Via Madville.com, New Scientist: Crow reveals talent for technology.
The remarkable toolmaking talent of a New Caledonian crow called Betty has challenged the chimpanzee's reputation as the most proficient toolmaker in the animal world.
The bird, one of two kept at Oxford University's zoology field station, fashioned a hook from an ordinary piece of wire - something even a chimp cannot manage.
Betty's skills came to light when the two birds were given a choice between a straight wire and a hook to extract a bucket of food from the bottom of a plastic tube. When the male bird made off with the hook, the female bent the tip of the straight wire to make a replacement.
Astonished, the team checked to see that it was not a fluke by setting both crows a new challenge. Again, they had to retrieve the bucket of food but this time the team provided only straight wires. In nine out of 10 trials, Betty bent the wire and pulled up the bucket.
Wild crows make hooks from twigs and leaves and do not have access to materials that bend and retain their shape like wire. The captive bird's ability to make the right tool for the job from unfamiliar materials and using quite different manufacturing methods suggests some understanding of the properties of the material and what might be achieved with a hook.
Make sure you watch the video. It's actually fascinating! I can't tell what's going on in the second one.
Friday, August 9, 2002
Permalink
Feel free to post a comment below. Please see my comment policy.
Formatting Rules (No HTML):