What is the dumbest animal?

There's no single "dumbest animal" because intelligence is complex and varies greatly depending on how you define and measure it. Different species excel in different areas. A creature that's "dumb" at navigating a maze might be incredibly adept at other survival skills.

However, some animals are often cited in discussions of lower cognitive abilities, usually because they lack the complex social structures or problem-solving capabilities of others. These often include:

• Certain species of insects: Many insects exhibit instinctual behaviors with little apparent flexibility or learning. While their collective behavior can be impressive, individual cognitive abilities are generally considered less developed than those of vertebrates. However, even here, there are exceptions, with some insects demonstrating surprising problem-solving skills.

• Some invertebrates: Similar to insects, many invertebrates demonstrate simple reflexes and limited learning. Their nervous systems are comparatively simple.

It's important to remember these are generalizations. Within even the "simplest" species, there's individual variation, and defining intelligence across such different organisms is inherently challenging. Judging animals by human standards of intelligence is inherently biased. Their intelligence is shaped by their specific ecological niches and evolutionary pressures.