We Have Grossly Underestimated Both The Scope And Scale Of Animal Intelligence

This article in the Wall Street Journal brings to light research that shows animals are FAR more intelligent than we've ever imagined. One of the main issues is that we test animal intelligence in ways that work well for  humans, but not so much for the animals.

From the article..."Elephants are a perfect example. For years, scientists believed them incapable of using tools. At most, an elephant might pick up a stick to scratch its itchy behind. In earlier studies, the pachyderms were offered a long stick while food was placed outside their reach to see if they would use the stick to retrieve it. This setup worked well with primates, but elephants left the stick alone. From this, researchers concluded that the elephants didn't understand the problem. It occurred to no one that perhaps we, the investigators, didn't understand the elephants. Think about the test from the animal's perspective. Unlike the primate hand, the elephant's grasping organ is also its nose. Elephants use their trunks not only to reach food but also to sniff and touch it. With their unparalleled sense of smell, the animals know exactly what they are going for. Vision is secondary. But as soon as an elephant picks up a stick, its nasal passages are blocked. Even when the stick is close to the food, it impedes feeling and smelling. It is like sending a blindfolded child on an Easter egg hunt."

Perhaps my favorite line from the article states it best.

"Experiments with animals have long been handicapped by our anthropocentric attitude."

Yeah, but isn't that the source of almost all our problems?