In a major breakthrough that reshapes our scientific understanding of animal intelligence, a series of studies published in Science in early 2025 confirm that advanced intelligence on Earth evolved independently at least twice—once in mammals and once in birds. This finding, as reported by Quanta Magazine and summarized in Wired (wired.com), challenges longstanding assumptions about the origins of cognition in vertebrates and could hold profound implications for neuroscience, artificial intelligence, and the global search for intelligent life.
For decades, humans have considered our capacity for math, abstraction, and logic as unparalleled. Yet, growing evidence has shown that many bird species—ranging from crows and ravens to cockatoos and chickadees—display remarkable intelligence. These birds demonstrate future planning, tool use, problem-solving, and memory feats that rival those of primates, all with brains that are dramatically smaller and anatomically distinct from mammals. For instance, crows have been observed crafting tools, while chickadees can recall the locations of thousands of seeds cached across an area—behaviors once thought reserved for mammals with large, layered neocortices.
The latest research addresses a central evolutionary debate: Did intelligence in birds and mammals stem from a single common ancestor, or did complex thinking emerge independently in each group? While the fossil record cannot resolve the brain structure of the ancient vertebrate ancestor from over 300 million years ago (Science), cutting-edge neurobiology has offered new tools to tackle this puzzle.
The two new studies employed single-cell RNA sequencing—a powerful technique that tracks the development and differentiation of individual brain cells—to compare the brain circuits of birds, mammals, and reptiles from their embryonic origins through maturity. The findings revealed that, despite functionally similar circuits in adult animals, the mammalian neocortex and the avian dorsal ventricular ridge (DVR) develop from different embryonic regions, at distinct times and through divergent pathways (Quanta Magazine). This strongly supports the hypothesis that intelligence-rich brain regions in birds and mammals evolved independently, rather than by direct inheritance from a common ancestor.
Expert perspectives underscore the significance of these findings. A neurobiologist from the Achucarro Basque Center for Neuroscience said, “We tried to put everything together,” referring to the study’s synthesis of developmental and adult brain structure data. An evolutionary neuroscientist from Heidelberg University observed, “You can build the same circuits from different cell types,” indicating the flexibility and creativity of evolution in generating intelligence. A senior expert from Ruhr University Bochum highlighted that a 10-gram bird brain achieves cognitive feats on par with a 400-gram chimp brain, raising the perennial question: “How is it possible?”
Notably, the results partially reconcile a decades-long debate between two scientific camps. One, following the pioneering work of a renowned neuroanatomist at MIT, believed similarities between avian and mammalian brains signified shared ancestry. Another, led by an anatomist at the University of Murcia, argued that key cognitive regions arose independently, based on embryonic development. The new studies suggest both perspectives hold partial truths: some neural machinery is inherited, yet crucial cognitive circuits evolved more than once on their own.
For Thailand, where birds play prominent roles in culture and ecology—such as the iconic myna and the revered garuda—these findings enrich our appreciation of avian intelligence. Thai schools and science education can now present animal cognition as a dynamic tapestry of evolutionary invention rather than a simplistic ladder leading to humans. This nuanced perspective can inspire new educational initiatives and public awareness campaigns, especially as interest in biodiversity and conservation grows.
Historically, bird brains were dismissed by Western scientists as “unspecified balls of neurons,” underpinning the Thai phrase “brain like a bird” (“สมองนก”) as a mild insult in local vernacular. However, renowned research on parrots like Alex and observations of tool-using crows have steadily eroded this stereotype. Modern neuroscience now confirms that intelligence is not the strict preserve of large-brained mammals, but rather a trait that evolution can foster in remarkably different neural architectures.
Looking ahead, these discoveries open new avenues in neuroscience and artificial intelligence. Understanding the different evolutionary paths to complex thinking could help researchers design new AI algorithms inspired not just by the human brain but also by innovative solutions found in nature. As one graduate student from KU Leuven noted, “We are not this optimal solution to intelligence”—birds have solved the puzzle of cognition “on their own.” This could also affect how scientists search for intelligent life elsewhere in the universe: if intelligence can arise independently on the same planet, it suggests similar processes may occur on exoplanets with vertebrate or even entirely novel life forms.
Thai readers should take away a practical lesson: intelligence is not defined by brain size or familiar anatomy, but by the creative power of evolutionary trial and error. This insight is relevant for education systems, where fostering creativity and adaptation is increasingly valued. Schools might introduce more hands-on science projects that encourage students to observe and learn from local wildlife, appreciating the hidden intelligence in animals around us.
For policymakers and conservationists, these results underline the importance of protecting diverse animal species, as each represents a unique evolutionary experiment in cognition. Thailand’s rich natural heritage—including rainforests and wetlands frequented by intelligent birds—should be safeguarded not only for ecological health but for the intellectual marvels they contain.
In conclusion, the next time a Thai child watches a magpie solve a puzzle or a cockatoo deftly open a fruit, they can know they are witnessing the outcome of millions of years of evolutionary ingenuity—a testament to intelligence as nature’s repeated triumph. Thai schools, researchers, and families alike are encouraged to foster curiosity about the natural world, challenge old assumptions, and celebrate the rich diversity of minds that share our planet.
For further reading, see Wired’s report on vertebrate intelligence, the primary coverage from Quanta Magazine, and the original research in Science.