Not just men and primates. Dolphins, dogs and elephants also have very complex thinking and brains. These animals have a strong sense of social identity, they are empathetic, they can even understand abstract concepts. But are we really sure that an animal to be intelligent must acquire the same faculties as man?
He is about to end up run over, his mother saves him
Not just men and primates. To have a pensiero it's a very complex brain are also dolphins, dogs and elephants. These animals have a strong sense of social identity, I am empaths, they can even understand abstract concepts. But we are quite sure that a animal to be intelligent must acquire the same faculties as man?
Dolphins. Dolphins are truly creatures distant from humans, yet, when it comes to intelligence, theirs social behavior and complex communication skills, make them, of all living beings, probably i more like man, even more than monkeys. “They understand what does zero mean and abstract concepts. They do everything that bonobo chimpanzees can. The fact is that they are on the one hand very different from us, on the other so similar, at the same time, ”he explains Lori Marino, a neuroscientist at Emory University who specializes in dolphin research.
In fact, the more we learn about them, the more we realize we are dealing with animals extraordinary: these mammals they recognize themselves in the mirror. Not only do they know who they are, but they also have a sense of who, where and what their groups are. They interact with each other, understanding well the health and feelings of the specimens. And they do it in such a fast way "which appear to be linked together“Said Marino.
Dogs. An extraordinary tool of dogs is their ability to interact with humans, as evidenced by the fact that they know how to understand when a human being is in difficulty, offering him comfort. They can also understand beyond 150 words, according to the canine psychologist and researcher Stanley Coren, of the University of British Columbia, author of many books on dogs and their behavior. And I am also capable of solve complex problems.
Elephants. Then there are these huge animals empaths, and they help each other e they know how to work together. In a classic experiment by cooperation, which consists of getting food only if two animals pull opposite ends of a rope at the same time, they understand how to get food much faster than a chimpanzee, as the researcher explains. Josh Plotnik, responsible for research on elephants of the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, Thailand. “In the wild, I've seen elephants stop and cooperate for save another elephant who has fallen into a well. There is something in the environment, in the evolution that made this species unique, ”says Plotnik.
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In short, intelligence can be defined in many ways. And these three creatures are extraordinarily intelligent. But also the birds, the bee, the cricket or the octopus they have shown that they are capable of elaborating complex mental maps. That is why, to prove that they are intelligent, animals they do not necessarily have to be distorted or anthropomorphized. The ethologist explains it well Danilo Mainardi, who in his book "The intelligence of animals”Invites us to observe other living beings with a mind free from prejudices.
We must think without “the craving for symbolic or anthropomorphizing readings, bearing in mind that the extraordinary variety of forms and behaviors present in zoology is the expression of many wisdoms with which life is pervaded“, Reads the review of the work. In short, it is not possible to build a hierarchy of intelligences, but take note, with admiration, of their plurality, yes.
Watch the video of the dolphin kissing the dog
