Ravens as wise as a child of four years old

Human is the top of all creature. And what makes us supreme is intelligence. Most of other animals are driven by their instinct. Finding a new way to a solution is our unique ability.

However, some animals have also splendid intelligence, according to recent studies. Among them, ravens are considered to match infants in their thought, surprisingly.

The researchers examined the problem-solving skills of ravens with some tasks. Many examinees passed the challenge in using tools and abandoning the immediate reward for better one in the future.

Independent: Ravens can be better at planning ahead than four-year-old children, study finds

Ravens had been known for excellent skills for hoarding foods. But they were considered as genetically programmed skills. This study suggested that they were good at constructing a broad strategy regardless of the stimuli in front of them.

I was surprised to know that ravens are superior to other animals. In general, birds have limited intelligence because they have sacrificed the volume of the brain for better flying ability. Even if not always available, the volume of the brain is consistent with the level of intelligence. The more the brain is heavy, the more it has synapses. It is hypothesized that human rose because their brain became too heavy to be supported with crawling posture. It is interesting that ravens have the same level of intelligence as chimpanzees.