Alien Minds: Evidence of intelligence in coleoid cephalopods

Abstract

Cephalopods are a group of animals that are becoming increasingly popular subjects for cognitive studies, but they are not well-known for their intelligence outisde the scientific world. A literature review was conducted to determine what “intelligence” is, and to what extent the scientific literature supports the idea of cephalopods being intelligent animals. A definition of intelligence as an animal’s degree of mental and behavioural flexibility was established based on a review of existing definitions, and possible driving forces behind the evolution of cephalopod intelligence were discussed. A review of the evidence for cephalopod intelligence was conducted; topics investigated included learning, problem-solving, decision-making, communication, play behaviour, personalities, tool-use, mirror self-recognition, and neural properties. Cephalopods were found to be intelligent beings by virtue of their learning, problem-solving and decision-making abilities. Other areas of investigation, such as play and personality, were suggestive of intelligence but were not conclusive. The information from the literature review was then used to write a non-fiction book on the topic of cephalopod intelligence aimed at a lay adult audience. The book combined studies from the literature review with personal anecdotes and experiences to both educate and entertain the reader.