Which animals can recognize themselves in the mirror: the result of this study amazed scientists

Scientists say that the ability to recognize oneself in a mirror is not unique to humans. Recent studies have shown that some animals are also able to realize that they are looking at their reflection.

The animals were tested for signs of self-awareness. The details were reported by Live Science.

The first such experiments were conducted in 1970 with chimpanzees. Four monkeys were put under anesthesia and red marks were made on their faces. When they woke up, the chimps looked at the marks in a mirror, probably realizing that they were seeing themselves.

A similar study was conducted in 1973 with orangutans: they also recognized themselves and reacted to unusual marks on their bodies.

In a 1994 study, scientists observed bonobos looking in a mirror to examine parts of their bodies that they could not see on their own.

An Asian elephant from the Bronx Zoo was also able to recognize itself in a mirror.

In addition, according to scientists, experiments conducted in 1995 and 2001 proved that dolphins can distinguish their own reflections.

However, not all primates showed positive results. Frans de Waal, a primatologist at Emory University, conducted self-awareness tests on capuchin monkeys, and the results were disappointing.

In 2008, using the example of Eurasian magpies, scientists found the first evidence that not only mammals are capable of mirror self-recognition.

In 2022, wild Adélie penguins showed signs of mirror self-awareness, although they did not respond to colored bibs placed around their necks

It seems incredible that even ants can have some self-awareness. In a study conducted in 2015, ants tried to remove blue paint from their heads by looking at their reflection. Two studies have shown that fish are also likely to recognize themselves: manta rays blew bubbles when shown a mirror.

Other scientists question the results of such studies. It seems unconvincing that primitive organisms and even fish passed the "mirror test" while, for example, African gray parrots did not. It remains unclear whether some animals, birds, and fish really realize that they see their reflection in the mirror or just react to some movements.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA reported what cats see when they look in the mirror.

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