Cainii sunt mai inteligenti decat pisicile,spune un studiu recent al Universitatii Oxford. Dogs are „smarter than cats”.

 

Un studiu demarat de prestigioasa Universitate engleza Oxford, sustine ca cel mai bun prieten al omului este mai inteligent decat pisica. Rezultatul cercetarilor se doreste a fi un agument final care sa puna capat, odata pentru totdeuna, tachinarilor ironice si rivalitatii dintre iubitorii de caini si cei de pisici.

Inteligenta cainilor a evoluat in timp cu o rata mai mare decat cea a pisicilor. S-a crezut, pana nu demult, ca picicile sunt mai inteligente decat cainii, pe baza faptului ca nu au o viata sociala, nu au nevoie de atentia oamenilor si reusesc sa supravietuiasca singure.

Insa, cercetatorii au descoperit ca pisicile au creierul proportional mai mic decat al cainlor, tocmai datorita faptului ca acestea nu au o viata sociala atat de complexa precum a prietenilor latratori.

In premiera, cercetatorii britanici au contorizat istoria evolutionara a creierelor diferitelor grupe de mamifere, pe o perioada istorica de peste 60 milioane ani. Au descoperit, asadar, o legatura evidenta intre dimensiunea creierului proportional cu restul corpului si gradul vietii sociale a mamiferului in cauza.

A reiesit ca mamiferele cu cele mai mari creiere tind sa traiasca in grupuri sociale stabile in genul maimutelor, porcilor, delfinilor si cailor. La polul opus, s-au situat mamiferele solitare, precum felinele, rinocerii sau cervidele.

„Toti cainii se pricep de minune sa rezolve problemele aparute, ceea ce trimite cu gandul la legendara inteligenta a vulpilor, lupilor si sacalilor, stramosii directi ai cainilor de astazi”, susine Dr. Susanne Shultz, cercetator principal in cadrul studiului.

 

Researchers have discovered that cat’s brains are smaller because they are less social

Photo: REX

Dogs are ‘smarter than cats’

Dogs are cleverer than cats because their friendly character has helped them develop bigger brains, a study set to end the argument between pet lovers has shown.

The intelligence of “a man’s best friend” has evolved at a greater rate than the less social cat over millions of years, scientists at Oxford University have claimed.

It was often thought that the feline pet was smarter than its canine counterpart because it needed less attention but researchers have discovered that cat’s brains are smaller because they are less social.

For the first time scientists have charted the evolutionary history of the brain across different groups of mammals over 60 million years and identified huge variations in how their brains have changed. 

22 Nov 2010

They found that there was a link between the size of an animal’s brain in relation to the rest of its body and how socially active it was.

The study analysed available data on the brain and body size of over 500 species of living and fossilised mammals. The brains of monkeys grew the most over time followed by horses, dolphins, camels and dogs.

It found that groups of mammals with relatively bigger brains tended to live in stable social groups. The brains of more solitary mammals such as cats, deer and rhino, grew much more slowly during the same period.

Previous research had suggested that the growth rate of the brain relative to body size followed a general trend across all animal groups.

The study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences overturns this view, showing there is a wide variation in patterns of brain growth across different groups of mammals and not all of them have larger brains – suggesting social animals had to think more.

Dr Susanne Shultz, who led the research, said: “Dogs have always been regarded as the more social animals while cats like to get on with their own thing alone. But it appears that interaction is good for the brain and extends to other species, like ourselves.

“We are even more social than monkeys and apes and it is this ability to get on with each other that has helped us dominate the planet.

“This study overturns the long-held belief that brain size has increased across all mammals. Instead, groups of highly social species have undergone much more rapid increases than more solitary species.

“This suggests the co-operation and co-ordination needed for group living can be challenging and over time some mammals have evolved larger brains to be able to cope with the demands of socialising.”

Dr Shultz added: “All dogs are quite good at solving problems, which gives credence to the traditional image of the cunning fox which is a member of the same family. Dogs descended from wolves which appear to have the biggest brains as they live in large family groups.”

By The Telegraph