Top 10 Animals with the Greatest Memory and Intelligence

Man is one of those who have the greatest ability to remember. Our ability to remember distinguishes us from animals. However, although we can store information in the short and long term and store it in our subconscious, sometimes we also forget where we left our house keys or the name of the street where we parked our car.

For this reason, numerous scientific studies indicate that this ability is not unique to humans. There are animals with memories similar to ours that are able to remember their loved ones for years, even if they had no contact during this time. In fact, some species also have better short-term memory than us, such as cats, so we are not so different from them.

Some animals process information differently than humans because they do not have episodic memory to store information, but rather associative memory. Despite this, they are able to remember and internalize certain concepts and actions. In addition, some animals' brains are ready to recognize important data from other species. Thanks to urine tracks, for example, an elephant can determine the direction in which another elephant is moving or the state of its health, even if it does not belong to its group.

Likewise, some species learn through observation. Cats learn by watching their mothers hunt, bathe, or look for food. For this reason, they quickly remember some of our actions, for example, how to open a kitchen cabinet or how to close a door.

Other animals, such as the octopus, have two memories instead of one. They are connected to each other, although they are separated. In addition, they possess between 100 and 500 brain cells, making them one of the invertebrates with the greatest memory and intelligence. Let's design the top 10 animals that have the greatest memory.

10th place: Pisces.

Having a “fish memory” has always been associated with something negative. However, MacEwan University studied African cichlids and showed that these fish have complex behavior. In addition, during the experiment, the cichlids were able to remember the exact area of the aquarium in which they received their “prize”, despite the fact that it took them 12 days to do so.

9th place: Dog.

Even though dogs are believed to have short-term memory, we rank them 9th on the list of animals with the greatest memory. Dogs remember using “associative memory”: this is how they learn basic rules and commands related to words or actions. In addition, they are able to remember us by the sound of our voice or the smell of our body.

8th place: Bee.

Bees are able to navigate difficult conditions and determine the route to their hive. In addition, they quickly assimilate and remember the color and smell of flowers that provide them with nectar or pollen.

7th place: Nutcracker bird.

This bird has a very strong spatial memory, as they are able to remember the exact location of about 30,000 pecans. Nutcrackers locate the trees where their food is located. In addition, unlike humans, their memory does not deteriorate over the years.

6th place: Cat.

Cats have a great capacity for short-term memory. A person's short-term memory lasts no more than 30 seconds, so sometimes we don't remember where we put our mobile phone. However, cats can retain short-term information for at least ten minutes, no matter what distractions they may encounter along the way.

5th place: Octopus.

An octopus is an invertebrate creature that has two types of memory: short-term and long-term. The difference between an octopus and a human is that both memories of this species are connected to each other. For this reason, in moments of survival, they can improve long-term memory as it controls the speed of remembering.

4th place: Sea lion.

This animal has a great ability to remember. The University of California has proven that Rio, a sea lion, can remember a game she was taught ten years earlier. Ten years later, Rio was able to identify numbers and letters, even though she no longer played the game.

3rd place: Chimpanzee.

Chimpanzees have an excellent photographic memory. According to a study conducted by Kyoto University, these animals can remember images even if they have only seen them for a few seconds. In addition, their ability to retain information does not change even if the time they watch the image decreases.

2nd place: Elephant.

Elephants have one of the largest brains among mammals. This species has the ability to navigate by scent and create mental maps to avoid losing track of its pack members. Additionally, according to the University of St. Andrews, the species can tell from urine trails what kind of elephant it is and which direction it is going.

1st place: Dolphin.

According to a study published by the University of Chicago in 2013, dolphins are able to recognize the whistling of an ex-mate even 20 years later, as was the case with two female dolphins named Bailey and Ellie. They lived together for the first few years of their lives and immediately recognized each other after 20 years apart.