Intelligent species roaming the Earth

Most people assume the apex species for intelligence is homo sapiens sapiens, humans. I don’t think so. There’s stiff competition. I think humans, as a whole, have a long way to go to pull off the No. 1 spot.

In the traditional classes of vertebrates (have a backbone, skull and internal skeleton) in the animal kingdom, there are mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and fish. Mammals and birds are warm-blooded. The rest are cold-blooded.

The warm-blooded vertebrates all have high levels of intelligence. They can think, can reason.  An exception among the invertebrates is the octopus, a mollusk, a remarkable creature. I also believe that mammals and birds have souls. Look into your cat’s or dog’s or horse’s eyes and tell me: “Nah. Just a dumb animal. No soul.” Some people are on that page.

Most of you are with me on this. My measure for this soul-possessing factor is whether a species exhibits kindness, love. Not just developing behaviors necessary to have their needs met (begging for food or cuddling to share your warmth, for example) but actually bonding with another creature. Sometimes one not of their own species. Showing kindness, empathy, love,  which to me are the top attributes to sentient species that possess souls.

Certainly, we see this with elephants, proven to mourn their dead. Koko the Gorilla, who famously used sign language to ask for a kitten she then cared for as her baby, wailed and cried when it died. Mr. Rogers visited Koko. The gorilla instantly recognized the star of her favorite TV show.  During Mr. Rogers’ visit, Koko hugged him and signed “love” several times. There’s a video of their interactions on YouTube. Robin Williams also visited her and made her laugh.  

Swans mate for life with research showing 99% of them remain faithful. Penguins go to great lengths to find just the right rock or pebble to gift to their mate (OK, could be part of the mating ritual … but it seems very sweet to me). Dolphins have been credited with rescuing humans who are drowning or protecting them from sharks. Otters kiss and hold hands with each other and share cherished stones with humans who have been kind to them. I love to watch otters. Fascinating, endlessly busy critters, but with a mouth full of razor-like teeth. So don’t piss one off. Prairie voles are also lifelong mates and show neurological signs of empathy for a partner who is hurting. Empathy for any creature is evidence of kindness, i.e. love.

An exception for an invertebrate: Octopi are widely considered to be exceptionally intelligent. They exhibit a tremendous capacity for reasoning, thought processes, trust. But love is a reach from a scientific aspect. Some things interpreted as affection are often a learned behavior with a transactional aspect. The movie with Sally Field, “Remarkably Bright Creatures,” romanticizes her co-star mollusk’s behaviors. Great movie, though the book is better.

Long story short, humans are not the only intelligent species on the planet with a capacity to show kindness, to love. Worldwide, humankind is sadly lacking in presenting kindness as a dominant feature of human nature. On the whole, dolphins, gorillas, otters and several other species are better at being empathic than humans. The golden rule is embraced by a broad swathe of this planet’s inhabitants. Be kind. To all creatures. They live (and love) here, too.