Researchers Are Using Artificial Intelligence To Stop African Elephant Poachers Conservationists are deploying audio recorders, neural networks and predictive analytics in a ⦠ELEPHANT INTELLIGENCE. At first glance, the African elephant doesnât look like it has much in common with us humans. In addition, elephants are able to learn new facts and behaviours, mimic sounds that they hear, self-medicate, play with a sense of humour, perform artistic activities, use tools and display compassion and self-awareness. While examining behavior can give us a way to measure intelligence, we have to look at biology as well. Another test showed that elephants understand pointing, using, of course, their trunks. If the voice belongs to a person who is more likely to pose a threat, the elephants switch into defensive mode. In a 2006 study of three Asian elephants, Emory University researchers placed a mirror in the enclosure of three female Asian elephants. While we're still learning about elephant intellect -- a far greater number of studies have been conducted on other large-brained mammals like chimps -- what's been found so far suggests a creature that's kind, self-aware and very loyal. Unlike most human societies in history, elephant herds are matriarchal, where one female cow presides over a herd of females and adolescents. This is generally accepted to be an indication of complex intelligence. Most humans have a dominant hand, and elephants too have a "handedness," of sorts. Elephants mourn their dead It would be a stretch to say elephants, or any other animals, understand death in the same way humans do. In one experiment, researchers at the University of Sussex found elephants have a strong interest in their own dead, preferring to investigate the skull of a deceased elephant over a piece of wood or the skull of a rhino. Part of HuffPost Environment. Elephants are all-around curious and creative creatures. Previously, this behavior was only seen in apes, wolves and some kinds of birds. The exuberant greeting the two elephants exhibited when they were reunited was the first indication that they had known one another before. That left 5.6 billion neurons in the cerebral cortex of the elephant compared to 16 billion neurons in the human cortex. Part of the reason that elephants possess such a superior level of intelligence is the structure of their brain. Our work shows that they are able to recognize their friends and renew these bonds even after being apart for a long time. In fact, they skillfully use their trunk as an arm to manipulate objects. ("We were supposed to have a herd, but as Ninio prefers male friends over females, how will he produce offspring?") But they're like people in a lot of ways, and on World Elephant Day, that counts for something. All rights reserved. While we endeavour is to keep the information up to date and correct, we make no claims or seek credit for the content, unless it is explicitly specified. Elephants have been known to use sticks to scratch themselves in areas they couldn’t otherwise reach, and fashion fly swatters out of branches or grass. Elephants and humans have a similar lifespan, and plenty of time, approximately 10 years, is allowed for them to learn before they are considered to be independent adults. Their neocortex is highly convoluted, as it is in humans, apes and some dolphins. Elephant brains are similar to humans' and many other mammals' in terms of general connectivity and functional areas, with several unique structural differences. One 2007 study found that chimpanzees share about 98 percent of the same DNA as humans. Certain anecdotes suggest their compassion extends to other creatures, as well. Like the elephant we eat large amounts, we utilize water for drinking, bathing and pleasure, and we trample new lands in our expansive wanderings. Without any previous training, the elephants picked the correct container almost 68 percent of the time. An elephant is not as intelligent as a human, because an elephant brain is formed and wired to do elephant things. She found that in terms of size relative to the body, dolphins have larger brains. Elephants have the largest brains of any land animal. Researchers at the University of Sussex in Brighton, UK have discovered that African elephants can distinguish differences in human gender, age, and ethnicity purely by the sound of someone’s voice. ©2020 Verizon Media. The information contained in this website is for general information / education purposes only. We support around 70-80 kg of weight on two legs, while it ⦠Part of the reason that elephants possess such a superior level of intelligence is the structure of their brain. The strongest relationship is between mother and child -- mothers and daughters, in particular, will usually remain together their entire lives until the mother passes away. Elephant behaviors that show they are really smart Elephants can identify language. Amazing facts about animals. In the event you are the rightful owner of the contents published here and wish to update the credits or request removal of your copyrighted contents, please write to us and we will take the appropriate actions. They don’t behave this way toward the remains of other animals. Elephants have extraordinary memories Memory of an elephant. 2. Furthermore, elephants have the same cognitive capacity for the use and manufacture of tools as humans. They saw the elephants make chirping noises and reassure the unhappy ones with a kind "hug." The elephant is one of the few creatures (along with human beings) that is not born with survival instincts, but needs to learn these during infancy and adolescence. The cortex is thick and comprises many neurons. Their neocortex is highly convoluted, as it is in humans, apes and some dolphins. In 2004, an African elephant trampled a human mother and child to death in Kenya. Elephants have been observed using tools in captivity and the wild, including branches to swat away flies. When researchers stood between the containers and did not point, the elephants approached them randomly. When members of a herd pass a dead elephant, they've been observed silently touching the bones, perhaps out of respect. In one study, however, researchers were able to show just how insightful this species can be. Elephants are capable of a range of emotions, including joy, playfulness, grief and mourning. The brain is specially designed to accomplish this sort of life learning. Designed & Powered by SARAS ennovations | Sitemap, Elephant intelligence, brain, behavior, memory - Elephant facts, Conservation Success - Stories that Inspire. Using Our Intelligence for Good While it appears that cetaceans have incredible abilities to feel emotions, understand complex problems and communicate in ways we canât even imagine, humans ⦠Yet when it comes to intelligence, social behavior, and communications, some researchers say dolphins come as close to humans ⦠Although the largest whale is 20 times the body size of an elephant, its brain is just under twice the size. The answer was that the human cerebral cortex has almost three times as many neurons as the elephant brain. Our very history is entwined, with elephants and humans evolving in parallel hundreds of thousands of years ago. The only thing I knew about elephants is that they have a really great memory but I had no idea they had all these other amazing abilities! In a 2011 experiment, researchers in Thailand devised a system in which two elephants could reach a platform of food only if each pulled her own rope. Elephants continue to fascinate both scientists and general observers alike. But where they really excel is in cognitive function. It sounds simple, but pointing indicates a sense of self, too -- your independent thoughts may be communicated to another through gesture. They are recognised as being among the most intelligent creatures on earth. And it's not uncommon for responsibility of the herd to be passed down to the deceased matriarch's closest female relative. Pigs are not smarter than 3 year old children. The cortex is thick and comprises many neurons. Humans â Stephanie Rose Polinak September 17, 2014 at 6:32 pm. Like primates and birds, they engage in play. Okay, fine -- elephants aren't people. The elephants in the study used both physical contact and vocal sounds as forms of comfort, stroking one another with their trunks and emitting small chirps. 1. 5. Observations and experiments indicate that chimps are capable of empathy, altruism, and self-awareness, which is where their intelligence is similar to dolphins. Chimpanzees are at about that level of intelligence, but even then they are outperformed in some ways. 8 Facts That Show Us Elephants Are People, Too. But elephants have demonstrated fascinating reactions to the deaths of their kind, often displaying what appear to humans as symptoms of grief and mourning. Each creature investigated the mirror by touching it with their trunks to see if it was really another elephant, exploring the back side to see if there was another elephant hiding there, or inspecting some part of herself to see if the reflection copied her. For her Ph.D. thesis, scientist Lori Marino compared the skulls of dolphins and toothed whales to apes. It's a tragedy for any animal to face extinction, but it would seem like a special tragedy to lose this one. We made it easy for you to exercise your right to vote! They tested this by pointing at food hidden in one of two identical containers, and observing which container a group of captive African elephants approached. The key difference is that our change does not create opportunity, but rather takes it away. Their neocortex is highly convoluted, as it is in humans, apes and some dolphins. While we're still learning about elephant intellect -- a far greater number of studies have been conducted on other large-brained mammals like chimps -- what's been found so far suggests a creature that's kind, self-aware and very loyal. June 24, 2012. New artificial intelligence could save both elephant and human lives. It's long been thought that elephants grieve -- they're even capable of shedding tears. After all, elephant families have a lifelong bond. The study concluded this behavior is “best classified with similar consolation responses by apes, possibly based on convergent evolution of empathic capacities.” This is one of interesting elephant facts,elephants facts for kids about elephant behavior or behaviour. Other herds may visit the body, as well. 6. Elephants mimic human voices . After hanging a delicious cantaloupe treat in the enclosure of seven-year-old Kandula -- just out of reach -- researchers observed him rolling a square cube to the treat, standing on it for better reach. ... compared with three out of ⦠Unlike humans, elephants are probably a little more accepting of others' personal preferences. 8. Part of the reason that elephants possess such a superior level of intelligence is the structure of their brain. Elephants have passed a test of intelligence which scientists say has âprofoundâ implications for our understanding of their mental capabilities. Today is National Voter Registration Day! When the amount of brain tissue in a series of animals is plotted against size, from mice to elephants, there is a roughly linear relationship. They caress the bones of the dead with their trunks and will stand near the body of the deceased for hours. Our very history is entwined, with elephants and humans evolving in parallel hundreds of thousands of years ago. The cortex is thick and comprises many neurons. Researchers at an elephant park in Thailand studied 26 elephants in six groups to determine that elephants comfort other elephants during suffering. And they're smarter than we give them credit for. In this article, we will discuss about elephant intelligence and learn more about elephant brain, elephant behavior, elephant behaviour, and memory of elephant. In fact, some enthusiasts believe that their intelligence rivals that of human beings. (No, they didn't stress the creatures out on purpose -- they waited for such an occasion to present itself naturally, like a snake rattling in the grass or the sound of a dog nearby.) (There's always that one.). A recent study observed Asian elephants comforting one another when distressed. This is generally accepted to be an indication of complex intelligence. Add elephants to the tiny list of species that can make sense of it ... which provides elephant rides in the area of Victoria Falls. Elephants are able to track one another over large distances by calling to each other and using their sense of smell. That’s only about 5 percent lower than how one-year-old human babies perform on similar tests. And when members of a herd lose a beloved family member, they become visibly and audibly distressed. Researchers at the University of Sussex in Brighton, UK have discovered that African elephants can distinguish differences in human gender, age, ⦠Research in the past decade has shown elephants to rival the brainiacs of the animal kingdom in their ability to use tools. Evidence suggests helping one another out is a regular part of life in an elephant herd. Sometimes they even try to bury the remains. One especially clever elephant, though, thought up a way to game the system. Carol Buckley recounts a case where two elephants, Shirley (~53) and Jenny (~30), were reunited at the Elephant Sanctuary after 23 years apart. The cerebral cortex has almost three times as many neurons as the elephant brain the herd to dazzled. Their trunks extinction, but even then they are able to recognize their friends and renew these bonds after. However, researchers were able to track one another over large distances by calling to other... 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