For many years, there was no debate about the superiority of humans over the animal kingdom. But things have changed – fortunately, in fact – and we now learn more about the ability of many animals to understand that they are an individual entity in their own right. Let’s focus on self-aware animals.
Intelligence is not the property of humans. The challenge was to prove this in a scientifically sound manner. Since the 1970s, there has been a test based on the confrontation of the animal with its image in a mirror, with a situation and the application of a mark on its body to see if it reacts to it. This allows us to know better if animals are aware of themselves or not.
Dolphins
The studies on dolphins are numerous, and they are said to be particularly “intelligent”, and rightly so. Studies on recognition and self-awareness are less numerous but suggest that many, if not most, dolphin species have this ability. In this case, the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), also called the bottlenose dolphin, is the species that has been most studied for its ability to recognize itself in a mirror, as apes or humans do.
The Chattering Magpie
The chattering magpie has been known and recognized for a long time for its ability to remember locations, tricks, and operations of all kinds from which it can benefit. The chatty magpie (Pica pica) also passed several mirror tests and is undoubtedly capable of recognizing itself, proving that it is self-aware.
Pinched Tamarin
Many monkeys have failed the mirror test. The test, which has been adapted for different species, consists of presenting the animal in front of a mirror, first without and then with a colored mark, and analyzing the animal’s reactions. The Pinched Tamarin (Saguinus Oedipus) is the only tiny monkey to have recognized its image in the mirror.
The cleaner wrasse
Up to now, we have only known dolphins to be able to pass the mirror and task tests, but it would seem that things have changed recently. The cleaning wrasse (Labroides Dimidiatus), this small blue fish that feeds on parasites of other fishes, has been studied at this time(1). And it appears to be part of the circle of self-aware animals!
Chimpanzees
The chimpanzees are particularly intelligent social animals. Their eyes already tell us a lot about their intelligence. Still, testing has finally made us accept that they are especially self-aware. Their ability to understand what a mirror is, combined with the fact that they recognize the marks on their own bodies, proves that they are truly self-aware.
Killer whales
Marine mammals are social animals par excellence; the orcas were already astonishing by their mode of communication with their language, which is not the same from one place of the planet to another. The orcas also passed the mirror and task test with flying colors. They are very self-aware, and that is what causes the most problems when they are (shamefully) held in captivity.
Elephants
Asian or African elephants are also self-aware, like us humans. This is not surprising, as they are highly intelligent, but it is worth noting. They prefer large mirrors to small ones, but they respond very positively to their own image.
The orangutans
Being so close to Man in their genetic capital and physiology, it would be surprising that the orangutans would not be aware of themselves with such intelligence. Many apes have this ability to recognize themselves in a mirror, but not everyone. The Gorillas are also capable of this, but only partly. Orangutans, in contrast, can recognize themselves completely and are fully aware of themselves.
