The 10 smartest animals

Neurophys. and bio engineering here, where do you go? I'm at UM.

Hello,

Thank you!

Peace,

Marci

psittacine, (not psittancine) right? just checking since that is an uncommon word.

Amen, Laurie! I was appalled to see squirrels on the list but not the African Grey. They are one of *the* most studied species and have exceeded expectations of researchers nearly every time. I had to Ctrl+F "parrot" to make sure I wouldn't be posting someone else's comment twice, and I'm glad that yours was the first one to show up. It's informative, to-the-point, and a lot more impressive than many of the summaries listed for the species in this article.

psit·ta·cine (st-sn)
adj.
1. Relating to, resembling, or characteristic of parrots.
2. Of or belonging to the family Psittacidae, which includes the parrots, macaws, and parakeets.

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[Latin psittacnus, from psittacus, parrot, from Greek psittakos.]

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2003. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

Elspeth D'Mysts:

You seriously need to get a life!!!

Hey Folks,

The really convincing thing that other species are as intelligent is that many of them can understand us or our language, and we still can't understand theirs. Dolphins and birds have very complex linguistic expressions. And that is about as much as we can figure out.

We had a parakeet when I was a child. Every year at Christmas, we would move his cage to put up a Christmas Tree. After the first year, that parakeet would start saying "Merry Christmas, Happy New Year" even before we began saying this. And Sweety had to remember that for a whole year and only said it when and while the tree was up and never after.

We also had another parakeet who walked into our lives, literally, he walked up the alley, a grungy dirty mess. My mom got out Sweety's cage (he had died) and got Kooky into it and fed him. He cleaned himself up. This was about the time that 77 Sunset Strip was on TV and we named him Kooky because he was always preening (Kooky, kooky, lend me your comb; if you're old enough this will ring a bell). We used to say Kooky is a handsome bird, Bitsy(our Chihuahua-Toy Fox Terrier mix) is a pretty Dog. Kooky always said, no matter how many times we tried to get him to change it, "Bitsy's a pretty bird, Kooky's a handsome dog." I don't think he was confused. I think he had a sense of humor. And I have to admit that considering that Bitsy was a female and Kooky was a male, in a way Kooky's way made more sense. Maybe he was British in his last life. LOL

Peace,

Marci

Yes Alex,

And I don't think that humans are more equal.

Peace,

Marci

We created our Gods. How do you know that they do not have their own God?

Oh Larry,

Those lucky animals that are so unburdened by such mental constructs or having to deal with those who are. Yeah animals.

Peace,

Marci

Worshiping God hasn't always been beneficial for mankind. The horrors--the inquisition, wars, torture, beheadings, honor killings, terrorism, fanaticism, etc.--all perpetrated in the name of religion, are the downside that has appealed to the darkest nature of some true believers. Some of the most horrendous crimes have been committed in the name of religion.

Goose Girl,

I think that this is unfair. I think that one of the issues with dogs is their pack nature and that if we establish ourselves as the Alpha member of the pack (family) the dog aims to please. Cats are loners, for the most part and more independent. But Siberian Huskies have a personality somewhere between that of most dogs and that of cats. They have a very definite awareness of self (not to be confused with ego) and are much less fawning than most dogs. Perhaps they are just much more alpha and closer to wolves, but I think we need to consider here the inherent, rather than the expressed intelligence. People who are subservient and cowled also seem to express less intelligence.

But when you get right down to it, I think that we have to consider what is the source of our concepts of intelligence. We have our own prejudices as to what is valuable and that colors our assessment.

Peace,

Marci

"But when you get right down to it, I think that we have to consider what is the source of our concepts of intelligence. We have our own prejudices as to what is valuable and that colors our assessment."

This has absolutely nothing to do with that silly old "cat vs. dog" argument. which it seems my comments have been made/twisted into . Personally I don't favor either one, my comments were based on my own experience and observations (vet tech and wildlife rehab., research, education in neurphysiology and bioengineering, and personal experience). Most of what has been posted on this thread about dogs AND cats is a result of nothing more than imprinting, thousands of years of selective breeding (heavily in dogs), and training/conditioning with a healthy dose of anthropomorphism (imparting human traits on the animals, thus misinterpreting their behavior and missing what is REALLY going on with the animal). My love and respect for animals comes from knowing and understanding them as they are, not for what they can do for us (although that is a big bonus).

And in response to another comment of yours, and to others who have made similar comments; that "we can't understand 'their' (animals) language". Again, I say speak for your selves because there are a great many (including my self) who HAVE taken the time to understand them. I only say this here because it goes back to the whole anthropomorphism thing again, which most of the population is guilty of with respect to animals (ESPECIALLY dogs), thus renders a person unable to really understand the animal since they are reading and responding to them as though they were another person (the reason why Caesar Mulan will always have a job as a "dog whisperer").

Hey Larry,

WAKE UP! Get out of auto-pilot. Stop sounding like a robot. THINK, if you are able to.

Peace,

Marci

Hey wheezal,

We sometimes think of cats as pets, but I think sometimes that THEY are in control, even without opposable thumbs. LOL

Peace,

Marci

Hey Sally,

I agree and if we were to pay too much attention to Larry Wallace's mantra, "There is really only one thing that differentiates us from the animal kingdom and that is the animals inability to recognize and worship God," we would have to conclude that recognizing and worshiping God was the reason humans destroy the environment. Especially those that keep saying that Genesis tells us we have dominion over and rule all of the other species. But then we all know that Larry and those who keep pushing this agenda are just confused.

Peace,

Marci

We're pretty bad at that aren't we.

And some of us keep on repeating ridiculous comments like a parrot. Actually, parrots are capable of a larger repetoir.

Peace,

Marci

Oh Max,

You are a funny guy. Kind of puts us in our place. LOL

Peace,

Marci

Addendum!
Many animals create tools, but our creations are more complex and impactful on human growth and the ability to thrive. Simple tools such as sticks to reach food are too basic when comparied to some things we have created -- look at the complex farm machinery we developed to increase crop production, look at ever changing technology for transportation, communication, and don't forget recreation.

1. Language - This, to me, is the most important. We don't know how rich the languages of animals are, but they obviously haven't developed written or recorded language.

Our thoughts and abstractions would possibly be present without language, but the fact that we can describe and discuss our thoughts and ideas in a way that, while obviously not perfect (as politics, cultural divisions, and divorce rates evidence), is both specific and abstract enough to have facilitated our advancement to the level of sophistication that we have undeniably achieved.

I don't want to say that animals can't discuss their dreams and fantasies, but I would definitely need some proof before I would say that they can.

Mathematics is a language.

The use of symbols and symbolic utterances to represent thought and concept is a primary defining trait.

2. Walking Upright - Some scientists think that this came before the big brain.

3. Written Language - See above.

4. Altruism, Ethics, Conscience, Morals - The only reason these things aren't at the top of the list for me is because there are so many instances of their opposites manifested in ways that seem to truly resemble animalistic behavior. Some of these instances, however, arise from imperfections in the use of our communication skills.

5. The Use of Tools - While some use of tools and the ability to construct things would be possible without language, we would not have been able to create the nearly unimaginable machines that we have without language--both oral and written.

Well Gabbybooboo:

As humans we are somewhat prejudiced to our own species. Some of our abilities developed out of random mutations. Some developed out of necessity because we were out-competed in some niches. And yes we are very clever. Perhaps too much for our own good and that of the planet. But in the scheme of things, notwithstanding all of our philosophers and scientists and writers and artists, etc., we haven't a clue as to what other species know and share amongst themselves. And we place value on what we know, but in a far deeper, spiritual sense (and I don't mean religion) but attunement to the essence of the Universe, what is the point of this "knowledge"?

jcatom:

We have no idea at all of how and to what depth other animals communicate. We only have our observations. As for the rest of what you have to say, this is all based on OUR limited point of view. We are adding values as to what is important to us. This is certainly not unbiased. As I said above in a comment to someone else's expression, a folksinger/street musician that I met wrote a beautiful song called "Simple Things." Now days, it is these simple things that we are missing. We can't see the forest for the trees. And you can't convince me that the haunting pronouncements of dolphins are not on a par with our songs and poetry.

We are the ones who make a big point of tools. If you have what you need to live without tools, then why develop them?

Peace,

Marci

My answer to that was in my previous post, not as far from you as you might think...

I don't want to say that animals can't discuss their dreams and fantasies, but I would definitely need some proof before I would say that they can.

Maybe dolphins and whales sing long songs of history in the way the Odyssey and Iliad were passed down before 'Homer' wrote them down.

Maybe the long low grumblings of elephants, too low for us to hear, are announcements to the group as a whole...info to be stored in their collective elephant memory...'Hear ye, hear ye! Elephant Magilicutty died yesterday.'

The facts aren't in yet, but I wouldn't be surprised if the languages of animals are far more rich than most people automatically assume.

I do doubt, however, that they have written anything down that we just can't find. I don't think they have anything approaching the mathematics and other types of languages that we have developed.

And our ancestors made it without tools for millions of years. We'd have to ask them why they thought tools were necessary. You're probably not going to be able to convince me that you survive merely by your wit and scavenging ability or, hunting ability. You depend every day on the inventions of humans throughout history. Inventions that have a history of their own. Recorded by humans. On paper.

I like my tools.

jcatom,

Yes, I have been born into a certain life and culture, but in a way that is a cage out of which most of humanity can't escape. I don't know if you have kept up with some of my comments above, but I have mentioned a folksinger/street musician friend. He too uses technology but he also escapes to nature frequently. Our technology is as much of a curse as a "blessing." I am not disparaging all of the artistic or even technological achievements of our species, but a part of me feels like this is such a small part of what is out there to experience. And I don't think that these tools and technology will help us to experience this "whatever."

I have had some experiences which go beyond common barriers. But this is just an inkling of what is probably all around us. And it isn't even necessary to invoke religion here. I believe that very primitive humans probably experienced similar things all the time. So, I guess what I am trying to say is that we have developed tunnel vision and have become so distracted by our technology and culture that we are blind to truth and reality in all of it's amazing forms all around us. So, is this intelligent to become myopic?

Peace,

Marci

I agree with you there. I think that people cut off from nature are missing a huge part of what it really means to be human...what it has meant for a couple hundred thousand years or so and only became less of a factor in the recent centuries, or just decades. If there is evolution, we aren't really made for city-living in the sense that it has come to mean.

I think that people always have to find inner peace somehow and it comes more naturally when the person is surrounded by nature.

I think that our ability to decide the way things should be and then to plan and act on those plans is something that people are able to do because we are intelligent. Maybe the ingenuity that we have with our tools and inventions doesn't necessarily mean that we are intelligent as much as it is an indicator of mechanical aptitude. But the degree of precision we have attained is facilitated by language...which was my main argument earlier.

Another thing to consider is the breadth of our knowledge...our adaptability is another defining human trait that denotes our intelligence.