Which animal is the smartest?

Neuron counts say one thing, party tricks say another. Fourteen species, and the ones with the best reputation are not always the ones with the best evidence.

1

Chimpanzee

Our closest living relative, capable of tool use, tactical deception and short-term memory feats that beat most humans.

2

Bottlenose Dolphin

Marine mammal that recognises itself in mirrors, names itself with signature whistles and hunts cooperatively.

3

African Grey Parrot

Parrot famous for using hundreds of words in context rather than parroting them back.

4

Orangutan

Great ape that builds nests, uses leaf tools and solves puzzles with unusual patience.

5

African Elephant

Long-memoried herd animal that mourns its dead and passes migration routes down generations.

6

Crow

Corvid that bends wire into hooks, plans several steps ahead and remembers human faces for years.

7

Octopus

Invertebrate with neurons spread through its arms, known for opening jars and escaping tanks.

8

Pig

Farm animal that learns joystick video games and outperforms dogs on some problem-solving tests.

9

Dog

Domestic dog, carrying roughly 530 million cortical neurons and an unmatched talent for reading human gestures.

10

Cat

Domestic cat, with about 250 million cortical neurons and a well-documented refusal to perform on demand.

11

Orca

Apex predator with distinct hunting cultures and dialects passed between pods.

12

Raccoon

Urban problem-solver that beats latches, lids and bins that were designed to stop it.

13

Horse

Herd animal that reads human facial expressions and remembers people who treated it well.

14

Squirrel

Rodent that caches thousands of nuts and fakes burials when it suspects it is being watched.