The 10 smartest animals in existence

Here are ten of the smartest and most cognitively complex animals.

Intelligence is a very difficult term to define. In simple terms, it can be described as the ability to solve problems and adapt to life.

No one would doubt that, within the animal kingdom, human beings have stood out from other species due to a greater development of their cognitive and social abilities. This fact sometimes causes people to think that other animals are inferior in intelligence, a belief that is erroneous.

Psychic ability in animals is also a difficult value to measure, so making a list of the most intelligent animals in the world is somewhat complicated.

A multitude of criteria can be used, such as, for example, the ability to learn in captivity, understanding and use of language, and the learning in captivity, the understanding and use of language, or the ability to or the ability to plan an action or abstract concepts. These ideas go far beyond the simple problem-solving ability mentioned at the beginning of the text.

It is the insect with the largest brain mass in existence. The ant is an intelligent, methodical and strategic invertebrate. Their social organization is very complex, with hierarchiesFor example, they have scouts to reconnoiter the terrain.

Ants are capable of cultivate mushrooms or raise other invertebrates as food, in addition to as food, as well as fighting a coordinated battle to defend their territory.

9. The dog

"Man's best friend" is a species that has evolved in favor of human interests, but that does not mean that they are not intelligent beings. In addition to being faithful friends, dogs are able to understand human language. able to understand human language.oThey are also capable of understanding human language, empathizing with other beings and applying logic to achieve their goals.

8. The gray parrot

The gray parrot is a bird that is not only able to imitate the sounds of human language, but also to apply it in context, that is, to understand its meaning.

Among the case studies the parrot Axel, who lived for thirty years (from 1977 to 2007) and was trained by comparative psychologist Irene Pepperberg.who lived for thirty years (from 1977 to 2007), and was trained by comparative psychologist Irene Pepperberg. As she herself remarked, she was able to communicate with the animal.

7. The rat

Despite being an animal that for many is unpleasant, for scientists it is very similar to humans, and proof of this is its great use in experiments. These rodents are highly sociable and work together for the good of the group.

Rats are able to plan and apply logic to problem solving. problem solving. Some studies reveal that they are also sensitive animals, showing stress or remorse.

6. The crow

The crow is considered by many scientists to be the most intelligent bird. They are social animals that form flocks.

In New Caledonia, it was found that crows use tools such as knives to cut and that they throw nuts on the road waiting for a car to drive over them and break them. This means that they are capable of finding ways to solve problems.

5. The octopus

The octopus is the most intelligent invertebrate that exists. They are solitary creatures, but they are able to recognize their environment and memorize in the long term what they have what they have discovered. Their nervous system is complex, and the curious thing is that only a third of their neurons are located in the brain: the rest are distributed throughout the tentacles.

Their mimicry and camouflage abilities do not go unnoticed either, and they are known to be great escape artists.

4. The elephant

The elephant is the land animal with the largest brain and has advanced cognitive abilities. For example, they are altruistic, i.e., they sacrifice themselves for the good of the herd, self-medicate when sick (feeding on different plants depending on the disease) or perform funeral rituals (march to a "cemetery").

Their social organization is one of the most complex in the animal kingdom, with very intimate social relationships and family ties that are only broken at death. In captivity, they are fast learners, have a long memory and have even shown themselves to be creative - remember the elephant that painted pictures.

3. The pig

I'm sure that many people think that the pig is a not very neat and intelligent animal. Well, the truth is that it is probably the cleanest domestic animal: pigs refuse to defecate in areas close to where they live or eat.

Pigs have a high level of intelligence. There are many studies on the cognitive abilities of pigs, which show that they have a good long-term memory. good long-term memory, learn quicklyThey learn quickly, have complex social interactions and show empathy. Some texts even suggest that pigs may have a higher level of intelligence than chimpanzees.

2. The bottlenose dolphin

Its fame precedes it; the bottlenose dolphin is popularly known as an intelligent cetacean. Their brains are much larger than human brains, they have mastered a complex complex language of sounds and have very intimate social relationships, especially between mother and offspring.

Many studies support their cognitive abilities; for example, they are highly curious and are able to recognize themselves when they see themselves in a mirror, i.e., they have self-awareness.

1. The great apes

The great apes are the closest siblings to humans. This group is composed of gorillas, orangutans, bonobos and chimpanzees. It is likely that because of this proximity there is a great interest in the study of their characteristics, including their cognitive abilities.