A natural history in six parts celebrating animals in action, narrated by Andrew Sachs
3: Search for the Mind
A crow with a taste for sherry, caterpillars which go around endlessly in circles, a dog which opens doors, homing cats and beavers with an amazing skill for controlling water these and many others reveal the secrets of the animal mind.
Through his theory of evolution, Charles Darwin caused Victorian naturalists to seek signs of human-like thoughts and feelings in our fellow creatures.
Under his influence George Romanes constructed a 'theory of mental evolution' which elevated animal mentality to human-like levels.
But Douglas Spalding , a teacher, was sceptical and devised tests to see what skills animals were bom with! Jacques Loeb - a German - believed animals were 'mindless mechanisms' and designed ingenious ways of proving it.
Music EDWARD WILLIAMS Film editor RON MARTIN
Written and produced by JOHN SPARKS BBC Bristol
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