Many people are mistaken, considering man to be the only rational being on Earth.
Although animals are not capable of performing complex calculations, there are a number of specific tasks that they can perform.
In this article, we will introduce you to living beings whose intelligence is much more developed than you thought.
The smartest animals
Squid is not for nothing that are considered one of the smartest animals on Earth. The structure of their brain is significantly different from the structure of other inhabitants of the ocean, since the brain of squid is close to human in its functions.
As well as people, squids are often very curious and able to master skills that will help them escape from boredom and protect themselves in case of danger.
These creatures seem to many people dangerous and even nasty, but at the same time they have developed intelligence, which significantly distinguishes them from other arthropods. According to research, spiders are able to successfully and quickly learn various skills.
Despite their tiny size, these insects are able to survive even in the harshest conditions that would destroy any other species. They congregate into large, cohesive groups that are carefully managed and coordinated, and also get food and build homes together.
The mental abilities of baboons are similar to those of chimpanzees and orangutans. Watching their behavior, it is easy to notice their striking similarity with people.
Numerous studies have revealed that baboons, unlike many other animals, are able to recognize stress and successfully cope with it. In addition, they create whole complex social systems and are able to think critically when faced with difficulties.
21. Sea lions
Studies show that despite the slightly ridiculous appearance, sea lions are able to think logically and even make simple conclusions from the situations provided to them.
Like chimpanzees, the intelligence of orangutans is manifested in their ability to imitate human actions.
It’s hard to believe, but they also have the amazing ability to learn such skills as cutting wood or using a hammer and nails to hold individual parts together. Orangutans are able to abstract from the outside world and, therefore, are much easier to adapt to even the most severe conditions than many other animals.
There is a compelling reason for which pigeons for thousands of years have been used by people for mail delivery, as well as at battle sites. Studies have shown that these birds are well oriented in space and are even able to memorize places and people throughout their lives.
Along with pigeons, ravens are the smartest birds in the world. They are capable of solving complex problems and do an excellent job with various difficulties encountered in the production of food or in gathering the resources they need.
It is assumed that sheep have the longest long-term memory among representatives of the entire animal world, and also some studies prove that sheep cope with some situations even more effectively than people.
For example, they can recognize that one of the sheep was lost in the herd. In addition, they are able to experience and express a wide range of emotions and respond to what is happening around.
These cute and interesting creatures are known for their unusual resourcefulness - they can form complex social relationships and find difficult ways to solve various problems. It is for amazing resourcefulness that when confronted with difficulties, raccoons got into this rating of the most intelligent animals in the world.
Horses are beautiful in all respects - they are beautiful, graceful and often are indispensable helpers for humans. They are used for riding, in the farm and many other important areas for humans.
In addition, the horses are very easily and quickly trained. They have an excellent memory and are able to perform complex commands even in stressful situations.
Besides the fact that these monkeys have, oddly enough, suicidal tendencies and are prone to aggression against each other, it is fair to note that they are very intelligent and resourceful animals that easily adapt to everything that happens.
These born hunters, like pigeons, were used to explore and send mail over long distances. All this was possible due to their unique ability to memorize details and follow commands.
People often underestimate rats, considering them dangerous and unpleasant, but at the same time, rats have high intelligence.
Hollywood has provided them with the reputation of the disgusting inhabitants of the sewers, and we often do not think that they are very intelligent and resourceful creatures. They have excellent memory and the ability to adapt to dramatically changing conditions.
Owls are considered to be wise birds and many people are sure that it is so. Yes, owls, of course, do not have the lowest intelligence and are even able to memorize some details, but often their mental abilities exaggerate. We placed them in this list only in 11th place in order to dispel stereotypes about the wisdom of these birds.
Top 10 most intelligent animals on the planet
The owners of these graceful and incredibly cute animals know firsthand that they do not have amazing hunting skills. They are agile, accurate and very sensitive.
Despite the fact that cats are not as easy to learn as dogs, they are extremely skillful and quickly learn new skills for them.
Although they are small, do not underestimate their mental abilities. Often, squirrels fall from the trees and fall under the machine, which is the basis for stereotypes about their intelligence, but the whole point is that the abilities of squirrels have a specific direction - collecting food.
When it comes to the search for food, the squirrels show amazing resourcefulness and tremendous memory - they are able to remember in the smallest detail the place where food is stored.
In relation to other living creatures, the brain of an elephant is much larger. But this is not so important, as the size of the brain does not affect the mind. It is important that elephants really have high intelligence by non-human standards.
These amazing animals can form complex social bonds and even experience empathy, i.e. feeling of empathy.
When it comes to invertebrates, it is worth noting that octopuses are the smartest of them. They are born hunters, using a clear and complex strategy for food extraction.
Along with many animals from this list, they possess fantastic skills in solving complex problems.
Despite the fact that their mental abilities vary depending on the breed, in general, dogs learn quickly, acquire new skills and successfully respond to human commands.
For example, dogs such as the Labrador Retriever, Border Collie and Poodle are very curious and can notice even the slightest changes in their environment. High emotional intelligence is exactly what has made dogs the best friends of man for centuries.
Many people know about whales only that they are the largest animals, but they have no idea about their intellect.
For communication and orientation in the herd, whales use certain complex sounds, each of which has its own meaning. These animals also perfectly solve the problems and problems.
It is no secret that these birds are able to imitate the human voice and even pronounce individual words. In addition, they have excellent memory and, like many living creatures on this list, can solve relatively complex tasks and adapt to their surroundings.
When it comes to the proportions of the body and the brain, it is fair to note that the brain of dolphins is one of the largest in comparison with the body among all representatives of the animal world.
These sea animals are famous for their amazing ability to communicate with the outside world and, incredibly, dolphins can even recognize themselves in the mirror.
According to research, the intelligence of a middle-aged pig can be compared with the intelligence of a three-year-old child. Pigs adapt easily to changes in the environment. This is due to their ability to easily acquire the skills they need.
The smartest animal on earth
In addition to the fact that these animals have certain external signs that are similar to humans, they are also able in many situations to act like humans. They can adjust the environment for themselves and help their fellows in solving various difficulties. Chimpanzees are considered the smartest among the primates, and by right they can be called the smartest animals on the planet.
10th place. Ants
Ants are among the most familiar to humans insects, which can be found everywhere. They are extremely interesting to watch. These tiny bugs are very hardworking and differ from other insects by their high working capacity and active life activity.
Ants are a social insect. It is rare to find a solitary ant far from its nest. Their social structure resembles a human one: insects have a queen, soldiers, workers and slaves. Working ants can carry a load 100 times greater than their own weight. Their number in one nest is tens of thousands. In addition to the workers, there are one or even several queens in the family.
Despite the fact that ants cannot speak, they are able to communicate with each other. When communicating with each other, they use all kinds of signals. This is mainly done by touching each other with a mustache, legs or head. And if the ant is disturbed, it assumes a defensive posture, rises high on its hind legs and directs the end of the abdomen forward. These insects began to work more than 50 million years before the appearance of human society.
9th place. Elephants
Elephants are the largest land mammals. They belong to the family of Elephantidae. Elephants have the largest brain in terms of terrestrial animals. Of course, this does not make them the most intelligent, but it gives the opportunity to enter the top 10 most intelligent animals of the planet.
Elephants have the ability to imitate all sorts of sounds. This property is often used in the hunt for food. Animals use their trunk as a multifunctional instrument, including as a musical instrument.
Elephants are easy to train. These animals have a very good memory that allows them to remember the resentment that people caused. They also have a wonderful visual memory and the ability to memorize the places of important events. This unique animal is very emotional. Elephants can rejoice, be sad, suffer and sympathize with their loved ones.
8th place. Pigs
The homeland of these animals are the African and Eurasian continents. As a result of numerous studies, scientists have proven that pigs are among the most intelligent and social animals.
Pigs can eat the same food as humans, and some foods they can use for medicinal purposes.
It is proved that the mind of this amazing animal can be compared with the mind of a three year old child. For communication with each other, they use about 20 types of sounds, have a good memory, and can easily find their home. The baby pig understands the sound that he wants to tell his mother.
7th place. Octopuses
Octopus - invertebrate marine animals. According to numerous studies, they use their mental abilities during the hunt. To avoid danger, these mollusks float a variety of options for protection against predatory fish. If any predator detects them, they immediately change the shape of their body and release dark ink.
Currently, there are about 300 species of octopus. A Spanish biologist who studies these cephalopods, says that sometimes, when people do not see, octopuses leave their aquarium, they get to the place where food is stored. There, a little refreshed, quietly come back.
Numerous studies by experts have shown that octopuses can build shelters for offspring and remember the complex "maps" of the surrounding landscape. These sea animals have an excellent memory for people, and in some cases they can seriously harm us.
6th place. Dogs
It is known that dogs are the best friends of a person, they are very intelligent and loyal to their owner. They are easy to train, they understand the commands well, they react to people and their feelings. Sadness, happiness, evil - dogs feel this all well.
Their ability to be devoted to their master cannot be compared with any other animals.
5th place. Dolphins
Dolphins are distinguished by their friendly nature, get along well with people and can even cure some diseases. These amazing sea animals are able to recognize themselves in the mirror, which once again proves how smart they are.
Dolphins have the largest brain in size. By studying their habits, abilities and habitat, scientists can unravel the many mysteries that are associated with the ocean. Dolphins are able to show all sorts of emotions: sad, happy. Even during sleep, only one part of their brain is sleeping, and the other is awake and ready to defend in case of danger.
4th place. Crows
Crows are the most intelligent of all birds (birds). The size of their brain can be compared with the thumb of a person, and if you take into account the dimensions of the crow itself, it is rather big. That is why they are in the top 10 most intelligent animals in the world.
Crows are loyal friends. In the event of injury of any of their pack, his relatives will take care of him and will not be left until full recovery. Crows are faithful spouses, faithful until death.
An interesting fact is that ravens can count. If this bird is offered a choice of two feeders with different numbers of bugs, then it will choose the one where there will be more. Crows love all kinds of entertainment and often arrange games among themselves. In addition, they are very thieving and cunning. As a result of observations of the crows, it was concluded that they are able to memorize and distinguish human faces.
3rd place. Rats
This animal is truly legendary. Long since rats cause people all possible conflicting feelings and emotions. This may be a surprise, and respect. But often - it is fear and disgust. The behavior of these animals causes the scientific interest of scientists in many countries, and mental abilities are the main thing that attracts everyone's attention.
Most of the facts indicate that they are close to man in their intellectual abilities. Many of the findings of scientists are controversial, but these rodents still have unique abilities, which are confirmed by many experiments. Not many people know the fact that rats are the only animals that can laugh. They are very afraid of tickling and react to it with laughter, which has a high ultrasonic tone.
Rats are very picky about food. If the rat tried the poisoned food but survived, it would not touch it anymore. If the column of rats is faced with a suspicious product, the old females will try it first. If they do not get poisoned, then everyone else will start eating.
Everyone knows that the rats are fleeing from a sinking ship, but military sailors-eyewitnesses said that the rats leave the ship 2-3 days before the military attack. They also run away from the military range before testing weapons.
The experiment conducted by scientists in 1987 is very interesting. Lab rats were given to listen to Mozart, hard rock and the sound of a fan. After that, they were launched into a cell, where they could turn on any of these records with the help of keys. Most chose Mozart, some heavy music, and none of the rats chose the sound of a fan. This experiment proves once again the mental abilities of these amazing animals.
2nd place. Parrots
The homeland of these beautiful and funny birds are subtropical and tropical regions. Many of us have seen parrots who repeat the words spoken to them, and even conversations. This suggests that parrots are intelligent birds. They can easily be taught to speak, if they repeat the same phrases several times.
Parrots are very fond of seeds, buds, fruits, nuts. It is very interesting to watch these amazing birds, especially when they look in the mirror, admiring their own reflection.
1 place. Chimpanzee
Monkeys are among the most intelligent animals on Earth. These amazing creatures are natives of Africa and South Sahara. Habits, communication with each other, ways of obtaining food make them very similar to people. In some cases, with the right approach and properly thought-out tactics of learning, they are able to learn the human language.
Animals are amazing creatures. It will take many more years for a person to learn the intellectual abilities of our smaller brothers. Already at the moment, a lot of research has been carried out, which absolutely precisely prove that animals are not stupid, helpless creatures, they feel emotions subtle, they can be compassionate and love.
And what is your favorite animal?
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20. Черепахи
Черепаха Тортилла в сказке Алексея Толстого не напрасно была олицетворением мудрости. Множество современных исследований подтверждают, что некоторые виды черепах обладают недюжинным интеллектом.
The turtles are trained, they easily find a way out of the maze, they can learn the skills of other turtles, they are well-mastered, they quickly stop being afraid of a person and feed from his hands.
19. Cephalopods
Cephalopods are the smartest of the mollusks. Many of them have the ability to mimicry, octopuses successfully pass the “look and remember” test and have excellent navigation abilities.
Squids live in flocks, and scientists have already made the assumption that they have their own codified language.
Bees are supermen among insects. They can be guided by the Sun, feel the Earth's electromagnetic field and remember visual objects. In addition, bees are social creatures. They know how to communicate with each other with the help of the so-called waggle dance.
17. Crocodiles
Scientists today admit that crocodiles are too demonized. American zoologist at the University of Tennessee, Vladimir Dinets, watched 10 years for crocodiles and came to the conclusion that they were, firstly, trained, and secondly playful.
There is a famous story when a crocodile lived with a man who cured him after being wounded until his death. He calmly swam with his friend in the pool, played with him, tried to scare him, allegedly attacking, and even allowed himself to be stroked, hugged and kissed in the face.
The sheep in the conventional wisdom are not far-away animals. However, modern research suggests that sheep have a good memory for faces, they are social animals and are capable of building relationships. Their main problem is fearfulness. They do not want to show their weakness so much that they do not complain of sores until it becomes impossible. Quite human.
We all know about pigeon mail. This kind of communication, which existed much longer than most modern ones, is based on the homing ability of pigeons - the instinct to return home. In Russian history, Princess Olga took advantage of this.
The brain of a pigeon is able to process and store huge amounts of information. Pigeons collect it using all their senses. The eyes of the pigeon are arranged so that they remember only the necessary information, cutting off all unnecessary. Pigeons have very sharp eyesight combined with a wonderful memory. This allows them to form a route based on visual impressions.
The horses are smart and cunning, they have a good memory. Akhal-Teke horses are monogamous. They serve one master all their lives.
All horses are trained. So, an Arabian horse never comes to your feet, and police breeds "Budenovtsy" and "Donchaki" train to disperse the crowd, so you should not expect delicacy from them.
13. Parrots
Everyone knows the ability of parrots to sound imitation, but parrots can not only have fun talking.
African gray parrot on its intellectual and emotional development can be compared with a 3-4 year old child. Parrots have a good memory, they are capable of empathy and emotion, they learn and have a rare acumen. So, parrots living in the wild, put nuts under the wheels of cars so that they split them.
What is interesting: parrots continue to develop, and their ability for analytical thinking is increasing.
12. Seals
Seals are not only cute, but also very smart. They are trainable, easy to train. Seals have a great built-in navigation system. Despite the fact that they are schooling animals, fur seals go hunting alone and show individualism in general.
Raccoons today in trend. These intelligent sociable animals have a wondrous acumen. In order to get food, they are able to solve logical “multiple moves” and actively use tools to, for example, open a trash can. They are able to remember the solution of the problem for three years.
Crows can memorize and distinguish not only the volume and weight of an object, but also the material, and which it is made. So, the crows will never put a piece of wood in a vessel to raise the water level, and put a stone.
Raven is not in vain called "feathered primates" - they know how to use a mirror and a digging stick
Jays - Einsteins of the bird world. Like all corvids, they have a phenomenal ability to memorize and imitate sounds. When the jays hide the food, they do it very cleverly, and then, if their hiding place is found, they can spy on the thief. This led scientists to conclude that jays are able to put themselves in a strange place, look at the situation with other people's eyes - the eyes of a potential thief. This is a rare property in the animal world.
If you go to the forest to feed the squirrels now, you can see that the squirrels themselves will hardly be eaten - they will harvest food for the winter, hiding it in caches. The memory of squirrels is very good. They remember all the thousands of their bookmarks for two whole months.
Squirrels are excellent thieves, and they can not only run / grab / run, but also wait and predict the behavior of a potential victim of a raid.
Squirrels are cunning. If they see a threat, they can portray that they are digging in a treasure in one place, and then hide it.
Another academic Pavlov noted that "the pig is the most nervous animals around us." Pigs are intelligent and cunning animals. The hunters say: “If you go to a bear, prepare the bed, go to the boar — prepare the coffin”. A boar will never catch the same bait, these wild pigs have good analytical skills. Domestic pigs are purists in their daily routine. Especially quickly they remember the time of feeding.
Rats are one of the smartest animals. Rats, like us, have dreams, with each other they communicate in the ultrasonic range so as not to be heard by predators. In this case, rats are able to suddenly change the frequency of the signals.
In rats - the richest vocabulary of screams with special meanings. Rat - the only mammal, except for a man who knows how to laugh. Recently, scientists have found in rats reaction to ridiculous situations.
Rats, as you know, are not loners. They know how to build a hierarchy in their society. The experiments conducted by Didier Desor, scientists from the laboratory of behavioral biology at the University of Nancy, showed that the exploiters had the greatest brain degradation as a result of stress - they were afraid of losing power.
Domestic cats are able to express their feelings with the help of facial expressions, gaze, movements, to accurately identify the intonations of a person, and even to imitate them. Cats have a better memory than dogs. Cats have their own language. If the cat is on the street, she adjoins the pack. They have a strict hierarchy and distribution of duties. Some researchers consider such flocks to be a sign of secondary savagery, that is, returning to a wild state.
Dog intelligence is a scientifically proven fact. These animals are trained, they have a good memory. Recent studies confirm that the dog is a very reasonable friend of man.
Scientists at Harvard University, USA, who worked under the direction of Professor Mark Hauser, proved that dogs are able to “parody” the facial expressions and gestures of a person. They echo the scientists of the Vienna University of Psychology, who published the results of research in the journal Current Biology, making sure of the ability of these animals to "selective imitation."
Balls in the novel Bulgakov said: "Well, I do not understand, or what? Cat - is another matter. Elephants are useful animals. ” In some ways he was right: in applied terms, the elephant is really more useful than a cat. They have been faithful helpers of man for many centuries.
Aristotle echoes Polygraph Paligrafovich: "The elephant is an animal that surpasses all others in wit and intelligence." Elephants have a really good memory and a flexible mind. They even proved capable of learning human language. An elephant named Koshik, who lives in Asia, learned to imitate human speech, or rather, five words: annyong (hello), anja (sit), aniya (no), nuo (lie) and choah (good).
When we say “whales”, we mean whales, dolphins, and orcas. This is one of the smartest representatives of the fauna. Much has been written about their abilities and superpowers.
In captivity, whales can even learn to imitate human speech. They imitate it, sharply increasing the pressure in their nasal cavities and causing the sonic lips to vibrate.
The ability of cetaceans is already recognized at the state level: in India this year dolphins were recognized as personalities and banned dolphinariums.
Man and monkey have a genetic similarity of about 98%. We put the monkeys in the first place of our rating. Their learnability is astounding, their memory and intellectual abilities have amazed scientists for many years.
Monkeys have learned to live with a person, steal from him, cheat. In India, the langurs of Chanuman, the temple monkeys, are recognized as one of the sacred animals. They are famous for their ability to steal everything they liked. Nothing can be done about it - the Langurs are untouchable.
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Here much is said about the mind of animals, so know:
All forms of living are characterized by care for the offspring, but only to species with high intellectual
the makings and moral beginnings is given to remember ancestors and take care of parents.
Thus, not only the biological, but also the intellectual continuity of generations is achieved.
And when they begin to talk about the intelligence there ants, or dolphins, or orangutans, or someone else,
then notice that none of them cares about their parents, but does not distinguish them from others after maturation. In this search for their intelligence may end.
Irina, a good argument and another evidence that moral values develop in the process of evolution, and are not the prerogative of man, distinguishing him from animals and "coming down from above" in the form of religious precepts. Thank you - scream and keep myself.
I agree with you that the level of development is determined by the development of all spiritual qualities in a community, however, I ask you not to equate the concepts of “intellect” and “moral values”. The first is only a tool for solving problems, the second is qualities that are available when there is a culture. For example, artificial intelligence predominates human productivity, but is not able to be guided by spiritual categories, since not able to experience feelings.
