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Elephants can recognize their own reflection, showing self-awareness seen before only in humans, great apes and bottlenose dolphins, scientists say.
US researchers made the discovery by studying the behaviour of Asian elephants in front of a tall mirror.
One of the animals repeatedly touched a white cross painted on her forehead - a classic test used to assess mirror self-recognition in children and apes.
Many animals will respond to a mirror but very few show any evidence that they recognise themselves in the reflection.
Canines, for example, will react to the "other dog" and will even look behind the mirror to try to find it.
'Happy' passed the 'X' test
The Asian elephants in this study also displayed this type of behaviour when standing in front of a 2.5m-by-2.5m mirror - they inspected the rear and brought food close to the mirror for consumption.
But one of the elephants, called "Happy", went to the next level: she began repeatedly touching a painted "X" on her head with her trunk.
The mark could only be seen in the mirror, and the elephant ignored another mark made with colourless paint that was also on her forehead to ensure she was not merely reacting to a smell or feeling.
"The social complexity of the elephant, its well-known altruistic behaviour and, of course, its huge brain, made the elephant a logical candidate species for testing in front of a mirror."
Biju.
US researchers made the discovery by studying the behaviour of Asian elephants in front of a tall mirror.
One of the animals repeatedly touched a white cross painted on her forehead - a classic test used to assess mirror self-recognition in children and apes.
Many animals will respond to a mirror but very few show any evidence that they recognise themselves in the reflection.
Canines, for example, will react to the "other dog" and will even look behind the mirror to try to find it.
'Happy' passed the 'X' test
The Asian elephants in this study also displayed this type of behaviour when standing in front of a 2.5m-by-2.5m mirror - they inspected the rear and brought food close to the mirror for consumption.
But one of the elephants, called "Happy", went to the next level: she began repeatedly touching a painted "X" on her head with her trunk.
The mark could only be seen in the mirror, and the elephant ignored another mark made with colourless paint that was also on her forehead to ensure she was not merely reacting to a smell or feeling.
"The social complexity of the elephant, its well-known altruistic behaviour and, of course, its huge brain, made the elephant a logical candidate species for testing in front of a mirror."
Biju.
z...thankz for sharin anyway 
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:laugh: 
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