Animals that can recognize themselves in mirrors
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Animals That Can Recognize Themselves in Mirrors — Daily trivia Wednesday, April 22, 2026: questions and answers
All 10 questions with answers and explanations. Play this daily
Q 01Which American psychologist developed the mirror self-recognition test?
- AB.F. Skinner
- BGordon Gallup Jr.
- CCarl Rogers
- DHarry Harlow
Show answer
Gordon Gallup Jr.
Gordon Gallup Jr. first let chimpanzees get used to mirrors, then marked their faces under anaesthesia to see whether they would touch the marks in their reflections.
Q 02Which marine mammal has shown compelling evidence of mirror self-recognition?
- ASea Otter
- BGrey Seal
- CBottlenose Dolphin
- DManatee
Show answer
Bottlenose Dolphin
Two marked male Bottlenose Dolphins circled their heads and peered at the marked spots in a mirror, and killer whales and false killer whales may recognise themselves too.
Q 03At what stage of life do chimpanzees most reliably pass the mirror test?
- AInfancy
- BEarly childhood
- CYoung adulthood
- DOld age
Show answer
Young adulthood
Young adulthood: about 75% of young adult chimps show self-recognition, which typically emerges between 4.5 and 8 years of age and declines later in adulthood.
Q 04Which large land mammal showed mirror self-recognition in Bronx Zoo studies?
- ARhinoceros
- BGiraffe
- CHippopotamus
- DAsian Elephant
Show answer
Asian Elephant
Of three Asian Elephants tested at the Bronx Zoo, only Happy repeatedly touched a painted X on her head that she could see only in the mirror.
Q 05How do animals such as monkeys typically react when first shown a mirror?
- AIndifference
- BSocial or aggressive displays
- CImmediate self-inspection
- DPlayful interaction
Show answer
Social or aggressive displays
Social or aggressive displays come first: even Gallup's chimpanzees made threatening gestures at their reflections before using the mirror to groom themselves.
Q 06Which cosmetic gives the mirror test one of its other names?
- ARouge
- BLipstick
- CMascara
- DEyeliner
Show answer
Rouge
Rouge: it is also called the rouge test, yet in a 2010 study only 3% of rural Kenyan children aged 18 to 72 months touched the mark.
Q 07Which marine creature with the largest brain of any fish has shown signs of self-awareness in mirror tests?
- AManta Ray
- BWhale Shark
- CGiant Squid
- DBluefin Tuna
Show answer
Manta Ray
Two captive giant Manta Rays made repeated, unusual movements and self-directed gestures in front of a mirror, a hint they may understand it shows themselves.
Q 08Which tiny reef fish, given a parasite-like mark, was the first fish reported to pass the mirror test?
- AClownfish
- BGreat White Shark
- CCleaner Wrasse
- DPufferfish
Show answer
Cleaner Wrasse
Cleaner Wrasse scraped at the marks against the mirror, but Gordon Gallup argues these parasite-removing fish may have been reacting to something other than themselves.
Q 09Which factor has been suggested to explain the few gorillas that pass the mirror test?
- AExtensive human contact
- BDominant social status
- CGeographic origin
- DDiet
Show answer
Extensive human contact
Extensive human contact matters: such captive gorillas are less averse to eye contact, which wild gorillas avoid, so they are more willing to study their own reflection.
Q 10Which brain region was mirror self-recognition thought to require until magpies appeared to pass the test?
- ANeocortex
- BBrainstem
- CCerebellum
- DHippocampus
Show answer
Neocortex
Neocortex: birds don't have one, so magpies passing the test in 2008 undercut the idea, and they remain one of the few bird species reported to pass.
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