Sunday, April 19, 2015

Octopus Intelligence



Invertebrates are the most abundant and successful animals in the world as they occupy every single possible type of environment (marine, terrestrial, freshwater, and more). Of course, the separation of invertebrates from other animals because they lack backbones is probably related to humans and our need to categorize things based on our own characteristics. If they don't have a spine, they certainly aren't like us and therefore should not be grouped with us. Even the idea that having bones makes other animals inherently better or "more evolved" is pervasive in modern thought (especially with a lack of understanding of what evolution is exactly).

One of my favorite animals is the octopus, a well-known invertebrate, and it displays amazing cognitive and learning abilities. The video above is just one instance of its intelligence. Octopuses can also learn from watching others, and there are many examples of camouflage, hunting, and other situations where the octopus demonstrates its capabilities. People tend to talk about and relate more to animals that resemble us or have built strong bonds with us (monkeys, dogs, cats, parrots, etc.), but the invertebrate world has a lot to offer!

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