Animal Smarts: What Can We Learn from Other Species?

Animal Smarts: What Can We Learn from Other Species?

For too long, humans have viewed themselves as the pinnacle of intelligence on Earth. But the animal kingdom is brimming with creatures who exhibit remarkable cognitive abilities, forcing us to reconsider what it truly means to be intelligent.

Charles Darwin, in his revolutionary book "On the Origin of Species" [Darwin, C. R. (1859). On the origin of species by means of natural selection, or the preservation of favoured races in the struggle for life], proposed that intelligence is not a uniquely human trait, but rather an evolutionary adaptation that has emerged in various forms across different species.

Here are some examples of animals displaying surprising intelligence:

• Chimps: Our Closest Relatives - Chimpanzees, our closest living relatives, are well-known for their tool use. They have been observed using sticks to fish for termites, stones to crack open nuts, and even leaves as sponges to soak up water [Whiten, A., Emery, N. M., & Clayton, M. (2005). Social intelligence in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 360(1463), 213-230].

• Dolphins: Masters of Communication - Bottlenose dolphins are renowned for their complex communication skills. They use a system of whistles, clicks, and body language to convey information, coordinate hunting strategies, and even appear to have names for each other [Dudok, A., Reichert, M., Grossman, S., & Slooten, E. (2002). Long-term social learning in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Nature, 419(6902), 519-521].

• Crows: Feathered Problem-Solvers - New Caledonian crows are exceptional tool users. They can manufacture tools from leaves and twigs to extract insects from difficult-to-reach places, demonstrating remarkable planning and foresight [Roper, T. J., & Clayton, M. (2001). A comparative analysis of parrot tool use: Tool fabrication, tool modification and tool transfer. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 356(1413), 703-711].

• Octopuses: The Invertebrates with Complex Brains - Octopuses, despite being invertebrates, exhibit stunning cognitive abilities. They can solve complex mazes, navigate through unfamiliar environments, and even outsmart predators by camouflaging themselves or squirting ink [Mather, J. A., & Leite, T. S. (2013). Insightful problem solving in an octopus (Octopus vulgaris). Journal of Experimental Biology, 216(Pt 8), 1629-1639].

Studying animal intelligence not only challenges our anthropocentric view of the world, but it also sheds light on the evolution of cognition and the various ways intelligence can manifest. Understanding how other animals think and solve problems can inspire new scientific discoveries and even lead to technological advancements inspired by the natural world [Emery, N. J. (2000). The evolution of cognitive capacity in birds. Current Biology, 10(16), R595-R607].

By appreciating the diverse forms of intelligence in the animal kingdom, we can foster a greater respect for all living creatures and gain valuable insights into our own cognitive abilities.