Chimpanzees Are Better Than College Students

Humans like to think they’re superior, but they’re not. Humans think that because they’re intelligent, can communicate clearly, and can use tools that they’re better. However, this is not the case. There are animals that can do all of these things.
Humans are not the only organisms that use their brain. In fact, chimpanzees have been reported to be better at retaining information than college students (“Chimps Are Smarter Than Us”). A test conducted on chimpanzees and college students’ memories revealed chimpanzees to be more successful at memorization. Many studies and experiments have shown that a primate’s intelligence could rival a human’s. For example, two scientists from Yale took a group of Capuchin monkeys and taught them the concept of money. Once the Capuchins understood they could use the money to get them things they wanted, they began to use the money to purchase sex (Puiu). The Capuchins paid for the sex used their money to purchase more food, realizing early on they could buy much more if they offered themselves to others. Capuchins’ capacity for understanding is greater than they are credited, as are most animals’. Their ability to communicate clearly is also often overlooked.
For example, a western lowland gorilla named Koko has been taught a modified version of American Sign Language and has the equivalent of a three year old’s vocabulary (Morin). Another animal taught how to communicate using a human language was the African Grey parrot, Alex. Alex’s handler taught him a variety of words which Alex was able to use to create sentences to answer questions and communicate what he wanted ("ALEX - One of the Most Smartest Parrots Ever!"). Alex could actually understand the language and form sentences. The fact that animals such as parrots and gorillas can learn a language to communicate with humans is a testament to their intelligence. There have even been cases of animals using tools to get to