Elephants also know how to mirror

When standing in front of a large-sized mirror, the elephants recognize the reflection and start tattooing inside their mouths and ears. Such self-awareness behavior is very rare.

Earlier scientists believed that only humans, gibbons and dolphins had the ability to identify themselves. These animals are very intelligent and empathetic, a quality that relates to self-understanding.

" They all have complex living environments including high levels of cooperation, altruism and big brains ," said study author Frans de Waal, a professor of psychology at Emory University in Atlanta.

In the study, de Waal and colleagues put three adult elephants Happy, Patty and Maxine in front of a large mirror at the Bronx Zoo in New York.

Usually animals respond to the images they see in the mirror. They often find ways to look behind. Parrots, dogs and cats all have that behavior. But 3 elephants react differently to mirror images. Each child plays the game by tilting his head, cock and body into and out of the mirror. They even brought food to the mirror and watched him eat.

(Photo: unverse.net)

Maxine raised the hose and brought it into her mouth, as if she were exploring inside her mouth. It also uses a hose to pull the ear to the front of the mirror.

Next, the researchers wiped two streaks of painted X-shaped on the foreheads of the elephants. An invisible streak is only controlled by taste and touch. The other streak is clearly visible. This test is a scientific benchmark to determine whether an animal recognizes itself in a mirror.

As soon as Happy saw the paint stain, he touched the tap on the spot in front of the mirror. She did it 47 times. However, Maxine and Patty ignored the marks on their foreheads.

" We believe that because elephants like to bathe and throw food and dirt on their backs to store, a small mark on their forehead will not make them pay attention ," Plotnik said. " Chimpanzees and humans groom themselves by picking up dirt from their bodies, while elephants like to plaster their dirt ."

MT