The question of whether animals possess self-awareness is a complex and highly debated topic in animal cognition. Self-awareness can be understood in different ways, from a basic awareness of one’s own body and its movements to a more complex understanding of oneself as an individual with internal thoughts and feelings, separate from others. While the latter is difficult to definitively prove, a growing body of evidence suggests that many animals exhibit at least some level of self-awareness.
One of the most common methods to test self-awareness in animals is the mirror self-recognition (MSR) test, often called the “mirror test.” In this test, an animal is subtly marked on a part of its body that it can only see via a mirror. If the animal then investigates or tries to remove the mark while looking in the mirror, it suggests a recognition of its own reflection. Species that have convincingly passed this test include great apes (chimpanzees, bonobos, orangutans), bottlenose dolphins, elephants, magpies, and even some fish like the cleaner wrasse. This indicates they understand the reflection is of themselves, not another animal.
However, the mirror test isn’t a perfect measure, and some argue it might be biased towards visually-oriented animals or those with specific social behaviors. Some animals that don’t pass the mirror test might still possess forms of self-awareness, such as knowing their own scent or song, or having a sense of their own body in space (bodily self-awareness). Researchers continue to explore new ways to understand the full spectrum of animal consciousness, but the current scientific consensus indicates that Are animals self-aware? is increasingly answered in the affirmative for a diverse range of species.