For decades, scientists have used mirror tests to probe animal self-awareness, starting with chimpanzees in the 1970s. Since then, a variety of creatures — including ants, manta rays, African gray parrots, and fish — have been tested for their ability to recognize themselves in a mirror.
Notably, a 2015 study showed that ants have the ability toe recognize themselves in a mirror. Many of those tested tried to remove paint from their heads when they saw themselves in a mirror.
And cleaner wrasses have also attempted to rub off marks visible only in their mirrored reflections.
A 2024 study added mice to the list of possible self-aware animals.
Researchers observed that mice attempted to remove colored smudges from their bodies — but only when the marks were visible against their fur and they had access to a mirror.
Brain scans revealed that a specific group of neurons, known as ventral hippocampal CA1 cells, activated during these mirror interactions. This neural signature hints at a potential biological basis for self-recognition, though whether the same mechanisms exist in humans is still unknown.
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