“We’re also the only ones that can consciously change our breathing in ways we choose.”

That’s a tricky statement I made in this week’s 411. After much consideration, I stuck with the words “only ones” and “change,” even though you could potentially argue otherwise.

It’s not clear to me if any other mammals consciously change/manipulate their breathing. But it is clear, for example, that dolphins consciously control their breathing. (Here’s a nice overview of it.) But control vs. conscious manipulation is the distinction I’m trying to make.

That is, we have the choice to consciously manipulate our breathing to make the physiological changes we want:

• We can hyperventilate to consciously stress our bodies.

• We can breathe slowly and calmly to consciously calm our bodies.

• We can consciously alternate nostrils.

• We can deliberately breathe shallow or deep.

• We can purposefully extend the inhale or exhale.

• The list goes on and on.

So, even if other mammals do control their breathing, I’m not aware of them changing it for the specific purpose of growing and improving their lives (although I’m not ruling it out, especially with dolphins).