Goats Found To Be Much Smarter Than Previously Believed
Thursday, March 27, 2014 - 11:31
in Biology & Nature
Smart goat A goat pulling a lever (A), lifting a lever (B), and enjoying the "fruit" of its labor (C). Briefer et al. / Frontiers in Zoology You think goats are dumb? Think again. New research found that most goats tested could quickly figure out how to solve a "mechanical puzzle" that yielded a delicious piece of fruit. In this case they had to pull on and then lift up a lever, a "highly novel cognitive task." Completing this two-step process caused a box to open, within which was a piece of fruit. Of the 12 goats tested, nine of them got it within fewer than a dozen trials on average. Two of them were disqualified for trying to pry open the fruit-box with their horns, which actually might have been a smart idea...