Many species of animals are being recognised as conscious and intelligent
In recent years, scientific research has suggested that many animals are sentient, i.e. they experience sensations and emotions. In addition to this, the research has shown that many animals also have high-level mental abilities.
Scientists have looked for evidence of abilities such as:
- planning
- problem-solving
- memorising
- social awareness
- understanding categories
- communication
- having a sense of identity.
It is now well-documented that some animals possess some or most of the abilities above. These animals include apes, dolphins, elephants and parrots. And as scientists' knowledge of animal behaviour increases, they are finding evidence of complex mental abilities in more and more species, such as cows, pigs, sheep and chickens.
New research has also suggested that many animals that are thought of as unintelligent, e.g. birds, may actually have complex brains. Scientists now argue that the cognitive abilities of social birds, e.g. crows, ravens, jays and jackdaws (corvids), rival the abilities of apes, despite the fact that a bird’s brain has a very different structure from the brain of an ape.
Corvids are not only capable of making and using tools, they can also understand the behaviour of other animals, and they can learn strategies (e.g. urban crows have learnt that a moving car can be used to open a chestnut!).
Many people may have also underestimated the intelligence of domestic chickens. Hens can teach their chicks which types of food are good to eat, and they can also remember patterns. For example, an experiment in 2005 found that hens would ignore food that was given to them if they had learnt that more-appealing food would arrive later.
Scientists have looked for evidence of abilities such as:
- planning
- problem-solving
- memorising
- social awareness
- understanding categories
- communication
- having a sense of identity.
It is now well-documented that some animals possess some or most of the abilities above. These animals include apes, dolphins, elephants and parrots. And as scientists' knowledge of animal behaviour increases, they are finding evidence of complex mental abilities in more and more species, such as cows, pigs, sheep and chickens.
New research has also suggested that many animals that are thought of as unintelligent, e.g. birds, may actually have complex brains. Scientists now argue that the cognitive abilities of social birds, e.g. crows, ravens, jays and jackdaws (corvids), rival the abilities of apes, despite the fact that a bird’s brain has a very different structure from the brain of an ape.
Corvids are not only capable of making and using tools, they can also understand the behaviour of other animals, and they can learn strategies (e.g. urban crows have learnt that a moving car can be used to open a chestnut!).
Many people may have also underestimated the intelligence of domestic chickens. Hens can teach their chicks which types of food are good to eat, and they can also remember patterns. For example, an experiment in 2005 found that hens would ignore food that was given to them if they had learnt that more-appealing food would arrive later.