Animal Intelligence

Note: By preoccupation with a concision, this article does not treat intelligence of the human beings, although they are them also intelligent animals. For a specific article on the human intelligence, to see Intelligence. ----

The Intelligence of the animals is a fundamental subject which gave place to many work; to study the animal intelligence in particular makes it possible to propose in return a definition of the human intelligence. This stake alone is already considerable.

Several creatures were dissociated by their intellectual capacities. Large monkeys, dolphins, corbels and the elephants, which can be recognized in a mirror, the corvidés Chimpanzé S and which manufactures tools, the Perroquets which can hold a structured conversation, include/understand the concept of zero and communicate with more than 800 words, the elephants which have a singular behavior vis-a-vis the dead elephants and the Cétacés with the so complex language. Other animals the such Rat S, the Pig S and the Pieuvre S have surprised the researchers by their capacity of Raisonnement.

Certain animals eusociaux like the social insects, with the limited individual intelligence form companies capable of intelligent adaptation of which none of these members alone could make proof. One speaks in this case about collective Intelligence.

Behaviors

Here some behaviors which are indices of the intelligence of an animal:

Self-awareness
“funeral rite”
Empathie not involved
Use of Tool S
Language complex. (see Zoosémiotique)
Long memory
Capacity to foresee the consequences of an event

Tests

One of the most used tests to check the intelligence of an animal is the Test of the mirror, which consists in placing the animal to be tested only in front of a mirror to see whether it " reconnaît" , if it is aware of itself. With this intention, one makes a mark of painting on the animal at a place where it cannot be observed itself, for example on the face for a chimpanzee. Then, the behavior of the animal is observed: if it tackles its reflection or flees it, it is sign which it does not include/understand which it is him that it sees in the mirror and not another animal. On the other hand, if it tries to know what there is behind the mirror, if it touches the mark of painting with insistence and if he inspects various other parts of his body which he cannot observe by itself, it is sign which he includes/understands that it is him that he sees in the mirror, and thus that proves that he is aware of itself. To date, only the large monkeys, the Dolphin and the elephant passed successfully the test of the mirror. The first tests made with the large monkeys were not conclusive because the researchers placed the camera opposite the animal. However, the large monkeys hate to look themselves in the eyes. They thus diverted the glance of the screen. If the camera on side is placed, the large monkey recognizes itself easily.

Animals famous for their intelligence

Mammals

Large monkeys

Examples of large monkeys recognized for their intelligence:

Koko : gorilla
Kanzi: bonobo
Washoe : chimpanzee
Nim Chimsky: chimpanzee

Elephant S

The elephants have a very good memory and make a success of the test of the mirror. They express moreover one certain fascination for their deaths, triturating souvant the pieces of bone of elephants which they find and meeting around their corpses. These " rites mortuaires" partly inspired the completely unfounded myth of the Cimetière of the elephants.

Cetacea S

The Cetacea have an extremely complex language and certain communities of Cetacea are transmitted behaviors from generation to generation, behaviors which one does not find at the other groups of the same species. It is for example the case for certain techniques of hunting of the Orque S and the humpback whales. It is also known that the Dauphin S passed successfully the test of the mirror.

Examples of Cetacea recognized for their intelligence:

Phoenix the Dolphin star: Dolphin

Horses

Examples of horses recognized for their intelligence:

Hans malignant the: Horse

Rat S

The rats are apparamment capable of transitive inference but unable of retrospective inference. They can show métacognition, learn quickly and have a good memory.

Birds

Corvidés

Corvidés can test empathy and lie, moreover they can manufacture tools, contrary to much of other intelligent animals which are satisfied to use the available resources as tools, without seeking to modify them (For example, to twist a brushwood to make a hook instead of wasting of it its time to try to find of them one already twisted in the good manners…). Moreover, in spite of the abundance of ends of wood and stems in their environment, corvidés transport their tools, note the researchers, which suggests that they prefer to keep a good tool to seek another of them…

Parrot S

The intelligence of the parrot, its extreme sensitivity explain the gravity of the sufferings which it endures when it is captured in its natural habitat to be transported thousands of kilometers further under often deplorable conditions (the animals often have after-effects and there is a strong mortality caused by the capture and the voyage) for finally being resold with private individuals in animaleries. Endowed with an excellent memory, it calls by their name the various members of a family. It is as that which in India a stolen parrot could be restored with its legitimate owners that he had recognized . Certain parrots can assimilate more than 800 different words. It is one of the only animals (with the Mainate S) to being able to be expressed in the same language as the human ones. This capacity largely facilitates the communication interespèce and the evaluation of the intelligence of the parrots.

Examples of parrots recognized for their intelligence:

Alex the parrot
kisi

Chronology

2007

One discovers that the rat can show Métacognition, as well as the monkeys, the dolphins and the human being.
One discovers that the fish (nottament the labre S) can show transitive Inférence.

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