Scientists are always showing almost weekly how animals are portraying more and more human like behaviors particularly in primates which have recently been shown to not only teach children how to floss their teeth, but to plan ahead for combat. A researcher from Sweden’s Lund University after observing a thirty year old male Chimpanzee that has great distaste for human visitors was noted as planning for upcoming visitations by collecting and distribution rocks at strategic locations around his compound.

The Chimpanzee would stockpile stones at key points so as to run to each pile and throw the stones at the visitors, to maximize the amount of stones he could throw and at which locations allowed the greatest chance of striking a target. This shows the ability to preplan actions with intention and only further proves that many animals, especially primates have a much more capable and advanced brain than previous researchers had thought.

Parrots and other birds are much more efficient and accurate at grooming themselves when they have a mirror to see their own appearance in, what people would consider simple minded birds can actually recognize their own appearance and based on their reflection deem which feathers to preen. Crows and Ravens have been studied and observed to bend wire to make tools that can dig and scrape food out of crevices and cracks showing they are quite resourceful.

Elephants can paint and recognize their own reflections in mirrors as well and have been shown in more recent years to be the mental equivalent to most advanced primates. Most animals don’t test well according to human measurements of testing because they haven’t had a need to develop those particular skill sets or brain functions, but when tested for environmental conditions related to their own environments they are much more adaptable and creative than previously thought.

In Summary, scientists and researchers continue to find and observe new ways that various species of animals are much more clever than previously thought and this should enable us to appreciate natures creatures even more as they share their space with us on this earth.

-Justin Germino