We typically think of apes to be the most “human” of all animals. But when it comes to understanding us, dogs actually understand humans better than any other animal.
At the University of Vienna’s “Clever Dog Lab”, researchers have devised several experiments that show just how savvy dogs can be. For example, researchers held two containers, one empty and the other containing food, in front of chimpanzees and dogs. Then they pointed to the correct container. The canines understood the gesture immediately, while the apes, genetically much more closely related to humans, were often perplexed by the pointing finger.
That's not all. Many dogs were even capable of interpreting the researcher's gaze. When the scientists looked at container, the dogs would search inside for food, but when they looked in the direction of the container but focused on a point above it on the wall, the dogs were able to understand that this was not meant as a sign.
It also seems to be genetic—puppies were able to recognize these cues before human influence.
Here's the entire story, with thanks to Tyler Cowen's Marginal Revolution blog for the link:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,504508,00.html
Recent Comments