What's the most intelligent creature on earth?

I have embraced the joke, "Will they ever find intelligent life on earth?" The idea behind this joke, of course, is that we really don't qualify. What about other species? I'm pretty sure they don't qualify, but this does raise an interesting question. Are humans the most intelligent creatures on earth?


We have spoken and written language. We can create various forms of machines to accomplish tasks for us. No other species on this planet seems capable of accomplishing what we have done. It might seem obvious that we are the most intelligent. There's one slight problem. These advantages are not strictly due to intelligence.

Humans have opposable thumbs. We can walk upright. We also have a complex enough vocal system that allows spoken language. These are not signs of intelligence, but they can contribute to the idea that we might be classified by some as intelligent.

Some cetaceans are known to communicate through sounds, but none of them have the means to write things down. This prohibits them from creating more complicated language or sharing information between generations.

I'm not going to go into detail about how other traits clearly benefit humanity. But the cetacean situation can be quite intriguing. They are generally considered to be among the more intelligent animals. I could make arguments about other animals such as some of the more intelligent birds and non-human primates. The reason cetaceans are interesting is because they have large brains, and they clearly lack the mobility and dexterity of humans.

Are we the dominant species because of intelligence? Is it because of our physical advantages? More than likely, it's a combination of both. This would ultimately mean that more intelligent species might not be as advanced due to their physical limitations. What we point to as proof of our intelligence is insufficient to establish us as the most intelligent creatures on earth.

I'm not saying we are dumber than dolphins. What I am saying is that I need a little more evidence before I will accept that we are the most intelligent species on earth. This can be a little more complicated when you take into account my belief that intelligence cannot be measured.