The ability to cooperate and develop complex social structures is thought to be a good marker for intelligence. Considering how most people can't even agree on what kind of take-out food to order, this is worrying. When we talk about non-human intelligence, we're often still in the realms of primates, but a study has shown that hyenas out-perform their primate counterparts when it comes to cooperative problem solving. This is a bit of a blow, seeing as we've always thought that's something we're pretty good at. In the study, the hyenas were required to tug two ropes in unison in order to earn a reward. When primates are given a task like this, they usually require extensive training and, even then, don't always get it. The hyenas, however, breezed in and solved the problem quickly, with no prior training and in virtual silence. They mostly relied on non-verbal communication, using long held gazes and mirroring one another. Most of them figured it out in less than two minutes. Interestingly, the social context affected the hyenas' behaviour. When two dominant females were paired together, they did not want to cooperate at all. When dominant and naive hyenas were paired together, the dominant animal actually switched roles to be submissive, allowing the naive animal to learn. Once the naive hyena became experienced, the dominant animal switched back. So, if wild dogs can work together effectively, you can grin and bear that corporate teambuilding weekend.
