Humans Are The Smartest And Dumbest Animal Of All Time, Argues Biologist

The ancient Greeks, Aztecs, and Hindus all envisioned gods that represented both creation and destruction simultaneously, and it’s often noted that these double-edged deities reflect an inherent duality at the heart of human nature. Expanding on this idea, a professor from the prestigious Max Planck Institute for Biological Intelligence suggests that our unrivalled intelligence, coupled with our frustrating lack of wisdom, may render us both the smartest and the stupidest species ever to exist.

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Seeking to identify the one thing that sets us apart from the rest of the animal kingdom, Wolfgang Goymann explains that while our intellect is clearly superior to that of other creatures, it would be wrong to suggest that intelligence is unique to humanity. “Even invertebrates such as insects with relatively small brains show surprising mental capabilities, thereby challenging the myth of human exceptionalism,” he writes.

Indeed, recent studies have indicated that the humble honey bee possesses a remarkable talent for mathematics and can even learn to use Morse code. Other animals, such as crows, have also displayed surprisingly advanced cognitive abilities.

Goymann then discusses a suggestion made by one of his colleagues that humans may be the only species capable of using contraceptives to prevent reproduction. Once again, however, he notes that we are not alone in this regard, as certain species of female birds have been shown to reject mates’ sperm, while some rodents can even abort their embryos.

“So, what else could make us humans special and distinguish us from other species on Earth?” asks the author. Taking a more pessimistic approach, he ponders that “maybe we are the first species to cause a mass extinction of species on Earth.”

Yet even this achievement is not unique to humans, as two of the five previous mass extinctions were, in fact, triggered by living organisms. On both occasions, plants were the culprit, with the first photosynthesizers causing a mass die-off by flooding the world with oxygen 2.7 billion years ago, while a later diversification of plant life resulted in a global cooling event that led to the Late Devonian mass extinction 360 million years ago.

According to Goymann, what ultimately sets us apart from these killer vegetables is that “for sure we are the first organism with a brain and the cognitive abilities that may cause a mass extinction knowingly with eyes wide open.” Furthermore, he says, unlike these previous agents of global destruction, we may be on course to wipe ourselves out along with the rest of life on Earth.

These concerns mirror those raised by other researchers who have repeatedly pointed out that human activities may have already initiated a sixth mass extinction, with huge numbers of species being lost every year. “So, in terms of cognitive abilities perhaps we are both the smartest and the dumbest creature planet Earth has ever seen!” writes Goymann.

Of course, others may argue that our capacity to create art, perform symbolic behaviors, or use language is the true marker of humanity’s singular genius. Undeniably, though, if we do sleepwalk into a global catastrophe, then our lasting legacy will ultimately be the result of being too clever for our own good.

Fortunately, however, all is not lost, and Goymann ends his appraisal of our virtues as a species by pointing out that we still have the time – and the intelligence – to save ourselves. “Imagine, all the billions of Dollars, Euros, Roubles, and Renminbis that are currently spent on producing arms and weapons could be spent on solving the climate and biodiversity crisis, instead,” he writes. 

“All of humanity's major problems would be solved in no time – what a no-brainer!”

The editorial piece is published in the journal Ethology.