These amazing creatures share our planet, but despite our beliefs, their lives remain a great mystery. Humans are considered the most intelligent creatures on Earth. But are we mistaken, or perhaps we simply don't know our neighbors well enough?
Our smaller brothers and sisters never cease to amaze scientists with their intelligence: some can easily navigate mazes, while others can solve math problems. Identifying the smartest animals is no easy task, as they all demonstrate different abilities. But those discussed in this article make no secret of their intellectual prowess.
Chimpanzee
Chimpanzees top various rankings. They master various tasks with ease: they memorize sequences of numbers and demonstrate remarkable intelligence in achieving their goals. They use simple tools—didn't they teach us in school about the role of sticks in the process of ape-to-human transformation?
We are very similar; 99% of chimpanzee DNA sequences are identical to humans. They also possess empathy and are able to express their emotions through gestures and facial expressions.
Crow
These amazing birds, according to scientists, have the intelligence of five-year-old children. They also easily solve logical problems, can recognize people by their faces, and are even talented at hiding food, you never know…
Crows have a remarkable sense of humor and a love of fun. Sometimes they pit cats against each other and then watch the battles. Or they'll slide off a roof, using a suitable object as a sled. They're familiar with gravity: they can crack a nut by dropping it from a height, and they're also adept at understanding surfaces, knowing the difference between asphalt and soft sand.
They also imitate human speech, so if you want, you can always find someone to talk to in their face.
Octopus
This amazing animal shatters our understanding of the role of the nervous system in thinking. It's well known that octopuses lack a central nervous system, without which, physiologists claim, thinking is impossible. Tell that to an octopus, finding its way out of the most complex maze and casting a wry glance at the latest explorer.
Elephant
Considering an elephant's brain weighs 5 kg, this isn't surprising. Elephants are capable of experiencing a full range of emotions: grief, melancholy, joy, and playfulness. They form genuine bonds; deceased elephants are given proper funerals and remember their burial site even years later.
Elephants have creative and abstract thinking. They are able to work in teams, use tools and even heal each other.
Pig
Looking for someone to play a computer game with? Get a pig. It turns out pigs are quite capable of keeping you company. They're quite skilled with a joystick, but you'll need one specially designed for them by researchers at Penn State.
Pigs are considered smarter than many other animals, even dogs; their intelligence is equivalent to that of a three-year-old child. They are very curious, perceptive, and sociable. They also have a keen sense of time.
True, the piglet has a nervous nature: it only takes a loud noise to frighten it. Academician I. P. Pavlov once said:
The most nervous animal around us is the pig.
We once called ourselves “the crowns of nature,” but is that really true? Perhaps we simply don't pay close enough attention to those around us.
