People like to think that they are the smartest thing on the Earth. While people are technically the smartest creatures on the planet, there are many animals who give them a run for their money. Many of these animals would surprise the average person with their intelligence. For example, there exists a bird that drops nuts in front of car tires at stop lights so that the car will break the nut shell and leave the inside to eat. There is a creature with no backbone that can actually run mazes. Some animals are too smart for their own good.
Octopi can figure out puzzles and camouflage themselves
Many people staring down at a piece of octopus in their Asian dish would be surprised to know that octopi have been shown to be the smartest invertebrate in the world. According to the Slate website, octopi can run mazes, figure out puzzles and can even count as high as four. One study showed an octopus given a sealed, clear glass tube with food inside. The octopus examined the tube, handled it for awhile and then unscrewed the top of the tube to retrieve the food.
An octopus running a maze will also improve his time and his ability at going through the maze if he repeats the maze. This indicates that octopi have memories and learn from mistakes. Some octopi also learn how to mimic the behavior and looks of other sea creatures to help themselves blend in with their surroundings.
Crows are much smarter than they seem
Crows are one of the smartest birds on the planet. According to the MSNBC website, the University of Oxford has found that crows make tools using twigs and other natural objects including their feathers. They use these twigs to snatch grubs and other pieces of food from inaccessible areas, such as in a tree. They also mention a crow named Betty using a wire that she bent to get food out of a long plastic tube.
Crows learn their tool making methods by watching their parents create tools. Although part of their tool making ability is instinct, the fact that they observe their parents and learn from them indicates a much higher level of intelligence than is normally expected in birds. Ravens are even smarter, as they have a complex social structure, including giving protection to weaker birds.
Man’s best friend is also the thinking man’s pet
Dog’s are one of the most popular pets in the world. Studies show this probably has a lot to do with their intelligence. According to the Crunkish website, dogs are capable of learning dozens of tricks, which has little to do with basic obedience and a lot to do with raw intelligence. They can differentiate between the commands in a way that indicates they aren’t just following orders. They can actually differentiate between pictures of dogs and pictures of other non-dog objects.
Dogs also seem to indicate emotions, such as love, jealousy and playfulness. Although many scientists state that dogs lick simply to get salt, dogs have been shown to adapt to the mood of their owners. For example, a crying person may suddenly find his dog in his lap, licking away his tears. Dogs also get jealous of the attention another dog or a baby gets from the family. And while playing is often an instinctual way for dogs to learn behaviors, the simple fact that dogs can and do play for fun indicates high intelligence.
Pigs aren’t stinkers when it comes to intelligence
Pigs get a bad rap from the world at large. A smelly or messy person is referred to as a “pig” when the truth about pigs indicates that they are actually one of the cleanest of all domesticated animals. The only reason pigs roll around in mud is because they have no sweat glands to keep their bodies cool. According to the New York Times website, pigs were trained to move a computer cursor using their nose. They could differentiate between different pictures and remembered the pictures for long periods of time. In fact, many experts believe that pigs are smarter than cats or dogs.
Pigs also make very loving and doting pets and show great love and emotion for their owners. In fact, pigs kept in slaughterhouses often become upset and depressed and turn to inflicting pain on themselves and other pigs in order to alleviate their depression.
Dolphins are likely the smartest of all underwater creatures
People have long known that dolphins are highly intelligent. For example, the show “Flipper” revolved around a dolphin that could regularly outsmart human villains. However, According to the Sunday Times website, some scientists are actually considering calling dolphins “non-human people.” Dolphins are highly social creatures that have a highly developed love and care for their children and weaker dolphins. They also recognize themselves in a mirror, something that only humans and higher apes can do.
Each dolphin has its own particular personality and they have been found to show planning, initiative and even cunning. For example, a dolphin in a water park brought a piece of paper out of the pool and was rewarded with a fish. Later, he found a large piece of paper but hid it under a rock. He tore small pieces of paper off that larger piece and brought them to the surface, receiving a fish each time.
Conclusion
There are many more animals that rival these creatures in intelligence. For example, chimps share 98% of the human genome, making them one of our closest relatives. They have shown the ability to make tools, to hunt in groups, hold wars against rival chimp tribes, are emotional and protective of their children, recognize themselves in mirrors and even have primitive social structures. Most animals possess some form of intelligence and its foolish to deny that.
Sources
Zimmer, Carl. "How Smart is the Octopus?" Slate.com. June 23rd, 2008. Read it here.
"The 10 Smartest Animals." MSNBC.com. Read it here.
"Top Ten Most Intelligent Animals in the World." Crunkish.com. January 23rd, 2008. Read it here.
Angier, Natalie. "Pigs Prove to Be Smart, if Not Vain." New York Times.com. November 9th, 2009. Read it here.
Leake, Jonathan. "Scientists Say Dolphins Should Be Treated as 'Non-Human Persons.'" The Sunday Times. January 3rd, 2010. Read it here.
Eric Benac - I hold an MA in Writing from Northern Michigan University in Marquette as well as a Bachelor's in English from the same institution as ...
