This is the first study in which the intelligence of an animal is evaluated, which gave a big surprise
U.S. Is it possible that animals will one day develop a degree of intelligence superior to human? Although we did not create all the animals have a certain intelligence, which makes them behave differently than other animals of their species, it was so a scientist showed that chimpanzees could be smarter than they seem.
Smart Chimpanzees?
According to new research by a group of scientists in the United States mentioned that like humans, chimpanzees considered smarter, are usually those who have more capacity for self-control.
study
The study was published in the American journal Current Biology, which is the first of its kind to examine in chimpanzees the relationship between general intelligence scores and the ability to postpone gratification in order to later receive a better reward.
"The fact that this link between self-control and intelligence exists in other species besides humans could demonstrate an evolutionary basis for the role that willpower plays in general intelligence," said study author Michael Beran. of the State University of Georgia.
Future research could clarify if the relationship exists also in other primates and even in species or primates, said Michael.
The findings of the investigation are related to the famous "marshmallow" experiment originally conducted at Stanford University in the 1960s.
In this experiment, the participating children were offered the option of taking the small and immediate reward of a single marshmallow placed in front of them or of waiting to later obtain a greater reward of two marshmallows.
Previous research found that children who performed well on the marshmallow test and other gratification deferral tests also tended to perform better on general intelligence tests.
Beran and his colleagues found that the same link exists in chimpanzees.

Study application to Chimpanzees
In their study, the chimpanzees performed the hybrid deferral test that examines the frequency with which chimpanzees choose to expect a bigger and better reward instead of immediately taking a smaller reward.
He also measured how well the chimpanzees managed to wait during the postponement period when there is a constant temptation to capitulate and accept the minor reward.
Subsequently, the chimpanzees performed a battery of cognitive tests for primates, that is, a general intelligence test that measures various individual social and cognitive factors, such as the ability to respond to gestures in which they point to something.
Results
The chimpanzees that showed the highest levels of general intelligence were also the most efficient in the test of postponement of gratification.
The intelligence scores had to do not only with the frequency with which the chimpanzees decided to try to wait for a better reward, but also how well the chimpanzees could wait when they decided to do it.
In short, smarter chimps have better self-control skills, the researchers said.
"This points strongly to the fact that self-control and intelligence have a common neurobiological basis, but not yet identified, in chimpanzees," the researchers said.
In this way the scientists discovered that chimpanzees could be much smarter than they seem, because they are able to improve their behavior to get something bigger like humans.