What is it about?
This chapter explores how animals remember things and why memory is important for their survival and daily lives. Just like humans, animals use memory to find food, avoid predators, recognize other individuals, and navigate their surroundings. For example, pigeons remember routes over long distances, while primates keep track of social relationships. We explain how memory has evolved in different species, how the environment shapes what and how animals remember, and what is happening inside the brain when memories are formed. We also show how this research can help improve animal welfare, guide conservation efforts, and deepen our understanding of how memory works across species, including humans. By looking at memory in animals, we gain valuable insights into both the natural world and our own minds.
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Why is it important?
This work is important because it brings together knowledge from evolution, ecology, neuroscience, and behavior to explain how memory shapes animal lives. By showing how different species use memory to survive and interact, the chapter challenges the idea that advanced memory is unique to humans. It highlights new research that reveals the complexity of animal cognition, offering insights that can guide conservation, improve animal welfare in captivity, and inspire new approaches in neuroscience. The interdisciplinary scope makes this work timely and unique, helping readers see memory as a shared biological tool that connects humans with the wider animal kingdom.
Perspectives
This chapter represents an opportunity to highlight the often-overlooked intelligence of animals and the vital role memory plays in their survival. I have always been fascinated by the ways animals interact with their environments and with one another, and studying memory provides a window into those hidden worlds. Writing this chapter allowed me to bring together research from many fields to show not only the complexity of animal cognition but also its practical importance in conservation and welfare. I hope readers will come away with a deeper appreciation of animals as sentient beings with rich cognitive lives and with a recognition that understanding their memory can ultimately help us care for them better while also reflecting on our own shared biology.
Urfeya Mirza
Saint George's University
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Animal Memory, July 2025, Taylor & Francis,
DOI: 10.1201/9781003426844-5.
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