The Intelligence Of Animals

Studies, Behavior Prove There Is More Going On In Animals' Minds Than We Thought Possible

(CBS)  It seems like every month or so, there's another study coming out saying animals are smarter than we think. So what do animals think … and what do they think of us? Some revelations about animal intelligence from Tracy Smith.

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What are they thinking?

If you've always suspected that animals are smarter than they get credit for, that there's more going on behind those eyes than a desire for food or attention ... you're not alone.

In some species, especially elephants, great apes and marine mammals, the old phrase "dumb animal" borders on heresy.

In fact, the line between human and animal intelligence is fading fast.

"I think it is fair to say that literally, monthly, there are fairly major discoveries about things that we long thought were unique to humans, now look like some of the building blocks are in place in other animals," said Harvard professor Marc Hauser.

Take capuchin monkeys: they're not the brightest lights in the animal kingdom, but behind all that cuteness is the mind of a master problem-solver. Dave Peranteau works with capuchins for Six Flags in New Jersey.

He says they surprise him every day.

"And even on days off, the staff will call and say, 'You'll never guess what Jester did today," he told Smith.

For instance, Jester, a four-year-old male, taught himself to pick locks well enough to bust out of his cage.

"Not only did he let himself out," said Peranteau, "but he wanted to have party, so he went around and let all of the other animals in the area out - birds, snakes, coatis, you know, you name it. Everything was out."

But recent studies at Emory University have shown that capuchins also have the mental capacity to understand concepts like fairness, and sharing with their fellow monkeys.

"For the most part I do believe that they do have some sort of feelings," Peranteau said.

"I think many animals are more intelligent than we generally think," said Emory's Frans de Waal.

De Waal has pondered animal intelligence for decades, including a 2006 study that broke new ground about how animals see themselves … literally.

Most animals - and human children under two years old - see their mirror image as another creature: they don't realize that it's really their own reflection. But elephants do.

De Waal's team discovered this with a giant mirror at the Bronx Zoo.

"The elephant had a big mark above its eye and walked up to the mirror and started touching it," de Waal said, "so the elephant has that kind of self-awareness that you find in children over two."

It turns out that elephants have an advanced sense of self, which means (in part) that they're smart enough to be capable of really caring about others. The only other creatures thought to have this ability include apes ... and human beings.

Also, there are marine mammals like dolphins.

We all know that dolphins can be trained to do a lot of things, but are they tricks or something more?

Between shows at Six Flags, trainers lead an exercise that keeps the ultra-smart animals from getting bored.

It's called an "innovate session": the dolphins can do whatever they want, as long as they don't repeat the same behavior.

"So, they understand the concept of 'different'?" asked Smith

"Yes, they do," said Jessica Parenteau, who helps shape their behavior by blowing a whistle when they do something different. "And they'll wait to hear this whistle, [which tells them] 'That's it, that's exactly what we're looking for.' So, each time they do something new and creative, we blow that whistle."

"'That's a good boy'" said Smith.

"Yeah. And that shapes their creativity, because they're like, 'Well, I'm gonna try this then. And I'm gonna try this and see if I can get a whistle with this."

"That's incredibly smart," said de Waal. "Dolphins are known to be smart but to understand that you need to do something new each time and to innovate a new item that you're going to do, that's incredibly smart."

Many pet owners say that the most intelligent animal they know is their dog, and they do understand what we say ... at least some of the time, depending upon the tone of the voice

"If I say to my dog, 'What a wonderful dog you are,' the dog'll be very happy," said Hauser. "If I say, 'What a stupid little dog you are,' they'll also be very happy. It's the tone in my voice. It's the music that they're paying attention to, primarily. But even there, we want to be cautious, because some studies have now begun to show that dogs, for example, may actually understand that words pick out certain kinds of objects in the world. So, if I say 'Apple,' I mean that red, shiny thing that I eat, not the chair."

The difference - and what separates us from other animals - is the human ability to communicate complex thoughts with one another. But animals do seem to understand emotion.

"Are animals attached to us? Absolutely," Hauser said. "When you leave your pet behind, you see signs of depression. Is it like our depression? Well, I don't know if it's like our depression. I don't even know what your depression would be like, relative to my depression. But do animals feel strong bonds? Undoubtedly, yes."

"Can we call that love?" Smith asked.

"Why not?" Hauser said.

Of course, the question of whether the capacity for love makes animals more intelligent is probably best left to the individual ... of whatever species.

[memawspoon]

My grandchildren and I loved the story on Jester!! Our favorite children's story has been,"Goodnight Gorilla." It is a story on a gorilla getting the keys to gages at the zoo out of the zookeepers pocket, and he let's all the animals out of their gages. They go unknown to the zookeeper's home with him, and you can get Jester a copy of the book and read to him!! I know he will like it like my six grandchildren ages 2 to 7 and I do!! Good story CBS!

[Razzl]

"This stupidity has led to the ridiculous notion that if computers become sufficiently complex, they will someday become conscious."

I'm sorry the idea offends you, but any serious student of science knows that there are no permanent barriers between "artificial" and "natural" cognition. We are about to enter an age of intelligent "machines" which will INEVITABLY bring on the next phase of evolution, in which intelligence is continued outside the boundaries of biological forms and therefore capable of infinite improvement and expansion. We don't know what physical forms they will take, but we do know that, barring a calamity which brings the process to an end, artificial intelligence will be spreading itself across the universe in the distant future without humans. We can only hope that we are able to format that intelligence with positive moral values early in its development, which is why allowing artifical intelligence development to be conducted solely by the military at this time is such a dangerous idea...

[Razzl]

If you're a pet owner who really pays attention to your pets (mammals, not goldfish) you see the levels of intelligence and emotion they are capable of. I would estimate that mature cats and dogs have the cognitive and emotional maturity of a human child of, say, age 11, but much of that is hidden by their limited vocalization (although one of our current cats is a sophisticated vocalizer who likes to mimic the long sentences we speak with his own vocabulary). They can be very similar to human children in that they can learn sophisticated moral concepts such as sharing, waiting, and obeying, but still have a short attention span that causes them to sometimes fail to do what they've been taught.

When you consider how hard life is for any animal living in the wild and yet how naturally gentle, affectionate, and curious many animals (mammals and birds) can be in relation to other animals when they are not pressured by food or cold, anyone with a conscience must feel compassion for them. Many species of mammals ought to be treated as moral beings deserving of our protection and paternal affection as part of our stewardship of nature on this planet, while many other species must be respected for the fact that their forms of intelligence are beyond our means to understand (insects, amphibians)...

[lindalucc]

I thought your program was excellent although it did overlook an important aspect of our relationship with animals. Having trained many different animals since I was five I've always been interested in the way a human treats an animal and what it tells me about that human. I can tell a lot about the emotional condition of someone by the length of the leash, the way a person walks their dog, for instance. Emotional level is separate from intellectual level. I notice one commenter mentioned abstract thinking and thus determined that we were superior because of it. Actually, and I'm keeping this very, very short. Our emotional lives, like most animals that are in the wild and separated from humans, would be happier and we wouldn't have depression pills. I could write a book regarding humans and their pets, humans and their children. You'd be surprised. Linda

[proudmilvet]

Only in this Country, could an interesting topic such as this be turned into a name calling, political discussion. Amazing! We have turned into the United States of Limbaugh.

[WGregory1]

That dolphin is smarter than a certain, now former governor of Alaska, I know that.

[fred-mertz]

I blame two distinct groups for the failure to recognize the intelligence of animals:

1. The Church (every denomination, probably every religion too) which teaches that God made man "in His own image" and "gave him dominion over all the other creatures of the earth". The incredible hubris that follows from being taught this has left countless billions of people unable to grasp the obvious intelligence of animals who are aware of themselves and their surroundings, who think and plan, have likes and dislikes, expectations and disappointments.

2. The scientific community, most of whom having been innundated with the same hubris, but have broken from the indoctrination sufficiently to start to look at the world somewhat objectively, and in so doing they have often lost the ability to empathize with others, especially with the animals they frequently use for their experiments. Failing to understand the one feature of life which is basic to their ability to understand anything at all-- consciousness --they have gone so far as to describe consciousness itself as an "epiphenomenon" of complex systems. This stupidity has led to the ridiculous notion that if computers become sufficiently complex, they will someday become conscious.

I think Peta is NUTS, but they do have a point: animals deserve to be treated with respect. And if anyone looks at the behavior of animals objectively, it is impossible to miss the fact that they are conscious.

[joanmistretta]

I have gone through this process simply to have a way to address you, my dear CBS Sunday Morning that I have loved for 15 years. A friend far away, like me, is at church on Sunday Mornings. She loves animals. I want her to see the article this week on the intelligence of animals. I can only HOPE that she can access it online herself (she is elderly) because there is apparently NO WAY that I can email her that article unless I send it by Twitter, Ditter, Schmitter or some other "itter." Sometimes I can click on "print" and then copy the text into an email, but NO..."print" in your case means actually sending it my printer. Moral: when technology changes so fast is there REALLY a reason to eliminate access to the technology that we have just mastered because a new one came along last week? In other words, GRRRRRRRRRRR. And if you are offended because CAPS mean that I am shouting at you -- well, I am SHOUTING AT YOU! Shame on you, CBS Sunday Morning.

[fred-mertz]

If YOU can see an article online, then your friend should be able to see the article, too. Just copy the web address from the adress bar of your browser and paste that address into an email to your friend.

What's so hard about that?

[msalabama]

Yes, Joan . . . I agree with you that it would be good if we just click and copy or forward article. I'm shouting too . . . we don't ALL twitter CBS!

[msalabama]

The program about animals was thoroughly informative and interesting. I brake for whales and hope humans will become an endangered species.

[schizobeck]

Well, according to both Darwin and the Bible, animals have been around a lot longer than humans so they've had a lot more time to get smart.

[ourfamilyiswatching]

Children were enjoying the animal edition this morning. Shocked by the Sarah Siverman segment. Do not have a problem with her in a different context, but right in the middle of an "animal show". Two seconds of her dog licking himself, the rest Sarah being Sarah does not constitute a spot on the "animal edition".. Could have come up with a better segment for this episode and put Sarah on another show that was more fitting to her style..

[msalabama]

I agree with you. She's clever, but strictly for adults. :-))

[coonana]

Please look at video taken by an underground animal rights organization employee who secretly taped employees of Ringling Bros. circus striking elephants under their control in sensitive areas which cause pain and stress to these intelligent animals. All of it is disgusting, but watch the way in which the thug (some might consider "handler" appropriate, not I) hits the elephant in the face/mouth area and the multitude of ways in which the elephants are struck before going out to "perform". The elephant featured in this piece has been in captivity since 1989, instincts and movement stunted in every way. Having to endure the brutality of thugs and the limitations of the circus life, the elephants are living the life of the highly intelligent beings shown on CBS Sunday Morning. How can this be tolerated? Please comment on this rotten situation and please do something.

[msalabama]

The PETA video of Ringling Bros. handlers beating the innocent elephants is heartbreaking. Too bad the elephants don't /can't / won't take revenge on the abusers. An eye for an eye is appropriate for such situations.

[Netterz]

Heh, I have seen some animals that do more couragious then 30 men. This about the worst article crampacked full with BS. Spend it on something more worth while, like finding some cures that pets get, like cancer, feline lukiechmea, parvo, etc. Telling me my dog not able to understand what I say when I talk is a huge pile of BS. I think I will get a new bumper sticker that says, ''my DOG is smarter than de Waal''.

[rational_1]

I have yet to see even the so called ''''inteligent'''' animals show the capacity to say understand that it is the earth that is going around the sun, not vice versa.
Posted by rn11111 at 07:06 PM : Oct 19, 2008

And I have yet to see a communal species like ants or bees organize into as inept a ruling class as we''ve managed to achieve with our current President and Congress! I think we''ve achieved the pinnacle of stupidity - we rule again!

[txgrouch2007]

Humans are smarter than animals.

We wreck their habitat. But if they start messing with our habitat, we call the exterminator.

Well, OK, we''re MEANER than animals, anyway...

[txgrouch2007]

Animals are smarter than humans.

Animals don''t WRECK THE HOME LENDING SYSTEM by trying to let EVERYBODY buy a house.

Barney Frank and the Democrats tried so hard to give everyone "affordable housing" that now the banks are failing and NOBODY can buy a house.

The result of "affordable housing" is TENT CITIES. Well, that''s as affordable as it gets. BARNEY FRANK GOT HIS WISH.

[babooph]

I remember the BS-"man is the only animal that kills ,other than for food",& all the documentaries showing prey always escaping-I was used to the propaganda system though--so......

[rn11111]

What distinguishes us from animals is the capacity for abstract thought. With abstract thought we have the ability to control our surroundings in a way that animals do not, by abstract understanding of how nature works and manipulating it.

I have yet to see even the so called ''inteligent'' animals show the capacity to say understand that it is the earth that is going around the sun, not vice versa.

[toolmangler-2009]

Herd mentality? Intelligence in primates? Does "ACORN" know about this? How about the Democrats?
Posted by request1 at 10:28 AM : Oct 19, 2008


Too late!!!! McCain and the GOP already signed them up.

[kenhamlett]

"So many humans are getting dumber"- TallyMan2008
Words of wisdom and prophesy.

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Anyone who cares to observe already knows that animals have intelligence and self awareness. However it is different than humans so is not appreciated.
The idea that animals are inferior has been a concerted effort in modern times because researchers and others do not care to deal with the ethics of the death and torture of animals. It has even been advanced that people are inferior and outside of normal dignity and compassion just because they are different. Reality is often ignored and ethics abandoned in the name of expedience. Humans are getting dumber indeed.