And here I was thinking that chimpanzees were the most intelligent animals..

[itsxpaperdoll]

"In the past, people thought birds were stupid," laments the aptly named scientist Christopher Bird.

But in fact, some of our feathered friends are far cleverer than we might think.

And one group in particular - the corvids - has astonished scientists with extraordinary feats of memory, an ability to employ complex social reasoning and, perhaps most strikingly, a remarkable aptitude for crafting and using tools.
Some corvids, such as rooks, live in large groups

Mr Bird, who is based at the department of zoology at Cambridge University, says: "I would rate corvids as being as intelligent as primates in many ways."

The corvids - a group that includes crows, ravens, rooks, jackdaws, jays and magpies - contain some of the most social species of birds.

For more, and some interesting videos:
BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Meet the brains of the animal world


Apart from being a thoroughly interesting article, it also raises some good questions on what intelligence is, how to define it.. I agree with the researchers that the behaviour of these crows might very well be 'intelligence', but where do you draw the line? Is an animal intelligent if it passes the mirror test? If it uses tools? If it lives in complicated social communities (like ants or bees)?

 

[Edmund Blackadder]

For more, and some interesting videos:
BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Meet the brains of the animal world


Apart from being a thoroughly interesting article, it also raises some good questions on what intelligence is, how to define it.. I agree with the researchers that the behaviour of these crows might very well be 'intelligence', but where do you draw the line? Is an animal intelligent if it passes the mirror test? If it uses tools? If it lives in complicated social communities (like ants or bees)?

When it can answer this thread, I'll warrant it with Intelligence.

 

[JenniferAlice]

Oooh, yeah. Birds are smart little fekkers.

Especially Ravens, Crows, Magpies, like the article says.

My cat couldn't recognise itself in the mirror, and I thought cats were smart.. But Magpies can.

Magpies are always in groups to hunt, they'll work together to bully another bird from it's nest of eggs, and then knock the eggs down, and eat them. Smart.

I love birds. Great article, thank you, Sara.

 

[Professor Walsh]

I haven't read the article, but I've hear a long radio documentary on the topic. It raises interesting questions - what is intelligence? I remember very clearly a lecturer I had in Scotland. Time and time again he'd been asked by journalists: "Just how intelligent is a pig?" His response stuck with me: "A pig is as intelligent as a pig needs to be."

 

[Edmund Blackadder]

I haven't read the article, but I've hear a long radio documentary on the topic. It raises interesting questions - what is intelligence? I remember very clearly a lecturer I had in Scotland. Time and time again he'd been asked by journalists: "Just how intelligent is a pig?" His response stuck with me: "A pig is as intelligent as a pig needs to be."

They have created a flu virus that could wipe out a significant amount of humans - so they are quite intelligent.

Seriously though - I find that a bullshit response, the "A pig is as intelligent as a pig needs to be."

 

[Professor Walsh]

I don't think it is. To me it sums up how incoparable intelligences are. Their brains, or minds, have evolved to cope with their realities as experienced through their bodies. Had primates not happened to develop the ability to free up our front feet (i.e. walk upright) and freely use our thumbs, our bodies had been restricting us in ways that could have prevented the development of the human intelligence as we know it.

 

[Flannen]

I remember when I was studying Psychology at A Level and we discussed what 'intelligence' really is.

Obviously there's academic intelligence; the ability to absorb information and to understand new things, but I think intelligence is much more than that.

Personally I think being intelligent is the ability to survive in society; to be open minded, show respect for other people; their beliefs, values and opinions etc.

I find narrow minded people who think that they 'what they say goes' really unintelligent. It shows nothing but a lack of understanding for other people, cultures etc, and really, what's intelligent about that?

 

[Edmund Blackadder]

I don't think it is. To me it sums up how incoparable intelligences are. Their brains, or minds, have evolved to cope with their realities as experienced through their bodies. Had primates not happened to develop the ability to free up our front feet (i.e. walk upright) and freely use our thumbs, our bodies had been restricting us in ways that could have prevented the development of the human intelligence as we know it.

I disagree completely.
We evolve to incorporate these attributes if they make life easier, while you could argue it takes 'intelligence' to first start behaving in such a way, its easily argued that its a flaw that is beneficial from 'birth' that goes on to spread through-out a species.

I am not saying animals don't have intelligence, I am simply stating that when a lecturer makes a statement like "A pig is as intelligent as a pig needs to be" he is trying to sound profound when in reality what he means to say is "I have no idea, but he seems to survive, so for now, thats fine".