Top 10 Most Intelligent Animals...
Animal intelligence is hard to pin down because "intelligence" takes different forms. Examples
of types of intelligence include language comprehension, self-recognition, cooperation,
altruism, problem-solving, and mathematics skills. It's easy to recognize intelligence
in other primates, but there are many other species that may be smarter than you think.
Here are some of the most intelligent animals.
1. Ravens and Crows...
The entire Corvid family of birds is clever. The group includes magpies, jays, ravens,
and crows. These birds are the only non-primate vertebrates that invent their own tools. Crows
recognize human faces, communicate complex concepts with other crows, and think about
the future. Many experts compare crow intelligence to that of a 7-year-old human child.
2. Chimpanzees...
Chimps are our closest relatives in the animal kingdom, so it's unsurprising they display
intelligence similar to that of humans. Chimps fashion spears and other tools, display a
wide range of emotions, and recognize themselves in a mirror. Chimps can learn sign language
to communicate with humans.
3. Elephants...
Elephants have the largest brains of any land animal. The cortex of an elephant's brain
has as many neurons as a human brain. Elephants have exceptional memories, cooperate with
each other, and demonstrate self-awareness. Like primates and birds, they engage in play.
4. Gorillas...
The gorilla named Koko became famous for learning sign language and caring for a pet cat. Gorillas
can form original sentences to communicate with humans and understand the use of symbols
to represent objects and more complex concepts.
5. Dolphins...
Dolphins and whales are at least as smart as birds and primates. A dolphin has a large
brain relative to its body size. The cortex of a human brain is highly convoluted, but
a dolphin brain has even more folds! Dolphins and their kin are the only marine animals
that have passed the mirror test of self-awareness.
6. Pigs...
Pigs solve mazes, understand and display emotions, and understand symbolic language. Piglets
grasp the concept of reflection at a younger age than humans. Six-week-old piglets that
see food in a mirror can work out where the food is located. In contrast, it takes human
babies several months to understand reflection. Pigs also understand abstract representations
and can apply this skill to play video games using a joystick.
7. Octopuses...
While we're most familiar with intelligence in other vertebrates, some invertebrates are
incredibly clever. The octopus has the largest brain of any invertebrate, yet three-fifths
of its neurons are actually in its arms. The octopus is the only invertebrate that uses
tools. An octopus named Otto was known to throw rocks and spray water at the bright
overhead lights of his aquarium in order to short them out.
8. Parrots...
Parrots are thought to be as smart as a human child. These birds solve puzzles and also
understand the concept of cause and effect. The Einstein of the parrot world is the African
Grey, a bird known for its astounding memory and ability to count. African Grey parrots
can learn an impressive number of human words and use them in context to communicate with
people.
9. Dogs...
Man's best friend uses its intelligence to relate to humans. Dogs understand emotions,
show empathy, and understand symbolic language. According to canine intelligence expert Stanley
Coren, the average dog understand around 165 human words. However, they can learn many
more. A border collie named Chaser demonstrated understanding of 1022 words. An analysis of
his vocabulary was published in the February 2011 issue of the Behavioural Processes Journal.
10. Raccoons...
Aesop's fable of the Crow and the Pitcher could have been written about a raccoon. Researchers
at the USDA National Wildlife Center and the University of Wyoming gave raccoons a pitcher
of water containing marshmallows and some pebbles. In order to reach the marshmallows,
the raccoons had to raise the water level. Half of the raccoons figured out how to use
pebbles to get the treat. Another simply found a way to knock over the pitcher.
Raccoons are also notoriously good at picking locks and can remember solutions to problems
for three years.
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