Who’s the Dummy?

Some humans see themselves as the alpha dog, perhaps as the leader of the pack, when it comes to other members of the animal kingdom.

But this may be an inappropriate form of hubris not all humans share.

Here’s a link to what most consider the top 10 smartest animals:

10 smartest animals in the world - Yahoo Video Search Results

Although lists differ slightly in descending order of intelligence, the animals considered the brightest include:

chimpanzee

dolphin

elephant

pig

orangutan

squirrel

pigeon

octopus

rat

crow

These animals consistently rank among the highest, although their specific order may differ slightly depending on the list.

Pigeon. Rome. 2006. Photo by author

Humans have not been able to decipher the language that some of these animals use, but that does not mean their language is necessarily inferior to our own. It is clearly different, but it is equally clear they communicate with…