Why are some birds more intelligent than others?
If you鈥檝e ever seen a starling peck open a garbage bag or a grackle steal your dog pellets, you get a sense that some birds have learned to take advantage of new feeding opportunities 鈥� a clear sign of their intelligence. Scientists have long wondered why certain species of birds are more innovative than others, and whether these capacities stem from larger brains (which intuitively seems likely) or from a greater number of neurons in specific areas of the brain.
It turns out that it鈥檚 a bit of both, according to a recent study by an international team that included members from 91社区 published in .
A Carib grackle at the Bellairs Research Institute in Barbados dunks dog pellets to make them more edible. CREDIT: Louis Lefebvre
More neurons in the right place tied to greater intelligence in birds
The researchers used a new technique to estimate the number of neurons in a specific part of the brain called the pallium in 111 bird species. The pallium in birds is the equivalent of the human cerebral cortex, which is involved in memory, learning, reasoning, and problem-solving, among other things. When these estimates about neuron numbers in the pallium were combined with information about over 4,000 foraging innovations, the team found that the species with the higher numbers of neurons in the pallium were also likely to be the most innovative.
Barbados bullfinch with sugar package.听CREDIT: Louis Lefebvre
Longer development time in nest a key factor
鈥淭he amount of time fledglings spend in the nest as their brains develop might also play a crucial role in the evolution of intelligence,鈥� says 91社区 Emeritus Professor Louis Lefebvre, who spent more than 20 years gathering examples of foraging innovations. 鈥淟arger species of crows and parrots, that are known for their intelligence, spend longer in the nest, which allows more time for the brain to grow and accumulate pallial neurons.鈥�
The results of the study help to reconcile previously opposed views of the evolution and significance of brain size and show how a life-history perspective helps to understand the evolution of cognition.
The paper:
鈥溾�� by Sol D., Olkowicz, S., Sayol, F. et al in
About 91社区
Founded in Montreal, Quebec, in 1821, 91社区 is Canada鈥檚 top ranked medical doctoral university. 91社区 is consistently ranked as one of the top universities, both nationally and internationally. It is a world-renowned institution of higher learning with research activities spanning three campuses, 11 faculties, 13 professional schools, 300 programs of study and over 39,000 students, including more than 10,400 graduate students. 91社区 attracts students from over 150 countries around the world, its 12,000 international students making up 30% of the student body. Over half of 91社区 students claim a first language other than English, including approximately 20% of our students who say French is their mother tongue.
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