Who's Smarter Cats or Dogs? Science Has Found a Clear Winner

[rangerrebew]

Who's Smarter Cats or Dogs? Science Has Found a Clear Winner

    December 3, 2017

by Philip Perry
 

Ever wonder about the intelligence of various animals and how they measure up? Researchers at Vanderbilt University decided to find out. Specifically, they chose a subsection of mammals called carnivorans. This group has 250 species, each with sharp teeth and claws, which allow them to hunt other animals.

Scientists picked this group because it contains both carnivores and omnivores. It also has a wide range of domesticated and wild species. Carnivorans outsmart their prey, which was believed to be particularly demanding, cognitively. Because of this, it was assumed that they’d developed more sophisticated brains than herbivores—whose food doesn’t run or fight back. Plant eaters also tend to rely on safety in numbers. This study discovered something different, however.

 http://bigthink.com/philip-perry/whose-smarter-cats-or-dogs-science-has-found-a-clear-winner

[Cripplecreek]

Speaking of felines, how do cats and dogs measure up? Previous findings had cats ahead at 300 million neurons to a dogs roughly 160 million. In this latest study however, dogs were on top, with 530 million cortical neurons to cats 250 million. Just for comparison, humans have around 16 billion such neurons. Even so, dogs were way above other carnivores in the brain power department. “Our findings mean to me that dogs have the biological capability of doing much more complex and flexible things with their lives than cats can,” Herculano-Houzel said.

Humans have been breeding smarter dogs for a long time.

[Fishrrman]

"Speaking of felines, how do cats and dogs measure up? Previous findings had cats ahead at 300 million neurons to a dogs roughly 160 million. In this latest study however, dogs were on top, with 530 million cortical neurons to cats 250 million. Just for comparison, humans have around 16 billion such neurons. Even so, dogs were way above other carnivores in the brain power department. “Our findings mean to me that dogs have the biological capability of doing much more complex and flexible things with their lives than cats can,” Herculano-Houzel said."

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Pic from article:
(poor kitty looks like he's wondering "what am I doing here?")