Final answer:
The best evidence for the development of cognitive maps in animals is provided by studies of latent learning, as shown in E.C. Tolman's maze experiments with rats, and later supported by H.C. Blodgett's work, where rats developed mental representations of a maze without immediate rewards.
Step-by-step explanation:
The best evidence that animals develop cognitive maps comes from studies of latent learning. This type of learning was famously demonstrated by psychologist E.C. Tolman in his maze experiments with rats in the 20th century. Tolman's experiments revealed that rats formed a mental representation of the maze while exploring it, even without any reinforcement in the form of food rewards. This was in contrast to what might be expected from simple conditioning, suggesting a more complex form of learning was at play.
Later, these findings were complemented by experiments carried out by H.C. Blodgett, who showed that rats that had been through a maze without a food reward in the beginning did later show rapid learning once food was introduced. The premise here was quite clear: the rats had developed a cognitive map of the maze during their unrewarded exploration, which they could utilize as soon as a motivation (food) was provided.
This concept of a cognitive map and latent learning has been vital in understanding that cognitive learning is not limited to conditioning, and that it's a capability not just reserved for humans but is present across a range of animal species. It demonstrates that animals can build internal representations or 'maps' of their environment, which they can use to navigate and adapt to new situations.