Na dogon lokaci, masana kimiyya sunyi imani cewa ikon yin mafarki yana tare da mutane ne kawai, waɗanda aka yarda da cewa su ne kawai halittu masu rai tare da sani. Kwanan nan, duk da haka, wannan ra'ayi ya girgiza, kuma yanzu masana kimiyya sun iya tabbatar da cewa dabbobi suna da ikon ganin mafarki.
Koyaya, masana kimiyya basu takaita ga bayyana wannan gaskiyar kawai ba, kuma a lokaci guda sun gano abubuwan da mafarkin da dabbobi suke gani. Anyi wannan ne lokacin da masana ilimin halitta suka dasa wayoyi na musamman a cikin yankuna masu kwakwalwa wadanda ke da hakkin daidaitawa a sararin samaniya, yanayi da ƙwaƙwalwa. Godiya ga wannan, jerin sababbin ra'ayoyi game da abinda ke faruwa da dabbobi a mafarki sun fara bayyana.
Binciken bayanan da aka tattara ya nuna cewa, misali, a cikin beraye, bacci, kamar na mutane, yana da matakai biyu. Babban abin sha'awa shi ne kasancewar wani bangare na bacci a cikin beraye kusan ba a iya rarrabe shi a cikin alamunsa daga farkewar wadannan dabbobi (muna magana ne game da abin da ake kira lokacin bacci REM). A wannan lokacin, mutane ma suna da mafarkai tare da ƙaruwar hawan jini da motsa jiki.
Gwaje-gwajen da aka gudanar a kan tsuntsaye ya zama ba mai ban sha'awa ba. Musamman, ya zama cewa finches masu raɗaɗi suna raira waƙa a cikin mafarkinsu. Wannan binciken ya nuna cewa, a cikin dabbobi, kamar yadda yake a cikin mutane, mafarkai aƙalla ɓangarorin suna nuna gaskiyar.
