☝️ TLDR: Great apes are among the smartest animals on Earth, but they cannot actually speak sign language or ask questions
Apes are considered some of the smartest animals on Earth, but how smart are apes, really? We look deeper into the fascinating abilities of our closest relatives in the animal kingdom.
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Great apes have shown remarkable intelligence. A famous example is Koko the gorilla, who learned more than 1,000 signs in sign language. However, despite the common misconception, apes don’t “speak” sign language the way humans do. Instead, they learn signs similarly to how dogs learn commands — by associating gestures with actions or objects. They can respond to questions but can’t ask their own, a key difference from human language development.
You might wonder, are apes smart compared to other animals, like monkeys? Great apes lack tails and have larger brains relative to their body size, leading to more advanced cognitive abilities, while monkeys generally have tails and smaller brain mass. Apes have the capacity for problem-solving, tool use, and empathy. They can process complex tasks and have better memory than other species.
Among animals, the smartest ape would likely be the chimpanzee or bonobo. Beyond tool use, their brain structure allows them to excel in social learning and communication. While apes don’t have the capacity for higher-level reasoning that humans do, they’re far more advanced than most animals in areas like mimicking behaviors.
📌 Fun Fact: Apes can recognize themselves in mirrors!
A fun fact about great apes is that they can recognize themselves in mirrors, showing a level of self-awareness that only a few animal species possess. Chimpanzees, for example, will use a mirror to examine parts of their body they can’t normally see, a trait not commonly found in animals!
Here is a list of the smartest animals on the planet and what they can do!
| 🐵 Animal | 🧠 Example of Intelligence |
| Chimpanzee | Uses tools, can learn sign language, solves complex problems. |
| Dolphin | Exhibits self-awareness, uses echolocation, works in groups to hunt fish. |
| Elephant | Displays empathy, remembers routes and watering holes, uses tools to scratch or dig. |
| Crow | Uses tools to obtain food, solves puzzles, can remember human faces. |
| Orangutan | Uses leaves as umbrellas, exhibits advanced problem-solving, and mimics humans. |
| African Grey Parrot | Can learn and use hundreds of words, understands basic concepts like colors and shapes. |
| Octopus | Escapes enclosures, uses coconut shells as protection, solves mazes. |
| Pig | Can navigate mazes, recognizes symbols, and demonstrates excellent memory. |
| Dog | Learns commands, recognizes human emotions, can detect diseases like cancer. |
| Raven | Solves multi-step problems, communicates with complex vocalizations. |
Source
Progress in Brain Research, Volume 195
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