These 6 animals are probably more intelligent than us
We human beings take a lot of pride in our intelligence and boast of our ‘superiority’ over other creatures. However, the animal kingdom is full of smarter species, giving us, homo sapiens a tough competition in terms of intelligence, memory and other cognitive skills. Here is a list of some of the most intelligent animals on this planet.
Elephants
They are born with incredible memory. Elephants can remember ways to watering holes on a long stretch of terrain for many years. It has also been observed that they don’t forget any face after seeing it once.
Rats
A Harvard Review study reveals that despite being smaller and lesser complex in nature than human brain, the cerebral structure and functioning of rats are quite similar to us. They have an amazing memory of routes though their eyesight isn’t very powerful. Additionally, their problem-solving capacity has been found to be similar to that of dogs.
Crows
According to scientists, crows are as intelligent as a 7-year-old human child. They are not only able to remember human faces, but can also tell the difference between predatory and benign species. Crows have also been bound to change their migration route to avoid farms where their fellow members have been killed in the past. They are probably the only non-primates who can create new tools. While using sticks as hooks, crows have been found to bend wire to make a new tool. Cool and calculative, right?
Pigeons
Our impression of this cute bird with a rather clumsy walking stye and an apparently vacant gaze is actually quite different from what it actually is. Pigeons can memorise images, found a German study. For the research, scientists had shown them 725 random black-and-white images, one at a time. Later, they were able to distinguish between these images in an identification game.
Dogs
Why are dogs the best friends of human beings? Our furry friends are not only faithful and amazingly adorable, they are intelligent too. They have emotions, pick up tricks and sense what others feel. However, that’s not all. According to research, dogs are as intelligent as a two-year-old human child. It has been found that they can pick up 165 words including signals and gestures just like a toddler. Those with a higher IQ, can also learn 250 words. Scientists have also found that dogs can outsmart three-to-four-year-old human kids in basic arithmetic.
Pigs
Pigs and dogs have very similar cognitive capacity. According to a study published in the International Journal of Comparative Psychology, pigs are capable of understanding emotions, feeling empathy and solving puzzles too. It has been found that they can learn symbolic languages and make good friends.