Which is the most 'intelligent' animal, in your opinion?

[Sayonara]

The ant and its colony! A single ant has 250,000 brain cells. Humans have 10,000 million, and 35,000-40,000 ants has the potential as a colony to match the human brain. A colony of ants functions in unison. Ants are social insects capable of problem solving. The Slave Maker ant (Polyergus rufescens) actually raids the nests of other colonies stealing the pupae. The stolen pupae then hatch and work as slaves within the slave maker colony. Ants are found on every inhabitable landmass on the planet. In respect to an Ants size and weight, if a man was to run as fast as an Ant he would be as fast as a racehorse. Ants can lift 20 times their body weight. Talk about a well adapted creature.

 

It's not the number of brain cells in the human brain that helps makes us intelligent; it's the connections between them all. For the analogy to work with ant colony size, each ant in the colony would have to be capable of communicating with every other ant in that colony.

 

Even if they did, I doubt they'd say much of any great use: the content of the information transfered is going to be very basic. Chemical signals and touch provoke ant behaviours: not learned through personal experience, but hard-wired through natural selection.

 

Awesome little guys, sure. But calling them intelligent is a real stretch, even if you're talking about a colony as a whole.

BUT bats can use echolocation and we cannot is this because they are more intelligent than us or not ? Bats have probably adapted to use echolocation because of adaptation.

 

As a side note, yes we do. What we don't do is emit noises dedicated to that purpose.

[Titan1290]

Oh I thought humans could only learn to echolocate this is why it can happen with blind people. Point I was making is that some animal doing something special and better than us doens't prove it is more intelligent than us maybe I didn't pick the best example Sayonara.

[petrushka.googol]

I say all animals possess innate intelligence.

 

(On an average the greatest deviation from the mean comes from oops....homo sapiens).

 

Personally I prefer the ant / termite / bee.

 

They work like modern software development companies. They work in teams, delegate tasks and most importantly, are never afraid to take on an additional workload.

 

They are the "Google" of the phylum arthropoda.

[Ultermarto]

Humans of course. There are few ways of defining 'intelligent' that confront this. We have by far the post complex behavior, the most intricate brains, the most diverse skills, the greatest capacity to learn and reason. What is it with this sort of post-modern human modesty in which some people are determined to downgrade human intelligence and upgrade that of animals? Though I see why you'd want people to keep in mind the fact that we still are animals and, in particular, apes.

[arc]

I say all animals possess innate intelligence.

 

(On an average the greatest deviation from the mean comes from oops....homo sapiens).

 

Personally I prefer the ant / termite / bee.

 

They work like modern software development companies. They work in teams, delegate tasks and most importantly, are never afraid to take on an additional workload.

 

They are the "Google" of the phylum arthropoda.

 

I would compare these insect's work habits to the machines we now currently use in exploring our deep ocean and the surface of Mars. And in the future what we will likely employ to dangerous or inaccessible work environments such as the deep oceans, underground environments and of course the surfaces of the moons and other planets of our solar neighborhood. These colonized insects rely on a basic model of a delegation of work of an incredible efficiency. Using minimal specialization these insects show that evolution can instill within a species an organizational pattern that is recognizable to us as clever or even intelligent.

 

This observed "colony" intelligence is actually the result of evolution removing the uncounted inefficiencies that are observed in larger species such as humans. We would act similarly to a strong instinctual programming overriding a minimal IQ that results in no noticeable individuality or personality to conflict with the needs of the group as a whole. A chemical based directive and response communication integrated into the individuals instinctual programming provides a colony wide uniformity and cooperation that requires in our species a sizable planning and effort regime to match.

 

Our species past and present cooperative efforts required in us much conscious trial and error to achieve in comparison to what nature through evolution produced without the ant's, bee's or termites conscious awareness.

Edited November 4, 2013 by arc

[overtone]

 

 

But a crow is the smartest by weight.

Crows are made of light stuff, but I think maybe a hummingbird could give them a good run in the mental capability per gram of organism category.

 

It's easier for very large organisms to carry a bit of excess brain matter that can be turned to whimsy - the impressive contest is bang for the buck, processing capability per volume, extent, or mass. My guess is some bird wins that one - either at the very small end (hummingbird) or the very large and long-lived and social end (ravens, large parrots).

 

Octopods don't usually live long enough or in complex enough societies to reward the upper ends of mental capability. It there is a long-lived octopus that lives in colonies or in a large territory of some very complex environment, especially if it feeds on a variety of different prey or foodstuffs, I would like to see the intelligence test results.

[arc]

I would like to see the intelligence test results.

 

That is the difficult part. Parrots and crows have been observed by humans for so long that its just common knowledge that they are quite different and smarter than the average bird. It is what attracted humans to parrots in the first place, and during which time crows have been testing our ancestors since our earliest beginnings. I wonder how many times a crow has stole some food or a shiny trinket out of a pocket or purse since those first encounters. Other birds do not seem to improvise, they have what innate abilities nature has given and that's it.

 

The video of post #164 shows remarkable inventiveness, I have not seen that in any other birds. I have not seen very much study on hummingbirds, if given a challenge to their feeding habits will they improvise an alternative approach or just move on to more favorable circumstances?

 

The birds we collect seem to be for one specific purpose based on our needs. Chickens, turkeys, falcons, parrots, pigeons, and some others to a lesser degree, were chosen primarily for one particular use that they provide to us, some for food, some for sport and some even for companionship. It is revealing too, that a person who is an easy target is referred to as a pigeon while a coward is a chicken, and well, we do not even need to elaborate about the hominid turkeys.

Edited November 5, 2013 by arc

[Moontanman]

There are no social cephalopods but octopus are amazing good at problem solving especially when you consider they come up with their solutions by themselves with no social or historical connection with any other octopus.

 

If you use brain size as a standard then mormyrids are brainier than humans, I have kept them in groups and they do interact with each other.

 

The problem is that we are defining intelligence in comparison to us, one data point does not a curve make...

[arc]

There are no social cephalopods but octopus are amazing good at problem solving especially when you consider they come up with their solutions by themselves with no social or historical connection with any other octopus.

 

If you use brain size as a standard then mormyrids are brainier than humans, I have kept them in groups and they do interact with each other.

 

The problem is that we are defining intelligence in comparison to us, one data point does not a curve make...

 

I just caught a portion of a show on giant squids and the narrator commented that the 1000 lb 30 ft squid just brought in on a trawlers drag lines was only approximately a year old. That is a shocking growth rate. That would seem to be not enough time to learn everything needed to survive as such a large meal for all the possible predators. Could these creatures possess the intelligence of an octopus, a higher intelligence may be the alternative to the smaller but highly instinctual brain that seems more common in most other none mammalian sea life. Instinct vs intelligence, it seems the imaginative problem solving mind is more of rarity in the ocean than it is on land.

[ViolaSheen]

I would say definitely from the class of primates. ui think the chimpanzee is the most cleverest of all animalos. You should see a few of Jane Goodall's documentary to see what I mean or you could read a couple of articles form this site: http://www.researchomatic.com/essay/nature/. Chimpavzee's can be made to learn to do a ariety of things and can even be thought to solve problems on their own!

[danston]

Depends.

 

I think humans are merely at the top of the scale. It's a spectrum and not absolutes.

[fresh]

vote for chimp.

Did you notice male chimps sometimes are attracted to women. Odd ?

[iNow]

A light-hearted video with some examples:

 

[Popcorn Sutton]

Believe it or not, I think I've heard dogs using language on several occasions.

 

My criteria for making a dog able to learn language is that they're best suited to learn it with a sibling of the same age.

 

When they use language, they most likely whisper. I've heard dogs whispering amongst themselves when they didn't realize that I was there. Another time, I asked a dog if it can speak English, and it whispered "yes."

 

Call me crazy, but I believe it.

[Blueshift]

Don't leave out Dolphins. I believe there was a few tests years ago showing that Dolphins recognized themselves in mirrors. If you've ever seen Cats or Dogs look at their reflection, they tend to think its a new playmate or threat.

[Rajnish Kaushik]

monkey species or more specifically chimpanzees

[CharonY]

They are great apes (like us), not monkeys.

[arc]

 

Did you notice male chimps sometimes are attracted to women. Odd ?

 

No, but I have seen my share of women attracted to the big ape.

[Externet]

Eight years later, after a loong wait for your dozens of opinions in ten pages; releasing mine :

 

----> Spiders <----
With minuscule brains,
-They wait for desired (and correct) wind direction and strenght to glide tethered to the 'planned' target in order to anchor a web.
-Admirable uniformity to create the web.
-Spacing between turns follows an incremental proportion. Weaker points near center are reinforced closely. Some engineering there.
-Follow an efficient spiral path for construction.
-Choose sturdier over weak anchoring.
-Position themselves to sense and determine direction of prey caught on the web.
-Discern debris from prey vibrations.
-Hide protected from bad weather.
-Decide when to cleanup their webs from debris.
-Clean the debris by untangling it and dropping to the correct downwind side.
-Know a vertical web is better than in a horizontal plane.
-Select higher 'traffic' locations, as near artificial lamps.
-Select rain sheltered locations when available.
-Know how to untangle the web with no damage to it.
-Properly reconstruct damaged sections.
-They double threads at weak sections.
-Evaluate attacking or not by sizing the prey and danger.
-Know where in the prey to direct the killing bite.
-The behavior when killing another (even bigger) spider is full of amazing strategy. A great show of technique to watch.
-Since very young, fully capable of survival and to do their 'engineering work'.
-Preserve captured insects, wrapped for later 'bad days'
-Show patience over hunger.
-They wait for a calm moment to strike a captive.
-Perform evasive actions.
-They show precaution by every few steps anchoring a 'lifeline' in the event of falling/losing grip.
-Build their nests nearby considering positioning, sometimes bending leaves as housing.
-Guard their nests and young.
-I believe they have some sort of signalling/communication.
-And more I do not remember to type right now.

But, do not perform team work.
What I have not observed is if the have a 'tool' to cut/dispose a string, or if they ever do such action.

In general, cannot comprehend how much of it is from instinct, learned skills, or "intelligence"; but it surely is an amazing animal.
Its filament production organ is not related to 'intelligence' , but what a great material !

[Moontanman]

I am baffled. What is it that predisposes the octupi to control these 8 apendages that a human wouldn't be able to control as well? If it isn't neurons, or the architecture of the brain, than what is so special about octupi that allows them to control the 8 apendages?

 

Are you suggesting that the capacity of our brain is coincidentally the number of limbs we have (or any animal for that matter), and that our brain limited the limbs we evolved....and that maybe with an octupi brain we would have ended up with more limbs?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

An octopus has a brain in each arm and one in it's body..

[arc]

Eight years later, after a loong wait for your dozens of opinions in ten pages; releasing mine :

 

----> Spiders <----

With minuscule brains,

-They wait for desired (and correct) wind direction and strenght to glide tethered to the 'planned' target in order to anchor a web.

-Admirable uniformity to create the web.

-Spacing between turns follows an incremental proportion. Weaker points near center are reinforced closely. Some engineering there.

-Follow an efficient spiral path for construction.

-Choose sturdier over weak anchoring.

-Position themselves to sense and determine direction of prey caught on the web.

-Discern debris from prey vibrations.

-Hide protected from bad weather.

-Decide when to cleanup their webs from debris.

-Clean the debris by untangling it and dropping to the correct downwind side.

-Know a vertical web is better than in a horizontal plane.

-Select higher 'traffic' locations, as near artificial lamps.

-Select rain sheltered locations when available.

-Know how to untangle the web with no damage to it.

-Properly reconstruct damaged sections.

-They double threads at weak sections.

-Evaluate attacking or not by sizing the prey and danger.

-Know where in the prey to direct the killing bite.

-The behavior when killing another (even bigger) spider is full of amazing strategy. A great show of technique to watch.

-Since very young, fully capable of survival and to do their 'engineering work'.

-Preserve captured insects, wrapped for later 'bad days'

-Show patience over hunger.

-They wait for a calm moment to strike a captive.

-Perform evasive actions.

-They show precaution by every few steps anchoring a 'lifeline' in the event of falling/losing grip.

-Build their nests nearby considering positioning, sometimes bending leaves as housing.

-Guard their nests and young.

-I believe they have some sort of signalling/communication.

-And more I do not remember to type right now.

 

But, do not perform team work.

What I have not observed is if the have a 'tool' to cut/dispose a string, or if they ever do such action.

 

In general, cannot comprehend how much of it is from instinct, learned skills, or "intelligence"; but it surely is an amazing animal.

Its filament production organ is not related to 'intelligence' , but what a great material !

 

[Moontanman]

Eight years later, after a loong wait for your dozens of opinions in ten pages; releasing mine :

 

----> Spiders <----

With minuscule brains,

-They wait for desired (and correct) wind direction and strenght to glide tethered to the 'planned' target in order to anchor a web.

-Admirable uniformity to create the web.

-Spacing between turns follows an incremental proportion. Weaker points near center are reinforced closely. Some engineering there.

-Follow an efficient spiral path for construction.

-Choose sturdier over weak anchoring.

-Position themselves to sense and determine direction of prey caught on the web.

-Discern debris from prey vibrations.

-Hide protected from bad weather.

-Decide when to cleanup their webs from debris.

-Clean the debris by untangling it and dropping to the correct downwind side.

-Know a vertical web is better than in a horizontal plane.

-Select higher 'traffic' locations, as near artificial lamps.

-Select rain sheltered locations when available.

-Know how to untangle the web with no damage to it.

-Properly reconstruct damaged sections.

-They double threads at weak sections.

-Evaluate attacking or not by sizing the prey and danger.

-Know where in the prey to direct the killing bite.

-The behavior when killing another (even bigger) spider is full of amazing strategy. A great show of technique to watch.

-Since very young, fully capable of survival and to do their 'engineering work'.

-Preserve captured insects, wrapped for later 'bad days'

-Show patience over hunger.

-They wait for a calm moment to strike a captive.

-Perform evasive actions.

-They show precaution by every few steps anchoring a 'lifeline' in the event of falling/losing grip.

-Build their nests nearby considering positioning, sometimes bending leaves as housing.

-Guard their nests and young.

-I believe they have some sort of signalling/communication.

-And more I do not remember to type right now.

 

But, do not perform team work.

What I have not observed is if the have a 'tool' to cut/dispose a string, or if they ever do such action.

 

In general, cannot comprehend how much of it is from instinct, learned skills, or "intelligence"; but it surely is an amazing animal.

Its filament production organ is not related to 'intelligence' , but what a great material !

 

 

There are social spiders:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_spider

 

They do do cooperative efforts..

[Externet]

 

 

There are social spiders:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_spider

 

They do do cooperative efforts..

Well, even better. Another reason to the list.

[zapatos]

I saw a reference that stated octopi have four pairs of arms, rather than saying they have eight arms. Any idea what that means?

[Moontanman]

I saw a reference that stated octopi have four pairs of arms, rather than saying they have eight arms. Any idea what that means?

 

 

Do you have a link?