Question: are animals getting smarter?

Zena Hadjivasiliou answered on 11 Mar 2015:

I think that animals get smarter through evolution. Changes in their DNA that can improve their intelligence are kept on in generations resulting in them getting smarter. But I think that animals can get smarter throughout their lives too in that they can learn things! For example my cat knows that when I pick up my keys I am about to leave the house and so runs to the door! Learning things through experience is certainly something animals can do and shows how smart they are! Another scientist recently told me that even fish can be trained to do things, animals have lots of capacity for being smart and learning!