Options
Animal intelligence
Keyser_Soze1
Posts: 25,182
Forum Member
✭✭✭
I think it is fair to say that consciousness is a matter of degree rather than a fundamental difference between us and other animals.
Corvids and Parrots for example.
http://time.com/42068/crows-intelligence-animals/
http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Me-Scientist-Discovered-Intelligence/dp/0061673986
Cetaceans, Cephalopods, Birds, Reptiles (Monitor lizards can count and the magnificent Komodo Dragon may be the smartest of the lot).
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/6474/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBRnMeium9Y
The list just keeps getting longer the more we study.
Stomatopods (the incredible Mantis Shrimps with the best eyesight and weapons in the animal kingdom) and Jumping spiders of the genus Portia are also very good examples of high cognition in unexpected places.
The web is full of excellent videos on this very subject.
I think a lot of people will be surprised.
Forget all about your bloody cats and dogs.
Corvids and Parrots for example.
http://time.com/42068/crows-intelligence-animals/
http://www.amazon.com/Alex-Me-Scientist-Discovered-Intelligence/dp/0061673986
Cetaceans, Cephalopods, Birds, Reptiles (Monitor lizards can count and the magnificent Komodo Dragon may be the smartest of the lot).
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/6474/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBRnMeium9Y
The list just keeps getting longer the more we study.
Stomatopods (the incredible Mantis Shrimps with the best eyesight and weapons in the animal kingdom) and Jumping spiders of the genus Portia are also very good examples of high cognition in unexpected places.
The web is full of excellent videos on this very subject.
I think a lot of people will be surprised.
Forget all about your bloody cats and dogs.
2
Comments
Thank you, I am just glad that someone replied at last!
Corvids have long been renowned for their intelligence and adaptability. For years, countrymen have claimed that they can tell the difference between a shotgun and any other long implement, like a walking stick. Maybe they were right.
I remember seeing film of a crow being faced with a fairly complex puzzle which it had to solve in order to be able to get at some food. The impressive thing was that it didn't use trial and error. It solved the problem by looking at it, and figuring out what to do, so it got it right first time! (I remember thinking to myself at the time that I knew a few people who'd have struggled! )
There was a three part documentary with Chris Packham that was pretty good on this very subject.
'Inside the Animal Mind'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8oUU4RCRzzc
'The Problem Solvers' (episode 2) - showed New Caledonian Crows solving the most complex puzzle that any animal has ever attempted - and this is probably just the tip of the iceberg.
I just love the fact that you can look out of the window and see one of the most intelligent animals on earth in your back garden. ^_^
Corvids are truly remarkable, and so are Parrots.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62rXKjXgr60
http://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/monkey-planet-watch-incredible-video-3420033
We are many light years ahead of even the most intelligent.
I do often stare at one of my three cats who I deem the most intelligent and wonder what it is thinking. Obviously it has thoughts, presumably consisting of visual memories and basic associations with what works and what doesn't, but its inability to communicate with anything, including me, holds her back. I wonder if she finds that frustrating
Our use of Language, a fully opposable thumb and the precision grip.
However -
"For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed that he was more intelligent than dolphins because he had achieved so much - the wheel, New York, wars and so on - whilst all the dolphins had ever done was muck about in the water having a good time. But conversely, the dolphins had always believed that they were far more intelligent than man - for precisely the same reasons."
Humans have only started advancing quickly in the last couple of thousand years.
Before that we stagnated just like the rest of the animals.
For any species to advance like us they will 1st need to communicate with language, which some already do.
But when only passing on information by word of mouth the effect is limited, it was only when humans started writing that we truly evolved at blistering pace.
Now any human can call upon the knowledge and wisdom of the billions that went before us.
We are only as smart as we are because we have the time and resources to learn.
But other species of animals will one day evolve like we have, if we don't kill them all 1st.
Take a look at these chimps, they already have far greater short term memory than humans.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz7ShiQqLQg
http://www.cracked.com/article_19042_6-terrifying-ways-crows-are-way-smarter-than-you-think.html
I hope so. I'd love to chat to my cat ;-)
They are just fantastic!
And they really know how to have fun! :D:D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_H-WYOmej8o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOmgGh-OvCI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WQd9kuXpUYU
Monkey Planet's on tonight, BBC1 9pm.
Cool thread Keyser, loved the links in your OP.
I can picture the scene...
-Hello Mr Tiddles, how are you today oh love of my life? Looking cute as ever.
-Shut-up foolish human and get me my food!
Thank you very much Deb Arckle. ^_^
That video always makes me laugh.
Corvids frequently make dogs and cats look like total fools!
I would go so far as to say they have a malicious sense of humour. :D:D
Way back to at least the ancient Greeks - Aesops fable about the Crow and the pitcher.
And it seems they haven't got any dumber since - Rook raises water level with stones
I forgot to posts links on that.
Thanks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGaUM_OngaY
http://phys.org/news/2014-03-crows-basic-aesop-fable-task.html
I find it quite incredible and I very much doubt the average toddler could ever work the problem out.
There are several books on Corvid intelligence although I have not read them yet. This is a link to one of the most recent. ^_^
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1439198748/ref=rdr_ext_tmb
If you tried it with average the toddler around here, I'd put money on them eating the stones!
Brilliant.
Although I expect most of the adults on Jeremy Kyle would be totally baffled as well. ;-)
NOT dismissing cats and dogs though!;-)