Most of the world’s smartest animals have a backbone. Dolphins, crows, chimpanzees, and elephants have all shown remarkable intelligence, i.e. the ability to form complex social bonds, use tools, develop language, solve intricate problems, and more.

However, before we go handing out any “smartest animal” prizes, there are a few invertebrates that would like a word. Notably, the octopus is among the most intelligent creatures on the planet. But if we’re talking pound for pound IQ, you may not find a sharper creature on Earth than the teeny, tiny jumping spider.

Coin-sized jumping spiders possess remarkable intelligence

There are hundreds of different kinds of jumping spiders, and most of them are smaller than a US quarter and can easily fit on a person’s fingertip. Their bodies, while highly evolved and specialized, are powered by a brain the size of a poppy seed.

Their microscopic brain has about 100,000 neurons—compared to about 250 million in a standard house cat—making their nervous system incredibly simple.

And yet, jumping spiders are finally getting their due for just how stunningly smart they can be. Filmmaker and science communicator Stephanie Sammann recently published a YouTube video all about these brilliant little creatures. In just a few weeks, it’s racked up over a million........

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