. Im not sure how many hours a day I spend going through Pinterest, Tumblr, or Dribbble looking through creative designs and ideas before starting a project, or just to help me out when Ive hit a creative block. No matter how many creative outlets there are, you can never have to many so why not turn to Instagram to get your creative juices flowing? Below you will find a list of ten designers to follow on Instagram, and hopefully they can inspire you, as theyve inspired me. 1. Mary Kate McDevitt 2. Matthew Tapia 3, Riley Cran 4. Jason Halliburton 5. Steven Millington 6. Erik Marinovich 7. Dan Cassaro 8. Daily Dishonesty 9. Typespire 10. Bill Rose Follow them for a regular dose of inspiration. These designers will give you clean and user friendly sites, which are keen eyes for detail.

Where do I keep these ideas?

Before we talk about how to make your own idea book, you need to have an idea of what an idea book is. These books give you a glimpse of what other designers are doing. The idea is that looking through an idea book will spark your imagination and improve your projects. You can borrow ideas from the pages or even copy the layout directly if you like. If you rely on purchased idea books for your inspiration, youre going to end up spending a lot of money you could have otherwise spent on craft supplies. Why not make your own idea book and spend the money you saved on materials for projects? This idea book will serve as a kind of scrapbook of inspiration, a collection of things that have interested you, projects you might want to try, ideas that struck you that you didnt have time to work on at that moment. Once you make your own idea book and start working with it, you will feel more creative, see opportunities for creativity and potential projects everywhere, and have a lot more fun with your projects. Just gather sheets of paper together, spiral, or whatever else to make a collection of paper.

FRAMING
Condensing the topic of animal and human relationships down in to specific outcomes.

I began asking myself several questions in order to frame my thesis topic.

How can my design be an interesting way to explain the relationships between humans and animals?

How can my design intrigue others?

How can I present such a large case through informational graphics?

By asking myself questions, I kept these in mind throughout my process so I could refer to them to keep my design process clean and to the point.

Describe your most memorable experience with an animal. When I got my leg broken because of my heifer.

a challenge to visually engage humans.

Considering your personality and interests, name an animal that you relate to most. a giraffe because of my long neck

MIND MAPPING
While framing the topic of animal and human relationships I mind mapped my ideas. Doing so, visually outlined my information and categorized my outcomes for the project. I ran in to constraints whether it be time or money - and also found new perspectives on the topic. Everyday I thought about how to go forward with this project, I really did get consumed in the whole thing.

What are your beliefs on animal consciousness?

Animals show a level of awareness of not only the environment around them but also their actions and the actions of others.

How is it that humans are the most sophisticated animal species, yet require the most assistance as a new-born?

THOUGHTS 06

What makes you think humans are the most sophisticated animals? Dolphins have gone back to the water and have language, intelligence, and sonar. Bats can fly and use sonar. The slowest cheetah on earth could run down the fastest human in just seconds. Humans are actually pretty lame beings. Weak, cowardly, slow, helpless- the only claim to sophistication we can make is a big brain that develops mostly after birth. That is adaptive but not very sophisticated. I think a dolphin that can swim at birth is a pretty sophisticated move.

THOUGHTS 07
Chows are more sophisticated!!

THOUGHTS 08
therefore mature faster.

In a word, Kangaroo. That comes to mind as an animal that is actually born not more than a fetus that has to finish development outside the body. I dont personally believe that kittens or puppies are born any more self sufficient than humans, they just have shorter lives and

THOUGHTS 09 THOUGHTS 10

Our behavior isnt as governed by instinct as that of other species.

A smartphone is much more sophisticated than a hammer - so how come it takes more time to design and build a smartphone than a hammer?

THOUGHTS 11
Less instinct maybe.

THOUGHTS 12
need it because we have it.

The requirements of our new born may be one of the results of our advancement as in: they

VEGETATION

Human activity has transformed the original vegetation cover to a large extent throughout South America, particularly in forested areas. The forests of eastern Brazil were ravaged in the process of clearing the ground for crops, especially sugarcane. The araucaria forests in the southern states of Brazil have been rapidly vanishing, as they have been exploited for timber. The slopes of the Andes are so severely deforested that it is not apparent that they once were covered with trees.

Considering your personality and interests, name an animal that you relate to most. Chihuahua, both small and a bit short-tempered

What are your beliefs on animal consciousness?

Sometimes I believe they are of human consciousness.

the ideal human

needs peace and representations, while my goals and aspirations are high

If a toast always lands butter-side down, and cats always land on their feet, what happens if you strap toast on the back of a cat and drop it?

Stephen Wright

LOOKING
Looking online, in books, and on the streets, gathering visuals for reference.

GATHER

Collecting different visual references

Its not everyday you get to design a big year long project from scratch. Thats why were looking at this large step in the process. The project has a large liberation to establish a good thought process before going straight to the computer screen. Getting inspiration by looking at various sites and magazines helps to develop and round out my designs. A little bit of inspiration really goes a long way. The best way I got inspiration

was to look at things that also do not even relate to humans or animals. I looked at all sorts of magazines and layouts, not just things relating to my topic. Doing so gave me new ideas on the subject. I also looked at things that involved humans and animals. Although, it seems like most of the animal things I came across were gory and just disturbing. I knew I didnt want for my designs to take on this appeal, so I limited myself to try to look at

things that did not even relate to my topic of animals and humans. I found many interesting things, as my computer screen is filled with animal and human bookmarks. I researched all sort of facts about animals, narrowing down to animals that have the most interesting and largest number of similarities and differences. It is crazy the amount of information that is out there to learn about.

Describe your most memorable experience with an animal. Riding horses, my parents bought me a pony and it was funny looking when it would run .

BOOK WORM BOOK WORM

I started looking at books about infographics, type treatments, and magazines about technology, combined with interesting layouts. There are so many books to see, I had a hard time choosing just a few to get inspired from.

Describe your most memorable experience with an animal. Petting a parrot who was sad, I made that birds day!

Shadows were starting to catch my eye. I expanded upon shadows and found many neat shapes created by both humans and animals. One thought came across, to have an interactive shadow section at my exhibit.

Describe your most memorable experience with an animal. Riding in my truck and my dog jumped out the window to chase another dog .

Considering your personality and interests, name an animal that you relate to most. a TIGER!!! lol

My goal for this thesis is to bring things out that arent obvious for people to see. I want to accomplish the basics of design..to have people notice my exhibit and pieces first, to keep them entertained, and to remember my work when they leave.

And I accomplished just that.

What are your thoughts on using animals for food, clothing, entertainment, sport, ect?

THOUGHTS 13 THOUGHTS 14
I have no problem with it.

If God didnt want us eating animals he would not have made them out of meat.

THOUGHTS 15

Food: necessary (getting a complete protein from plants is somewhat healthier and much more difficult.) Clothing: Whats wrong with shearing sheep? Entertainment: they live longer in zoos than in the wild. Sport: again, they live longer when cared for by humans, especially race horses.

THOUGHTS 16
Dorset to learn more.

One thing that makes me sick with fury is seeing a chimp or orangutang (and the little monkeys) dressed in human clothes and performing for our amusement, ugh ugh ugh! The cruelty behind this is just vile, check out the work of the late Jim Cronin and his wife Alison at Monkey World in

THOUGHTS 17
happen. Blood sports are not humane.

As long as the animals are treated humanely, I dont think there is a problem with it. However, factory farming is not humane. If the animals have to be pumped full of antibiotics and chemicals to keep them alive and reasonably healthy, then that is a time bomb waiting to

THOUGHTS 18

Unnecessary, unfortunate, demeaning, and often cruel

Considering your personality and interests, name an animal that you relate to most.

A family is a unit composed not only of children but of men, women, an occasional animal, and the common cold. Ogden Nash

hyena

PLANNING
Sketching and planning the designs for infographs, the exhibit, and other visuals.

This is a medium term plan for one year for humans and other animals. it covered bodies, senses, growing older, and their young.

Planning takes a lot of work with an independent design and such a large outcome: from infographics to a solo exhibition. Clearly we need to rethink human uniqueness and dispense with speciations. Design is the creation of a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system. Design has different connotations in different fields. Creativity stems from planning. It is a relevant part of this creative workflow. Some people may think it is a waste to plan. That kind of attitude is great for a designer who doesnt mind spending extra time on a project for the fun of it.

When we say animals are conscious and smart we mean they know what to do to adapt to ever-changing environments. The versatility and flexibility of their behavior show clearly they are not machine-like automatons, but rather actively thinking and feeling beings. Donald Griffin, often called the father of cognitive ethology, postulated that the ability of animals to adapt to unpredictably changing conditions showed they were conscious and able to assess what needed to be done in a given situation. Its not a question of if animals are conscious but rather why consciousness has evolved. There are sound biological reasons for recognizing animals as conscious beings. Charles Darwin stressed that variations among species are differences in degree rather than kind. There are shades of gray, not black and white differences, so if we have something other animals have it too. This is called evolutionary continuity and shows that it is bad biology to rob animals of the traits they clearly possess. For example, we share with other mammals and vertebrates the same areas of the brain that are important for consciousness and processing emotions. We need to abandon the anthropocentric view that only big-brained animals such as ourselves, nonhuman great apes, elephants, and cetaceans have

sufficient mental capacities for complex forms of consciousness.

and also because it ignores within-species variation that often is more marked than between-species differences.

THE IMPLICATIONS
The ramifications of how we view other animals in relation to ourselves are wideranging and greatly influence how we treat them. There are social, political, and environmental implications when we ignore who other animals are and think of ourselves as above and better than them. Best provides a comprehensive review of recent research in cognitive ethology to support his argument that we do indeed share many traits with other animals. The database grows daily and science is supporting many of our intuitions about the cognitive, emotional, and moral capacities of a wide-range of animals.

What we now know about animal minds does not support human exceptionality and we need to factor this into how we treat other animals and Earth. We also can add arrogance to the list of why some people think other species are no more important than dispensable objects. Alienating ourselves from other animals and dominating them is not what it means to be human. I often wonder if future humans will sit around and scratch their heads and wonder how we missed what is so obvious about the lives of other animals. We are a significant force in nature. We

Clearly, we need to rethink human uniqueness and dispense with species. Best notes that humans do indeed show unique capacities such as writing sonnets, solving algebraic equations, and meditating on the structure of the universe, and he also points out that other animals have abilities and traits that we dont have. Species, involves assigning different values or rights to individuals on the basis of species membership and constructs false boundaries among species. Species doesnt work because it assumes human exceptionality

need to be more compassionate, empathic, and humble and act with greater concern for animals and their homes. We suffer the indignities to which we expose other animals and in the end we all lose when we ignore nature and act as if were the only animals who count, that we are exceptional and better and can do whatever we want because we can. Power is neither license to make other animals lives miserable nor to redecorate their homes with no concern for their wellbeing. The time has come to debunk the myth of human exceptionality once and for all.

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN CATS AND DOGS

The dog looks at you and thinks to himself, You feed me, you shelter me, you love me. You must be God!

The cat looks at you and thinks to himself, You feed me, you shelter me, you love me. I must be God!

Planning the various visuals of my thesis. I explored infographics, charts, graphs, interactive visuals, maps, and photos. Various things led me to focus primarily on infographics.

gathering information
and statistics for animal and human infographics

Describe your most memorable experience with an animal.

Getting to swim with a trained dolphin. When it was swimming around for us all to touch it, it would roll over in front of me and swim slower.

CONSIDER SEVERAL THINGS WHEN PLANNING A SOLO EXHIBIT

01 FIND A LOCATION
The location of an exhibit means a lot. Be sure to choose a place that is thematically appropriate for your work. A modern space with laminated flooring and white or pale, un-patterned walls will go with just about any exhibit; however, if your exhibit has an industrial, outdoorsy, dark, romantic, or sterile atmosphere, a comfortable modern setting might not give it the right context.

04 ENTERTAIN WITH FOOD

If you can afford it, offer beverages such as champagne, wine and non-alcoholic choices, along with finger food or a buffet. Or, reserve this just for the opening night or morning to share among those who come to an invitation-only opening. If it is an elegant affair, serve finger foods like shrimp, falafel, and mini-quiches. Provide a pleasant background atmosphere. If it enhances the experience, play music at a low level, especially at the end when people start leaving.

02 SPEND WISELY
If you can manage digging in the trash or asking for support, do it. Throughout my experience setting up for a show I found some containers for free at various restaurants, and utilized them to my advantage. Consider all of your costs including the fee for renting the space, the materials, advertising, the artists share, your share, and any percentage donated to charity. Decide whether an admission fee will be necessary or appropriate.

05 SET A DATE
Give yourself plenty of time to pull everything together or else you might end up with a sloppy job and poor sales. It is always best to hold an art exhibition so that it includes a weekend. This will allow those working during weekdays to attend and often families will make an outing of the event. If you have any idea what the weathers going to be like around the time of your exhibition, try to go for a dark, cold, rainy couple of days. You dont want to compete with beach balls and picnics for your viewers time.

03 ADVERTISE THE EXHIBITION

Create post cards for the artists to send as invitations. Consider doing press releases for higher-level exhibits. Put up posters around local art schools, universities, trendy areas, cafes, clubs, or even supermarket bulletin boards. Get in touch with local newspapers and tell them about the upcoming exhibition.

Cutting

Printing

Installing

Mounting

More Items INFOGRAPHICS 5 total PHOTOS NEXT TO ANIMAL 4, none for chicken HEARING RANGE on black with white string SQUIRREL NUTS print out DOG BONE CANDY jars and cups FOOTPRINTS actual size ANT AND TRUCK print out TOOL USE hunt down objects QUESTIONNAIRE print out, provide candy

Assembling

Found Objects

EXHIBIT CHECKLIST

A guide to things I needed to do or buy.

EXHIBIT PLANNING

Planning interactive visuals and prototypes to display during the exhibit. I thought about using imagery of animals and human heads, having a chart with cultures, and other various items.

Describe your most memorable experience with an animal.

Searching for a location in Huntsville for an exhibit. (top) A detailed layout of my exhibition. (middle) A study to decide on including large animal photos to contrast the infographs (bottom).

In 2010 my mini pom Alice was lost. I found her on petfinder.com 4 days later. It was the worst 4 days of my life.

Considering your personality and interests, name an animal that you relate to most.

I relate most to cats

Describe your most memorable experience with an animal.

I always say you cant plan too much, but you can forget to plan for problems. I learned things dont always go smoothly and you need to go with plan b lots of the time.

Playing chase or her (Sheba, my dog) protecting me on several occasions

MAKING
Making and putting pieces together for the exhibit and getting the infographs finalized.

CLIMATE AND SPECIES DEVELOPMENT

Resources: National Museum of Natural History, New Scientist

The effects that climate plays on evolu

cool

60 million years ago (mya)

earliest true primates

primate diversification

A LOOK IN TO THIS FINE DESIGN PROCESS

warm

ution of human and animal development

mammal size

01 RESEARCH
The location of an exhibit means a lot. Be sure to choose a place that is thematically appropriate for your work. A modern space with laminated flooring and white or pale, un-patterned walls will go with just about any exhibit; however, if your exhibit has an industrial, outdoorsy, dark, romantic, or sterile atmosphere, a comfortable modern setting might not give it the right context.

03 DESIGN
Create post cards for the artists to send as invitations. Consider doing press releases for higher-level exhibits. Put up posters around local art schools, universities, trendy areas, cafes, clubs, or even supermarket bulletin boards. Get in touch with local newspapers and tell them about the upcoming exhibition.

02 SKETCH
If you can manage digging in the trash or asking for support, do it. Throughout my experience setting up for a show I found some containers for free at various restaurants, and utilized them to my advantage. Consider all of your costs including the fee for renting the space, the materials, advertising, the artists share, your share, and any percentage donated to charity. Decide whether an admission fee will be necessary or appropriate.

04 MAKE IT PRETTY
If you can afford it, offer beverages such as champagne, wine and non-alcoholic choices, along with finger food or a buffet. Or, reserve this just for the opening night or morning to share among those who come to an invitation-only opening. If it is an elegant affair, serve finger foods like shrimp, falafel, and mini-quiches. Provide a pleasant background atmosphere. If it enhances the experience, play music at a low level, especially at the end when people start leaving.

today

modern humans

first hominims

nicholas felton..the king of infographs

As I designed my infographs, I studied the way Nicholas Felton displayed his information.

designs about his life in one year.

This is just my topic in one year.

MAKING VISUALS

DESIGN
INFOGRAPHS PHOTOS INTERESTING FACTS

What animals should be used?

Information graphics are graphic visual representations of information, data, or knowledge intended to present complex information quickly and clearly. Infographics have been around for many years and recently the proliferation of a number of easy-to-use, free tools have made the creation of infographics available to a large segment of the population. In newspapers, infographics are commonly used to show the weather, as well as maps, site plans, and graphs for statistical data. Some books are almost entirely made up of information graphics, such as David Macaulays The Way Things Work. The Snapshots in USA Today are also an example of simple infographics used to convey news and current events. Modern maps, especially route maps for transit systems, use infographic techniques to integrate a variety of information, such as the conceptual layout of the transit network, transfer points, and local landmarks. Public transportation maps, such as those for the Washington Metro and the London Underground, are well-known infographics.

Where to find high resolution photos?

High quality pictures, graphics, wallpapers, and artwork really do make any project or presentation a sense of professionalism and completeness. Everywhere you look, whether its websites, magazines, books, ebooks, brochures, commercials, videos or ads, images are what grabs your attention. Like many things in our new digital age much splintering in the market place has occurred so a laser focus in a specialty area is about the only way to survive. There are literally 100s of thousands of very gifted photographers out there and only a handful are making a living selling stock imagery. The following list is small as there are well over 100 sites that have high resolution photos for free or for very small fees. The few sites listed are a combination of free and royalty free. Those terms are not interchangeable. Royalty free images may cost money but only once, you dont need to pay a royalty each time the image is used. Some images are in the public domain and some are under the creative commons license.

What do others find interesting?

Great leaders are interesting. They captivate, fascinate and intrigue us. Its the interesting people with whom we want to engage, as theyre the ones who inspire and motivate us. The simple truth is few of us desire to be led by those whom we dont find interesting. So my question is this: Are you interesting? In the text that follows Ill share my thoughts on how anyone can become more interesting. Most people I know think of themselves as being interesting people. Thats all well and good, but the real litmus test is whether or not others find you interesting. Are others desirous of having you be part of their inner circle, or do you constantly find yourself on the outside looking in? Do people seek you out for advice and counsel, or do they ignore you and just simply tolerate your presence? While many find themselves in a position of leadership, few understand their role as a leader, and regrettably, fewer yet actually lead. These struggling leaders attempt to control people by imposing their will on others, as opposed to attracting those who desire to be a part of their team.

INVITING VISUALS

INTERACTIVE VISUALS

LIFE SIZE

How can those facts be displayed?

The use of typography, symbols, color, and other static and dynamic graphics are used to convey facts, concepts and emotions. This makes up an information-oriented, systematic graphic design which helps people understand complex information. Successful visual communication through informationoriented, systematic graphic design relies on some key principles of graphic design.

How can you engage Are life-size pieces the viewers? more beneficial?
The audience is a huge part of any presentation or performance. Engaging an audience is key to the success of any group, whether it is shareholders or ticket buyers. To hold the audiences attention is a great way to make them feel like part of the action. It also keeps them involved in the theater performance, pitch meeting and social forum. Hook the audience with a compelling Virtual reality has been a powerful factor in shaping our social and artistic environment since the 1970s. Today, innovations in digital technology have completely transformed film, video, and television: extraordinary special effects and three-dimensional imaging created using computer-based software are commonplace. However, while the digital world continues to expand into more and Begin with a brief synopsis of the presentation. An audience that knows what to expect and when to focus on valuable information is more likely to stay engaged with the speaker. Interpret abstract concepts and statistics. Most peoples eyes glaze over when they are presented with meaningless numbers. Give a number and explain the real-world implications. Discuss the impact on the audience members themselves if possible. It is not a coincidence that as individuals spend more and more time looking at a monitor interacting with others in cyberspace, the pleasures in making things by hand, engaging with materials and techniques in a direct fashion, also increase. more areas of our lives, a profound human need to re-experience the actual and tangible has also arisen. introduction. Tell a story or personal experience that relates to the topic. Share a joke or start out with a shocking statistic. Develop rapport with the audience. Life size pieces interact with viewers on a whole new level. They engage the viewers, and give them a real perspective on things. Some things dont need to be life size but some things really benefit to be actual scale.

There are three factors that should be considered for the design of a successful user interface; development factors, visibility factors and acceptance factors. Development factors help by improving visual communication. These include: platform constraints, tool kits and component libraries, support for rapid prototyping, and custombuilt. Visibility factors take into account human factors and express a strong visual identity. These include: human abilities, product identity, clear conceptual model, and multiple representations. Included as acceptance factors are an installed base, corporate politics, international markets, and documentation and training.

The beginning stages of designing infographs was tough. It is hard to believe these were my initial roughs. Although, the interesting facts I found led me to use 3D visuals for other designs.

Some people talk to animals. Not many listen though. Thats the problem. A.A. Milne, Winnie-the-Pooh

Describe your most memorable experience with an animal.

When my dog hides behind me rather than anyone else in the room.

As I continued working to design the infographs I asked myself questions to better my designs and the way I displayed information.

How can I stay away from the typical cliche?

How do I represent five animals similarly but different?

How can I design this it and be heavy on the text?

INSTALLING
The process of installing for my solo exhibition.

THE SOFA GALLERY

Considering your personality and interests, name an animal that you relate to most. sometimes a cat

Describe your most memorable experience with an animal. Riding a horse for the first time! Amazing!

Galleries began growing in both number and size in the late seventies, when artists who worked in lofts wanted to exhibit their work in spaces similar to the ones the art was made in. Jerry Saltz

What are your beliefs on animal consciousness?

I felt animals didnt know anything about life/death and went about their life as just existing.

INSTALLATION
Schools seldom have enough space to show things as professionally as it should be. I like to keep exhibit design and presentation very simple and very orderly, even when it too crowded. I want the viewers to notice the artworknot fancy exhibition design, brightly colored mats, or some distracting exhibition idea. When I see an exhibit with colored mounts, decorative additions, or bizarre arrangements, it makes me feel that there was not much respect for the artwork itself. I avoid colored additions. I have never seen an art museum that used colored mats or mounts for artworks created on paper. I want to see the artwork. I want the exhibition to be so well designed that I do not notice the exhibit design more than the artwork itself.

What are your beliefs on animal consciousness? All beings should be respected .

THERE ARE ONLY STANLEY AND HUSKY SCREW DRIVERS.. NO PHILLIPS?

What are your beliefs on animal consciousness? I believe they are conscious of their surrounding.

VOLUME With a small room, there were about 10 separate collections to install, some having one part, some 5.

SPEED Everything was installed in one day, taking about 5 hours with no break.

DISTANCE There was not a far walk or commute from my truck to the gallery, so this was a quick process.

Why do children like big animals like lions and bears, and as they get more mature we like smaller animals like cats and dogs?

THOUGHTS 11

Awe becomes wisdom, understanding that they cannot have the larger animals.

THOUGHTS 12
are small enough to be easily dominated.

As a child, the child loves the illusion of controlling bigger things (you should see my grandson and dollies carrying stuff!) As one matures and learns, one learns that one does not really control those things (Siefried and Roy anyone?) so they switch down to what they can control: felines and canines

THOUGHTS 13

Guess I never matured. Ive had horses most of my adult life. A lot of other animals, too. There are a lot of adults who like larger animals and a lot of children who prefer to be around animals more their own size. So I think your generalization is not quite right.

THOUGHTS 14

I guess kids have no true concept about the larger animals and also how some of them are extremely dangerous and deadly as well. They have all these cuddly stuffed animals of polar bears, lions, tigers, dinosaurs, etc. To children, they are cute and harmless when in real life they are not.

THOUGHTS 15
Life is and has always been ironic.

EXHIBITION
My solo exhibition displayed for one week in the SoFA Gallery at the SHSU Art Department.

What are your beliefs on animal consciousness?

I believe that animals are the same as people. I believe they have souls.

How can the design of an exhibition provide interactive visuals and pieces to challenge individuals on the understanding of humans and animals?

I assert this will raise awareness about humans and animals, and also a newfound understanding on the subject.

Therefore, I am presenting informational graphics and prototypes and visuals that could inhibit understanding and values.

Describe your most memorable experience with an animal. Giving my cat a bath - I felt like the enemy!

Senior Thesis on Human-Animal Relationships by McKenzie Smith

EXHIBITION | March 18 - March 22 RECEPTION | Thursday, March 21 | 6 pm LOCATION | SoFA Gallery, Art Building A | SHSU Art Complex

A GRAPHIC DESIGN EXHIBIT

Providing facts and insights to challenge human-animal relationship by providing a greater understanding of the ways in which animals figure in our lives and us in theres. Visualizing Reverse Parallels is presented through information graphics, prototypes, and other inviting visuals.

Senior Honors Thesis | SHSU Elliot T. Bowers Honors College SHSU Art Department | 1028 21st Street | Huntsville, TX 77341-2089

TOOL USE A section that shows tool use across animals and humans, providing viewers with the item, and what the animal does with it.

ARE WE BOTH HANDYMEN?

Just a few decades ago, most people thought humans were the only animals that used tools. Them researchers found dozens of other species that use objects to accomplish tasks. While tool use is not limited to humans, the way we use tool is certainly unique. Our capacity for symbolic thought helps us design tools and technologies that serve long-term plans. More than just extensions of our body, our tools form vast systems that perform tasks far beyond what any one person could do.

WHAT ANIMALS CAN DO

Some animals make tools by breaking off pieces of found objects, and occasionally modifying them. But their planning ability is comparatively limited, preventing them from making complex tools from multiple materials and using them in complicated systems of technology.

WHAT HUMANS CAN DO

Humans are much more adaptable; we can create tools and technologies for almost any situation. We make complex, multipart machines and improve the, through planning and experimentation. Humans appear to be the most sophisticated, since our behavior isnt as governed by instinct as other species. In return, humans have the most cultivated tools.

Considering your personality and interests, name an animal that you relate to most.

jack ass

BIG FOOT A sheet of paper with animal footprints to engage and invite viewers to compare their foot size to various animals. The foot prints are scaled to size, and include animals like elephants, cows, dogs, giraffes, squirrels, rats, pigeons, and more.

DO YOU HAVE A MINUTE? A questionnaire regarding animal and human consciousness. The questions are meant to provide an honest and thoughtful answer with questions regarding animals we relate to, memorable animal experiences, and beliefs on conciseness. The answers are found throughout this process book.

What are your beliefs on animal consciousness? I think animals are not as conscious as humans but they still are a little bit.

01 TASTES LIKE SUGAR Taste buds translate chemical signals into electronic signals to the brain. All animals and humans have different amounts of taste buds, and we all taste different things. Here are some animals with extraordinary amounts of taste buds. 02 WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR WATER WITH LEMON? Elephants are able to draw up four gallons of water into their trunks before squirting it into their mouth to drink. Equivalent to the amount of water one person uses daily flushing toilets. 03 WOULD THE TOOTH FAIRY BE LARGE TOO? A single elephant tooth can weigh as much as 9 pounds, and they have around 26 teeth. 04 SMALL BUT BIG A nickel is heavier than a hummingbird. They weigh around 3 grams, but their brain is 4.2% of its body weight, the largest proportion in the bird species.

05 A TEASPOON SIZED KANGAROO A newborn kangaroo is less than 2cm in length and weighs about half a gram. That is as small as a coffee bean! 06 MYTH: DOG MOUTHS ARE CLEANER THAN HUMANS Take some mints around the exhibition.. once again people will have cleaner and fresher mouths than dogs. Contrary to popular belief, dogs mouths are far dirtier than the mouths of the typical human being. This rumor is likely stemmed from the fact that dogs are often seen licking their wounds, which rarely get infected. Most people have good hygiene, and brush their teeth at least once every day. Human mouths rarely come into contact with external bacteria. Dogs mouths, in contrast, are rarely cleaned in most cases. Dogs also have a tendency to sniff around and eat bacteria-filled waste whenever they are given the opportunity to do so. Although, if you want to give your pooch a kiss, it may be safer than kissing another human. Many of the bacteria in the mouth of a dog are species specific, so it wont harm humans.

01

02

03

04

05

06

STUCK AT THE TOP? Cows actually can be lead downstairs. They just wont go willingly. Unlike humans, cows have no depth perception, so stairs appear unstable to them. A cows eyes are on the side of its head, meaning cows have panoramic, rather than stereoscopic vision.

What are your beliefs on animal consciousness? I believe in reincarnation. Ants and every living thins have a soul.

I got a big turn out during the show. I had around 50 people come to the show, and it was an incredible feeling. Watching people engage so much with my visuals made me realize how interesting I designed my visuals.

VISUALS
The infographs, photos, and other visuals I produced during the process.

Describe your most memorable experience with an animal. Being with Levi.

Considering your personality and interests, name an animal that you relate to most.

a mouse, very quiet and usually alone and vulnerable

SQUEAL vs HELLO
The marine world is filled with all sorts of animal life, yet the most distinct is the second smartest animal, the dolphin. Though one eats fish and glides effortlessly through water, while the other eats hamburgers, walks streets, humans and dolphins share many similarities. The elegant smile on their mouth line has made them popular to human culture. Dolphins come from a very diverse background, yet have transformed to be similar to us humans.

FROM LAND TO SEA

Dolphins, and all Cetaceans, originated from land mammals. Many features that are common in land mammals have changed in the evolutionary process that led to cetaceans.

RELATIVES
Based on DNA analysis, dolphins closest living ancestor is the hippo!

EVOLUTION
About 11 million years ago the first dolphin appeared. While some species are endangered, most dolphin species have increased over the years due to the new advances in the animal artificial insemination field.
World Population

LAND MAMMALS (UNGULATES)

ORIGINATED TO

DOLPHINS (CETACEANS)

7 billion 1 million

DOLPHIN SPECIES
11 million years ago 200,000 years ago Today

LARGEST DOLPHIN

There are 32 species of marine dolphins, and 4 species of river dolphins, which are considered some of the smallest dolphin species. The below list is denoted as Scientific name, common name.

FASTEST SPEED

36 SPECIES
Delphinus
7 mph average 40 mph record 5 mph average 55 mph record

Family Delphinidae, marine dolphins

Steno bredanensis, rough-toothed dolphin Sousa chinensis, Indo-Pacific hump-backed dolphin Sousa teuszii, Atlantic hump-backed dolphin Sotalia fluviatilis, tucuxi Tursiops truncatus, bottlenose dolphin Stenella longirostris, spinner dolphin Stenella clymene, clymene dolphin Stenella frontalis, Atlantic spotted dolphin Stenella attenuata, pantropical spotted dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba, striped dolphin Lagenodelphis hosei, Fraser's dolphin Lagenorhynchus albirostris, white-beaked dolphin Lagenorhynchus acutus, Atlantic white-sided dolphin Lagenorhynchus obliquidens, Pacific white-sided dolphin Lagenorhynchus obscurus, dusky dolphin Lagenorhynchus australis, Peale's dolphin Lagenorhynchus cruciger, hourglass dolphin Cephalorhynchus commersonii, Commerson's dolphin Cephalorhynchus heavisidii, Heaviside's dolphin Cephalorhynchus eutropiam, black dolphin Cephalorhynchus hectori, Hector's dolphin Lissodelphis borealis, northern right whale dolphin Lissodelphis peronii, southern right whale dolphin Grampus griseus, Risso's dolphin Peponocephala electra, melon-headed whale Feresa attenuata, pygmy killer whale Pseudorca crassidens, false killer whale Globicephala melaena, long-finned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus, short-finned pilot whale Orcinus orca, killer whale Orcaella brevirostris, Irrawaddy dolphin

KILLER WHALES ARE GENETICALLY

Orca Dolphins, which are commonly known as the Killer Whales, can be over 31 feet long when fully grown, which has provided them with the unproper name of "whale".

SLEEP
Dolphins have to be conscious to breath, so they cannot go into a full deep sleep, or they would suffocate. Instead, they let one half of their brain sleep at a time.

DOLPHINS
AVERAGE LIFESPAN (yrs) CATCH SOME ZZZs

THE DOLPHIN BANDAGE

BIRTH DIRECTION

Human babies are born head-first.

DOLPHINS

ENHANCE

HUMAN
THATS FISHY

Dolphins are the only mammal born tail-first.

of the day dolphins and humans spend sleeping

33%

BODY TEMPERATURE

Family Platanistidae, river dolphins

Platanista gangetica, Ganges river dolphin Platanista minor, Indus river dolphin Inia geoffrensis boto, Amazon river dolphin Lipotes vexillifer baiji, Yangtze river dolphin Pontoporia blainvillei franciscana, La Plata dolphin

HUMAN SKILLS
social communication abstract processing problem solving higher lever intelligence mirror self-recognition cultural learning symbol communication

DOLPHINS EXHIBIT

97.6 - 99.6 F 96.8 - 98.6 F

30 lbs/yr

NICE CATCH
Dolphins consume a whopping 30 pounds of fish, every day.

JUST A BITE
That is the amount of fish the average person consumes in a year, depending on geographic location and diet. 30 lbs/day

SENSE OF SMELL
Dolphins lack an olfactory nerve and lobes, so are believed to have no sense of smell. They do have a sense of taste and show preferences for certain kinds of fish. Since dolphins spend most of their time below the surface, tasting the water could function like smelling, in that substances in the water can signal the presence of objects that are not in the dolphins mouth. cake vodka burger flowers fish chicken candle coffee new car

NUMBER OF TEETH

BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN

32 teeth 100 teeth

The most 'familiar' dolphin species is the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Bottlenose dolphins have been the mainstays of oceanariums and TV programs for decades.
humans dolphins

A LONG LOST TWIN

SWIM STATS PREGNANCY LENGTH

HUMAN = ARMS FLIPPERS

BIG SOFTIES DOLPHIN DIABETES DID YOU KNOW?

Deepest dive

330 ft 4 ft 22 min 1 - 2 mph 5 - 6 mph

990 ft 20 ft 30 min 3-7 mph 18-55 mph

Highest jump

Holding breath

266 days 276 days

Normal swim

DOLPHIN

Burst of swim

HUMAN

SKIN AS DELICATE AS SKIN

SIZE RANGES IN DOLPHINS
Because there are many dolphin species, there are many sizes of dolphins too. Some breeds are very large, while some are much smaller. large dolphin breeds small dolphin breeds Weight 11 tons 90 lbs

Dolphins can develop a natural form of type 2 diabetes

varies greatly by dolphin species

Time a mother dolphin stays with her calf

MIRROR TEST

CHROMOSOMES
The chromosomes between humans and dolphins are basically homologous. There are just a few chromosomal arrangements that changed the way the genetic material was put together in each of us.

RESCUE

Number of stomachs a dolphin has, one for storing, one for digesting

TEN FEET
Longest length of a freshwater dolphin

DOLPHINS HAVE MIRROR SELF RECOGNITION

Along with humans, bonobos, chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas, orcas, elephants, and magpies, and pigeons.

44 (21 pairs)

Dolphins can rescue humans from drowning or even keep them safe from sharks

ECHOLOCATION
Dolphins have an unique tool that is used for hunting and also communication. This tool is known as echolocation. Echolocation is better known as dolphin sonar. By listening to the echoes of the sound they produce, dolphins can locate objects and fish with remarkable success. 36 (23 pairs)

WHO WOULD WIN GOLD?

fish sound waves made by dolphins echoes of sound tell size, shape, distance

HEARING

Length up to 30 ft 4 ft

EYESIGHT
Bottlenose dolphin

Dolphins can see equally well above and under water. The dolphin eye is optimized for underwater vision. Humans are visually handicapped underwater unless we wear a face mask or goggles.
COMMON TRAITS

Human hearing

Hear frequencies ten times or more above the upper limit of adult human hearing

1
MYTHS REVEALED

Michael Phelps

The dolphin kick will give humans an extra surge in the water, but even Michael Phelps would loose to a dolphin.

A close look at dolphins and humans, and the genome reveals striking similarities. The many similarities between humans and dolphins explains why they have such big brains and a complex cognition.

BRAIN TO BODY RATIO

Many dolphin species have brains four to five times the size expected for their body size. This means their brains are significantly larger in relative size than all other animals and second only to modern humans. Therefore, dolphin brains, like human brains, are outstanding because, like human brains, they are many times larger than one would expect for their body size.
body weighs 1,000 lbs body weighs 300 lbs

DORSAL

Myth: Dolphins and humans are the only mammals that have sex for pleasure.
Truth: Animals almost never engage in a sexual act with the specific intent of producing offspring. It is more accurate to state that animals (including humans and dolphins) are have sex because the act itself is rewarding - it stimulates pleasure centers in the brain through the release of endorphins. Dolphins often engage in forceful mounting behaviors involving erections that clearly do not involve reproduction, and look more like social dominance or simple aggression. Is it fair to label this as sex for pleasure? Not really.

Myth: You will never find any sharks where you will find dolphins.
Truth: Wild dolphins in various regions around the world were found covered in shark bite marks. Dolphins, like many other animals in the ocean, are constantly on the lookout for sharks, and they are doing their utmost to avoid any potentially lethal encounters. But it would be unwise to assume that the presence of dolphins means that they have managed to elude all sharks in the area, and that it is safe to go in the water.

brain weighs 13 lbs

brain weighs 2 lbs

HUMAN

AS DISTINCT AS

1.19% of body weight

2.1% of body weight

dens, Pacific white-sided dolphin us, dusky dolphin is, Peale's dolphin er, hourglass dolphin ersonii, Commerson's dolphin sidii, Heaviside's dolphin piam, black dolphin ri, Hector's dolphin orthern right whale dolphin uthern right whale dolphin s dolphin melon-headed whale y killer whale alse killer whale long-finned pilot whale nchus, short-finned pilot whale le awaddy dolphin

of the day dolphins and humans spend sleeping

33%

BODY TEMPERATURE

dae, river dolphins

anges river dolphin river dolphin mazon river dolphin angtze river dolphin nciscana, La Plata dolphin

HUMAN SKILLS
social communication abstract processing problem solving higher lever intelligence mirror self-recognition cultural learning symbol communication

DOLPHINS EXHIBIT

97.6 - 99.6 F 96.8 - 98.6 F

erve and lobes, so are believed to have no sense of smell. ste and show preferences for certain kinds of fish. Since r time below the surface, tasting the water could function nces in the water can signal the presence of objects that uth. flowers fish chicken candle coffee new car

NUMBER OF TEETH

32 teeth 100 teeth

umans

dolphins

SWIM STATS PREGNANCY LENGTH

S
266 days 276 days

Deepest dive

330 ft 4 ft 22 min 1 - 2 mph 5 - 6 mph

990 ft 20 ft 30 min 3-7 mph 18-55 mph

Highest jump

Holding breath

Normal swim

Burst of swim
varies greatly by dolphin species

THIS IS WHAT 10,000 NUTS LOOK LIKE..IN DOTS. COULD YOU HIDE 10,000 ITEMS IN A SEPA

The squirrel has an extraordinary spatial memory.. it buries 10,000 nuts in the fall and hides each nut in a separate pl

*Like us, squirr

ARATE PLACE AND THEN FIND THEM AGAIN? NO, DIDNT THINK SO.

lace and then has to find each nut again.*

rels arent perfect; millions of trees are accidentally planted by squirrels that bury nuts and then forget where they hid them.

MIGHTY LITTLE ANTS

It is a visual world and people respond to visuals.

Describe your most memorable experience with an animal. The day I got Marley.

Joe Sacco

What are your beliefs on animal consciousness?

In my beliefs a conscious is the same as a soul..so its possible

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Describe your most memorable experience with an animal. Ant. I killed one once and felt regret. How could I kill something thats living without a second thought .

*Like us, squirrels arent perfect; millions of trees are accidentally planted by squirrels that bury nuts and then forget w

MIGHTY LITTLE ANTS

Leafcutter ants can lift and carry in their jaws a leaf that is 50 times their own body weight. Thats the same as a human lifting a truck with its teeth!

What are your beliefs on animal consciousness? Animals, like humans, are creatures of habit.

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SQUEAL vs HELLO
The marine world is filled with all sorts of animal life, yet the most distinct is the second smartest animal, the dolphin. Though one eats fish and glides effortlessly through water, while the other eats hamburgers, walks streets, humans and dolphins share many similarities. The elegant smile on their mouth line has made them popular to human culture. Dolphins come from a very diverse background, yet have transformed to be similar to us humans.

FROM LAND TO SEA

Dolphins, and all Cetaceans, originated from land mammals. Many features that are common in land mammals have changed in the evolutionary process that led to cetaceans.

RELATIVES
Based on DNA analysis, dolphins closest living ancestor is the hippo!

EVOLUTION
About 11 million years ago the first dolphin appeared. While some species are endangered, most dolphin species have increased over the years due to the new advances in the animal artificial insemination field.
World Population

LAND MAMMALS (UNGULATES)

ORIGINATED TO

DOLPHINS (CETACEANS)

7 billion 1 million

DOLPHIN SPECIES
11 million years ago 200,000 years ago Today

LARGEST DOLPHIN

There are 32 species of marine dolphins, and 4 species of river dolphins, which are considered some of the smallest dolphin species. The below list is denoted as Scientific name, common name.

FASTEST SPEED

36
7 mph average 40 mph record 5 mph average 55 mph record

SPECIES

Delphinus

Family Delphinidae, marine dolphins

Steno bredanensis, rough-toothed dolphin Sousa chinensis, Indo-Pacific hump-backed dolphin Sousa teuszii, Atlantic hump-backed dolphin Sotalia fluviatilis, tucuxi Tursiops truncatus, bottlenose dolphin Stenella longirostris, spinner dolphin Stenella clymene, clymene dolphin Stenella frontalis, Atlantic spotted dolphin Stenella attenuata, pantropical spotted dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba, striped dolphin Lagenodelphis hosei, Fraser's dolphin Lagenorhynchus albirostris, white-beaked dolphin Lagenorhynchus acutus, Atlantic white-sided dolphin Lagenorhynchus obliquidens, Pacific white-sided dolphin Lagenorhynchus obscurus, dusky dolphin Lagenorhynchus australis, Peale's dolphin Lagenorhynchus cruciger, hourglass dolphin Cephalorhynchus commersonii, Commerson's dolphin Cephalorhynchus heavisidii, Heaviside's dolphin Cephalorhynchus eutropiam, black dolphin Cephalorhynchus hectori, Hector's dolphin Lissodelphis borealis, northern right whale dolphin Lissodelphis peronii, southern right whale dolphin Grampus griseus, Risso's dolphin Peponocephala electra, melon-headed whale Feresa attenuata, pygmy killer whale Pseudorca crassidens, false killer whale Globicephala melaena, long-finned pilot whale Globicephala macrorhynchus, short-finned pilot whale Orcinus orca, killer whale Orcaella brevirostris, Irrawaddy dolphin

KILLER WHALES ARE GENETICALLY

Orca Dolphins, which are commonly known as the Killer Whales, can be over 31 feet long when fully grown, which has provided them with the unproper name of "whale".

SLEEP
Dolphins have to be conscious to breath, so they cannot go into a full deep sleep, or they would suffocate. Instead, they let one half of their brain sleep at a time.

DOLPHINS
AVERAGE LIFESPAN (yrs) CATCH SOME ZZZs

THE DOLPHIN BANDAGE

BIRTH DIRECTION

Human babies are born head-first.

DOLPHINS

ENHANCE

HUMAN
THATS FISHY

Dolphins are the only mammal born tail-first.

of the day dolphins and humans spend sleeping

33%

BODY TEMPERATURE

Family Platanistidae, river dolphins

Platanista gangetica, Ganges river dolphin Platanista minor, Indus river dolphin Inia geoffrensis boto, Amazon river dolphin Lipotes vexillifer baiji, Yangtze river dolphin Pontoporia blainvillei franciscana, La Plata dolphin

HUMAN SKILLS
social communication abstract processing problem solving higher lever intelligence mirror self-recognition cultural learning symbol communication

DOLPHINS EXHIBIT

97.6 - 99.6 F 96.8 - 98.6 F

30 lbs/yr

NICE CATCH
Dolphins consume a whopping 30 pounds of fish, every day.

JUST A BITE
That is the amount of fish the average person consumes in a year, depending on geographic location and diet. 30 lbs/day

SENSE OF SMELL
Dolphins lack an olfactory nerve and lobes, so are believed to have no sense of smell. They do have a sense of taste and show preferences for certain kinds of fish. Since dolphins spend most of their time below the surface, tasting the water could function like smelling, in that substances in the water can signal the presence of objects that are not in the dolphins mouth. cake vodka burger flowers fish chicken candle coffee new car

NUMBER OF TEETH

BOTTLENOSE DOLPHIN

32 teeth 100 teeth

The most 'familiar' dolphin species is the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus). Bottlenose dolphins have been the mainstays of oceanariums and TV programs for decades.
humans dolphins

A LONG LOST TWIN

SWIM STATS PREGNANCY LENGTH

HUMAN = ARMS FLIPPERS

BIG SOFTIES DOLPHIN DIABETES DID YOU KNOW?

Deepest dive

330 ft 4 ft 22 min 1 - 2 mph 5 - 6 mph

990 ft 20 ft 30 min 3-7 mph 18-55 mph

Highest jump

Holding breath

266 days 276 days

Normal swim

DOLPHIN

Burst of swim

HUMAN

SKIN AS DELICATE AS SKIN

SIZE RANGES IN DOLPHINS
Because there are many dolphin species, there are many sizes of dolphins too. Some breeds are very large, while some are much smaller. large dolphin breeds small dolphin breeds Weight 11 tons 90 lbs

Dolphins can develop a natural form of type 2 diabetes

varies greatly by dolphin species

Time a mother dolphin stays with her calf

MIRROR TEST

CHROMOSOMES
The chromosomes between humans and dolphins are basically homologous. There are just a few chromosomal arrangements that changed the way the genetic material was put together in each of us.

RESCUE

Number of stomachs a dolphin has, one for storing, one for digesting

TEN FEET
Longest length of a freshwater dolphin

DOLPHINS HAVE MIRROR SELF RECOGNITION

Along with humans, bonobos, chimpanzees, orangutans, gorillas, orcas, elephants, and magpies, and pigeons.

44 (21 pairs)

Dolphins can rescue humans from drowning or even keep them safe from sharks

ECHOLOCATION
Dolphins have an unique tool that is used for hunting and also communication. This tool is known as echolocation. Echolocation is better known as dolphin sonar. By listening to the echoes of the sound they produce, dolphins can locate objects and fish with remarkable success. 36 (23 pairs)

WHO WOULD WIN GOLD?

fish sound waves made by dolphins echoes of sound tell size, shape, distance

HEARING

Length up to 30 ft 4 ft

EYESIGHT
Bottlenose dolphin

Dolphins can see equally well above and under water. The dolphin eye is optimized for underwater vision. Humans are visually handicapped underwater unless we wear a face mask or goggles.
COMMON TRAITS

Human hearing

Hear frequencies ten times or more above the upper limit of adult human hearing

1
MYTHS REVEALED

Michael Phelps

The dolphin kick will give humans an extra surge in the water, but even Michael Phelps would loose to a dolphin.

A close look at dolphins and humans, and the genome reveals striking similarities. The many similarities between humans and dolphins explains why they have such big brains and a complex cognition.

BRAIN TO BODY RATIO

Many dolphin species have brains four to five times the size expected for their body size. This means their brains are significantly larger in relative size than all other animals and second only to modern humans. Therefore, dolphin brains, like human brains, are outstanding because, like human brains, they are many times larger than one would expect for their body size.
body weighs 1,000 lbs body weighs 300 lbs

DORSAL

Myth: Dolphins and humans are the only mammals that have sex for pleasure.
Truth: Animals almost never engage in a sexual act with the specific intent of producing offspring. It is more accurate to state that animals (including humans and dolphins) are have sex because the act itself is rewarding - it stimulates pleasure centers in the brain through the release of endorphins. Dolphins often engage in forceful mounting behaviors involving erections that clearly do not involve reproduction, and look more like social dominance or simple aggression. Is it fair to label this as sex for pleasure? Not really.

Myth: You will never find any sharks where you will find dolphins.
Truth: Wild dolphins in various regions around the world were found covered in shark bite marks. Dolphins, like many other animals in the ocean, are constantly on the lookout for sharks, and they are doing their utmost to avoid any potentially lethal encounters. But it would be unwise to assume that the presence of dolphins means that they have managed to elude all sharks in the area, and that it is safe to go in the water.

brain weighs 13 lbs

brain weighs 2 lbs

HUMAN

AS DISTINCT AS

1.19% of body weight

2.1% of body weight

THANKING
Special thanks to everyone who helped me to complete this thesis.

Thanks to Mom and Dad for these beautiful flowers I found waiting for me at my show.

Describe your most memorable experience with an animal. When my dig got bit by a snake and almost died and I was really scared.

Thank you to the honors college and Dr. Young for providing catering at my exhibition. The people who attended the exhibit also really appreciated it. And also a special thanks to Dr. Young and the honor college for providing me with such an amazing opportunity to do a thesis.

What are your beliefs on animal consciousness? I believe they are very conscious and pick up on how things we dont kno w

Most of all, thank you to Anthony Watkins, my thesis chair. Thank you for all of the supervision and support over the course of this year-long project. Thanks for challenging me to expand further every time we met to discuss the progress.

Thanks a bunch to Tony.

SOURCES

Plos One, How Human Differ from Other Animals Levels of Morphological Variation, Ann E. McKellar The Naked Ape Review, Eric Lanke TED, Robert Sapolsky: The uniqueness of humans Smithsonian, Human Family Tree Psychology Today Animal Minds and the Foible of Human Exceptionalism, Marc Bekoff Life Time, Nurder to Excellence Dan Schneider Interview 8: Desmond Morris Charts Bin The Dogs Relation to Humans I Didnt Know Animals Could do That, David Wallace Six Uniquely Human Traits Found in Animals, Kate Douglas The Human Elephant Foundation, Andries Botha Out to Africa, Elephant Evolution Animals Australia, Animal Explitation Fact Sheet Design of Human and Animal Bodies 7 examples of bimimicry: Termite den The Animal in You Personlaity Test Prehistoric Timeline, Geographic Timeline Are humans special as compared to animals? Book Review: The Naked Ape by Desmond Morris: Biogcritics Books Human Evolution Evidence Timeline: Epistemology in Antiquity

This book was designed by McKenzie Smith during her final year as as student at Sam Houston State University, in May 2013. From doing this year-long senior thesis, she received Highest Honors and a BFA in Advertising and Graphic Design. The book uses the typefaces Franklin Gothic and Clarendon, while all of the infographs, and pieces in the exhibit use only the Franklin Gothic family.