Forbes contributors publish independent expert analyses and insights. I write about biodiversity and the hidden quirks of the natural world. For decades, self-awareness has been guarded as a very ...

For decades, scientists used a mirror experiment to explore whether animals could recognize themselves. In that test, ...

Animals have surprised scientists with their intelligence for decades. From chimpanzees to dolphins, many species have shown they can recognize themselves. Now, a small fish called the cleaner wrasse, ...

A shrimp scrap drifted down the face of a mirror, and a small reef fish tracked it like it was watching a slow-motion experiment. The fish, a blue-streak cleaner wrasse, had carried the shrimp upward, ...

Animals are amazing creatures with a wide array of traits, but one seemingly common trait is their inability to understand mirrors. Can animals even perceive themselves in mirrors? Check out this ...