Humans are undoubtedly unique in intelligence, emotions, and social dynamics. But we often forget that the animal kingdom is full of creatures that blur those lines of uniqueness!
Many animals exhibit behavior that is surprisingly similar to our own. These uncanny similarities remind us that the traits that we think of as being distinctly “human” might not be as exclusive as we believe.
Get ready to meet a group of extraordinary animals that show us just how much we have in common with the rest of the world. And maybe, just maybe, they make you rethink what it means to be human!
1. Chimpanzees
Chimps are our nearest evolutionary cousins. And guess what? Unlike most of our contemporary politicians, chimps have mastered the arts of politics!
These jungle senators form alliances, plot power grabs, and settle grudges like they run an office! They climb their social tree ladders and even orchestrate coups when dominant members of the group aren’t satisfactory leaders! Talk about revolution!
2. Dolphins
The cute jumping marine mammals we all know and love – and for good reason. They’re super smart, mega creative, and teamwork lovers! Just like us humans! Well, except for the teamwork-lover thing. Some humans are introverts. But I digress!
Just when you thought dolphins couldn’t get more impressive, you get reminded of the fact that they use tools and that they communicate very well. That cements them as quite smart, I would say!
3. Crows
Being total avian Einsteins, these birds can solve more puzzles than most humans can! I mean, seriously! If someone told me that crows could play Minecraft, I’d have laughed in their face. But it’s true! They can craft their handy utensils to extract food!
And that’s not all! Crows can recognize human faces very very well. That can either be a very good, or a very bad thing. Crows can hold grudges, after all! So let’s hope they remember the face of someone you dislike instead of yours!
4. Elephants
The emotional capacity of elephants is infamous! Elephants form very deep bonds with their herds, and even mourn the losses of friends and family!
I had a hard time recovering when I first read this: Elephants have been spotted revisiting the graves of loved ones, and on top of it all, they show similar empathy towards other species too!
So if you’re feeling down, take a tip from these animals: it’s okay to let your emotions flow!
5. Prairie Dogs
Prairie dogs may be small, but they’ve got a big language game. Linguists? Step aside because prairie dogs might run you out of your job! They developed unique words to warn each other of specific predator types! Isn’t that cool?
Whispering behind each other’s backs? Easy for the gossip gurl prairie dog! They’re ready to warn the entire colony in detailed, high-pitched rodent language if there’s someone dangerous within the group too!
6. Rats
Rats have quite a bad reputation because of their pesty nature and sewer-dwelling. But hear me out – they’ve got quite the soft side! A human side, you could say.Research has shown that rats exhibit empathy and selfless behavior. For example, they try to free trapped cage mates even when a food reward is available for them not to do that! All in all, these little creatures have a bigger heart than most would expect.