Elephant cognition

Elephant cognition is <a href="/facts/Animal_cognition/LpP3H18I">animal cognition</a> as present in <a href="/facts/Elephant/6prrEFFK">elephants</a>. Most contemporary <a href="/facts/Ethology/dM3CpysA">ethologists</a> view the elephant as one of the world's most intelligent animals. Elephants manifest a wide variety of behaviors, including those associated with <a href="/facts/Grief/9Y3McC1V">grief</a>, <a href="/facts/Learning/lehEKRjC">learning</a>, <a href="/facts/Mimicry/ve3GVt7o">mimicry</a>, <a href="/facts/Playing/72zJ5jYn">playing</a>, <a href="/facts/Altruism/ztvkVwW1">altruism</a>, <a href="/facts/Tool_use_by_animals/F0RnHLJj">tool use</a>, <a href="/facts/Compassion/ae69R3fb">compassion</a>, <a href="/facts/Cooperation/G7HKPKXj">cooperation</a>, <a href="/facts/Self-awareness/e3Wh7bFx">self-awareness</a>, <a href="/facts/Memory/zucwQIEX">memory</a>, and <a href="/facts/Animal_communication/nHBjVw3c">communication</a>. Recent evidence suggests that elephants may understand <a href="/facts/Pointing/FMhVY8HR">pointing</a>, the ability to <a href="/facts/Nonverbal_communication/Fq7EdXMW">nonverbally communicate</a> an object by extending a finger, or equivalent.
An elephant brain weighs around 5 kg (11 lb), which is about four times the size of a <a href="/facts/Human_brain/qfSwSB8K">human brain</a> and the heaviest of any <a href="/facts/Terrestrial_animal/AhP2mont">terrestrial animal</a>. It has about 257 billion <a href="/facts/Neuron/G7CyTVdH">neurons</a>, which is about three times the number of neurons as a human brain. However, the <a href="/facts/Cerebral_cortex/GpXosGHP">cerebral cortex</a>, which is the major center of cognition, has only about one-third of the number of neurons as a human's cerebral cortex. While elephant brains look similar to those of humans and other mammals and has the same functional areas, there are certain unique structural differences. 
The intelligence of elephants are described to be on par with <a href="/facts/Cetaceans/rtC33h63">cetaceans</a> and various <a href="/facts/Primate/Hl8RNE2X">primates</a>. Due to its higher cognitive intelligence and presence of family ties, researchers and wildlife experts argue that it is morally wrong for humans to kill them. <a href="/facts/Aristotle/U2bDlBFW">Aristotle</a> described the elephant as "the animal that surpasses all others in wit and <a href="/facts/Nous/hvSmlHNB">mind</a>."

Elephant cognition open-in-new

Elephant cognition