Advances in understanding cognition in animals

Research in comparative neuroanatomy over the past 40 years has illuminated the degree of animals’ sentience, i.e., their ability to experience pleasurable states and aversive states, such as pain and fear. At the same time, discoveries of the cognitive abilities of animals have revealed new horizons, including recognition that some species use and manufacture tools, have theory of mind, and experience empathy. Evidence from neuroscience supports the findings of complex cognition. Ethological research over the past 20 years has illuminated parallels in the emotional lives of animals and those of humans. For example, complex psychological reactions to traumatic events that are akin to Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) have been found in chimpanzees, elephants, parrots, mice, and dogs. Awareness of the extent of animal suffering as a result of maltreatment arguably brings with it ethical obligations to respond to it with greater seriousness including within the criminal justice system.