--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It’s a notion that was proposed three…" description: "\"“It’s a notion that was proposed three decades ago by Jane Goodall and her colleague Hans Kummer. The pair made a plea for measuring a wild animal’s in..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f03/jennifer-ackerman-43996_animals_it-s-a-notion-that-was-proposed-three-de_1736065.jpg" --- # It’s a notion that was proposed three decades ago by Jane… ![“It’s a notion that was proposed three decades ago by Jane Goodall and her colleague Hans Kummer. The pair made a plea for measuring a wild animal’s intelligence by looking at its ability to find solutions to problems in its natural setting. What’s needed is an ecological rather than a laboratory…” quote by Jennifer Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f03/jennifer-ackerman-43996_animals_it-s-a-notion-that-was-proposed-three-de_1736065.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f03/jennifer-ackerman-43996_animals_it-s-a-notion-that-was-proposed-three-de_1736065.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/f03/jennifer-ackerman-43996_animals_it-s-a-notion-that-was-proposed-three-de_1736065.jpg) > ““It’s a notion that was proposed three decades ago by Jane Goodall and her colleague Hans Kummer. The pair made a plea for measuring a wild animal’s intelligence by looking at its ability to find solutions to problems in its natural setting. What’s needed is an ecological rather than a laboratory measure of intelligence, they suggested. This can be found in an animal’s ability to innovate in its own environment, “to find a solution to a novel problem, or a novel solution to an old one.”” [Jennifer Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-ackerman/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Intelligence should be measured by how animals solve real-world problems, not lab tests. **In simple terms:** Measure animal intelligence by natural problem solving. Key Takeaway Observe animals in their habitats for innovation. Themes animal intelligence innovation ecology Mood curious analytical Type scientific informative When to use this quote - wildlife research - conservation - education - policy making - null Key Concepts cognitive ecology behavioral adaptation Questions to Reflect On - How can we design field studies to capture animal innovation? - What ethical concerns arise from measuring intelligence in the wild? A Different Perspective Lab tests may not capture true intelligence in natural contexts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Animal Ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal-ability-1475371/) [Animal intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal-intelligence/) [Animals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animals/) [Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence/) [Intelligence Suggested](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/intelligence-suggested-1475373/) [Measure Intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/measure-intelligence-866513/) [Measuring Wild](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/measuring-wild-1475372/) ## Related quotes > [“If there is anything unique about the human animal, it is that it has the ability to grow knowledge at an accelerating rate while…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-gray/if-there-is-anything-unique-about-the-human-animal-it-is-that-it-has/) [John Gray](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-gray/) > [“that general knowledge was not a true measure of intelligence as it only reflected crystalized intelligence and recall and not fluid intelligence and problem…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kierney-scott/that-general-knowledge-was-not-a-true-measure-of-intelligence-as-it/) [Kierney Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kierney-scott/) > [The measure of intelligence is the ability to change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-einstein/the-measure-of-intelligence-is-the-ability-to-change/) [Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-einstein/) > [Because the results are expressed in numbers, it is easy to make the mistake of thinking that the intelligence test is a measure like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/walter-lippmann/because-the-results-are-expressed-in-numbers-it-is-easy-to-make-the/) [Walter Lippmann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/walter-lippmann/) > [The scale, properly speaking, does not permit the measure of the intelligence, because intellectual qualities are not superposable, and therefore cannot be measured as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-binet/the-scale-properly-speaking-does-not-permit-the-measure-of-the/) [Alfred Binet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-binet/) > [“Modern tests of working memory require the individual to switch repeatedly between two demanding tasks, retaining the results of one operation while performing the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-kahneman/modern-tests-of-working-memory-require-the-individual-to-switch/) [Daniel Kahneman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-kahneman/) > [Grades Doesn't measure intelligence and age doesn't define maturity](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sushan-sharma/grades-doesn-t-measure-intelligence-and-age-doesn-t-define-maturity/) [Sushan Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sushan-sharma/) > [“Engagement, and its relationship to the accumulation and processing of information, is a little-studied phenomenon, representing as it does, individual skills rather than those…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sue-savage-rumbaugh/engagement-and-its-relationship-to-the-accumulation-and-processing-of/) [Sue Savage-Rumbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sue-savage-rumbaugh/) > [Don't deceive your self, Your English and Accent isn't a measure of intelligence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dumisani-bafana/don-t-deceive-your-self-your-english-and-accent-isn-t-a-measure-of/) [Dumisani Bafana](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dumisani-bafana/) > [Grades don't always measure intelligence and age doesn't always define maturity..](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/grades-don-t-always-measure-intelligence-and-age-doesn-t-always/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Action is the real measure of intelligence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/action-is-the-real-measure-of-intelligence/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [ \[The\] amount of search is not a measure of the amount of intelligence being exhibited. What makes a problem a problem is not that… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/allen-newell/the-amount-of-search-is-not-a-measure-of-the-amount-of-intelligence/) [Allen Newell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/allen-newell/) > [“By standard intelligence texts, the dogs have failed at the puzzle. I believe, by contrast that they have succeeded magnificently. They have applied a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexandra-horowitz/by-standard-intelligence-texts-the-dogs-have-failed-at-the-puzzle-i/) [Alexandra Horowitz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexandra-horowitz/) > [Perhaps measuring animal intelligence by comparing it to human intelligence isn't the best litmus test.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-newkirk/perhaps-measuring-animal-intelligence-by-comparing-it-to-human/) [Ingrid Newkirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-newkirk/) > [If you look up 'Intelligence' in the new volumes of the Encyclopeadia Britannica, you'll find it classified under the following three heads: Intelligence, Human;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/if-you-look-up-intelligence-in-the-new-volumes-of-the-encyclopeadia/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) ## More by Jennifer Ackerman > [“In fact, we owe the expression “pecking order” to studies of the social relations among chickens by the Norwegian zoologist Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe, who found…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-ackerman/in-fact-we-owe-the-expression-pecking-order-to-studies-of-the-social/) [Jennifer Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-ackerman/) > [“most expensive in the body, second only to the heart. Neurons may be small, but they’re costly to make and maintain, consuming about ten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-ackerman/most-expensive-in-the-body-second-only-to-the-heart-neurons-may-be/) [Jennifer Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-ackerman/) > [“MIGRATION IS ANOTHER TRADE-OFF. Birds that migrate have smaller brains than their sedentary relatives. This makes sense, as a brain that consumes a lot…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-ackerman/migration-is-another-trade-off-birds-that-migrate-have-smaller-brains/) [Jennifer Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-ackerman/) > [“Did the crows’ bill shape and specialized vision predispose them to tool crafting and use? Or did their tool-use behavior in response to unusual…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-ackerman/did-the-crows-bill-shape-and-specialized-vision-predispose-them-to/) [Jennifer Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-ackerman/) > [“Instead, each bird is interacting with up to seven close neighbors, making individual movement decisions based on maintaining velocity and distance from fellow flock…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-ackerman/instead-each-bird-is-interacting-with-up-to-seven-close-neighbors/) [Jennifer Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-ackerman/) > [“Being in nature refreshes us by ... allowing us to surrender to involuntary attention: the effortless and often enjoyable noticing of sensory stimuli in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-ackerman/being-in-nature-refreshes-us-by-allowing-us-to-surrender-to/) [Jennifer Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-ackerman/) > [“In scoping out the party crowd, does one face catch your eye? The Tierra del Fuegans have an expression, mamihlapinatapei, which is listed in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-ackerman/in-scoping-out-the-party-crowd-does-one-face-catch-your-eye-the/) [Jennifer Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-ackerman/) > [“I can't imagine pressing on relentlessly through day and night with mind, body, spirit in a single state, can't imagine denying myself the possibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-ackerman/i-can-t-imagine-pressing-on-relentlessly-through-day-and-night-with/) [Jennifer Ackerman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-ackerman/) [Explore all 9 Jennifer Ackerman quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-ackerman/) ## More Animal intelligence quotes > [If you look up 'Intelligence' in the new volumes of the Encyclopeadia Britannica, you'll find it classified under the following three heads: Intelligence, Human;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/if-you-look-up-intelligence-in-the-new-volumes-of-the-encyclopeadia/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Perhaps measuring animal intelligence by comparing it to human intelligence isn't the best litmus test.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ingrid-newkirk/perhaps-measuring-animal-intelligence-by-comparing-it-to-human/) [Ingrid Newkirk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ingrid-newkirk/) > [“By standard intelligence texts, the dogs have failed at the puzzle. 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But the body is smart. It does not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gloria-e-anzald-a/we-are-taught-that-the-body-is-an-ignorant-animal-intelligence-dwells/) [Gloria E. Anzaldúa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gloria-e-anzald-a/) > [“I don't believe vegans (or vegetarians) who still get their (packaged, preservative/chemical-ridden) food from industrial food systems have any righteous ground to stand on,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-awehali/i-don-t-believe-vegans-or-vegetarians-who-still-get-their-packaged/) [Brian Awehali](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-awehali/) > [“I firmly disagree with anyone who says humans are the most advanced, or the most intelligent species on the planet. In fact, only three…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/israel-morrow/i-firmly-disagree-with-anyone-who-says-humans-are-the-most-advanced/) [Israel Morrow](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/israel-morrow/) > [People must have renounced, it seems to me, all natural intelligence to dare to advance that animals are but animated machines… It appears to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/voltaire/people-must-have-renounced-it-seems-to-me-all-natural-intelligence-to/) [Voltaire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/voltaire/) > [“Study, along the lines which the theologies have mapped, will never lead us to discovery of the fundamental facts of our existence. That goal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-a-edison/study-along-the-lines-which-the-theologies-have-mapped-will-never/) [Thomas A. Edison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-a-edison/) > [There are a lot of obstacles in the way of our understanding animal intelligence - not the least being that we can't even agree…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeffrey-kluger/there-are-a-lot-of-obstacles-in-the-way-of-our-understanding-animal/) [Jeffrey Kluger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeffrey-kluger/) > [Every animal has its own intelligence and sensitivities. They're all lovely, worthwhile, and deserving of our respect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/portia-de-rossi/every-animal-has-its-own-intelligence-and-sensitivities-they-re-all/) [Portia de Rossi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/portia-de-rossi/) > [I was so moved by the intelligence,sense of fun and personalities of the animals I worked with on Babe that by the end of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-cromwell/i-was-so-moved-by-the-intelligence-sense-of-fun-and-personalities-of/) [James Cromwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-cromwell/) > [“Mankind made machines in his own likeness, and used them for his delight and service. The machines had no soul or they had no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherynne-m-valente/mankind-made-machines-in-his-own-likeness-and-used-them-for-his/) [Catherynne M. Valente](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/catherynne-m-valente/) > [If one of the arguments against eating meat is to do with cruelty and animal intelligence, then lab meat avoids that. There's also the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/if-one-of-the-arguments-against-eating-meat-is-to-do-with-cruelty-and/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) [Browse all 16 Animal intelligence quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/animal-intelligence/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“It’s a notion that was proposed three decades ago by Jane Goodall and her colleague Hans Kummer. The pair made a plea for measuring a wild animal’s intelligence by looking at its ability to find solutions to problems in its natural setting. What’s needed is an ecological rather than a laboratory measure of intelligence, they suggested. 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