London, January 04 : Dolphins are cleverer than young children, a new study suggests.

Diana Reiss, professor of psychology at City University of New York, claims that the bottlenose mammals can recognize themselves in a mirror and give their own bodies the once-over.

Also, the study on their brains saw them placed above chimps, which are assumed to be as intelligent as three-year-old children, reports the Daily Star.

Professor of ethics at Loyola Marymount University, Thomas White, from Los Angeles, believes dolphins are “non-human persons who qualify for moral standing as individuals.” (ANI)