The great apes are considered the smartest creatures after humans. Of course, humans are biased in this regard, but the intellectual capacity of the great apes is difficult to deny. After all, we share over 96 percent of the same DNA. Orangutans stand out as being especially gifted in the brains department.
When human measures for intelligence are applied to other species, dolphins come in just behind humans in brainpower, according to new research. Dolphins demonstrate skills and awareness previously thought to be present only in humans.
Chimpanzees
This research has firmly established that chimps are one of the most intelligent species on earth.
Koalas. Koalas are not only extremely cute, they're smart, too! The marsupials know how to listen to their bodies and can dive into a deep sleep for an average of 22 hours a day. Koalas snack on eucalyptus leaves, which aren't high in nutrients—the abundant rest makes this diet possible.
For years, dolphins have been heralded as the smartest animals on Earth, second only to humans—though some would even contest that ranking. Aside from humans, dolphins have the greatest brain-to-body ratio among animal species, including primates.
Manta rays have the highest EQ among fish, and either octopuses or jumping spiders have the highest among invertebrates. Despite the jumping spider having a huge brain for its size, it is minuscule in absolute terms, and humans have a much higher EQ despite having a lower raw brain-to-body weight ratio.
They learn faster than dogs or primates and their intelligence is compared to that of a three year old child. Cows have excellent problem solving skills that involve logic. Once they master how to solve a problem, they celebrate jumping, wagging their tails and running happily.
Pigs are gentle creatures with surprising intelligence. Studies have found they're smarter than dogs and even 3-year-old children! In the wild, pigs form small groups that typically include a few sows and their piglets.
Several studies have shown that pigs are even smarter than dogs and cats, and they are able to solve problems quicker than many primates. Their cognitive abilities can be compared to those of a three-year-old human.
Horses and Dogs are both intelligent animals, but they have different cognitive strengths. Horses excel in areas like navigational intelligence while dogs do better with social intelligence. Neither animal is smarter than the other, that's just what makes them unique!
The sperm whale has the biggest brain of any animal species, weighing up to 20 pounds (7 to 9 kilograms).
Baby animals that are separated from their mothers sound a cry, but humans are the only ones who shed tears. (Stone/ Getty) Pet owners often claim their dogs cry. Darwin thought monkeys and elephants wept. But modern scientists believe the only animal to really break down in tears is us.
They found that different brain regions use different strategies to interact with each other. This combination of complementary information between different sources is known as 'synergy' and may explain why the human brain is smarter than our primate ancestors.
The human brain is about three times as big as the brain of our closest living relative, the chimpanzee. Moreover, a part of the brain called the cerebral cortex – which plays a key role in memory, attention, awareness and thought – contains twice as many cells in humans as the same region in chimpanzees.
Not only did the researchers discover that koalas are cleverer than first thought, but that these experimental structures are working to keep them safe.
These animals have been described in the Guinness Book of Records as the "most fearless animal in the world" A pair of honey badgers take on a pride of lions. It is not for nothing that the honey badger has earned the reputation of being the most fearless animal in the world.
The sea turtles also had by far the thickest tears of all the animals, which was why the researchers had to collect them with a syringe. “They live in salt water, and so they need tears adapted to that environment,” Oriá says.
Bonobos Cry Like Human Babies When Attacked to Get Comforted: Scientists. Bonobos produce high-pitched "baby-like" cries when they are attacked - to attract comfort from others, reveals new research.
Lyrebirds are gorgeous creatures with an unusual trait–they vocalize like human babies! These aren't the only birds that make unusual sounds, but their cry may be the most troubling to hear if you don't know what it is! Let's take a closer look at the lyrebird and its unique call.
Leech: The interior structure of a leech is divided into 32 different segments, each of which has its own brain.
The largest animal heart is the blue whale's, which has been weighed at about 400 pounds (and it is not the size of a small car, contrary to popular belief).
The volume of the human brain has increased as humans have evolved (see Homininae), starting from about 600 cm3 in Homo habilis up to 1680 cm3 in Homo neanderthalensis, which was the hominid with the biggest brain size.
Border Collie
The valedictorians of the dog world, these herders took the top spot in Stanley Coren's intelligence rankings, meaning most can learn a new command in under five repetitions and follow it at least 95% of the time.
Cats can learn tricks, recognize their names, understand basic commands, and have a longer-lasting memory than dogs.