CROWS ARE SMARTER THAN YOU THINK
More than 30 million crows fly around the India., but the these black birds may be among the least understood animals in the country. Now, new research is providing insight into their soaring intelligence and surprising warmth.
Crows have always been a bit creepy. It probably doesn't help that a group of them is not-so-sweetly referred to as a "murder". Surprisingly they are highly social birds and very much connected with humans. Crows appear in many Indian folktales as a mischievous, dangerous creatures. They are truly mischievous but more than that they are very social ( living in a family of 6-8 members) and very much connected with humans. Being scavenger they feed on almost anything. A research shows that crows can also digest tiny pieces of plastic. They shows extreme parental care.
Intelligence of a species is measured in many ways such as encephalisation quotient that is there brain size compared to the average body size third below dolphins and humans. They are evolved to survive due to their ability to form complex social networks that hunts, ward off rivals and raise offspring together. They have masters the skill of deliberate planning and cooperation which in turn requires some form of communication. Crows pass down their communication methods and skills from generation to generation. Different crow population exhibit variations in greetings, language, hunting strategy intelligent or notes and other behaviours. This sort of cultural transmission even extends to tool use. Crows are also one of the species who pass the mirror test. By recognising themselves in the mirrors, they indicate physical self awareness and research shows they can recognise not just their bodies, but also their own thoughts a property known as metacognition. Some research suggest that crows are aware of what they know, and how confident they feel about that knowledge.
But some of the most amazing thing about crows are their senses of empathy, altruism and attachment. The habit of helping injured individuals extends across the species barrier. And like us crows also have funerals.
The ultimate question may not be whether crows are intelligent and complex being but whether humans can empathise with them to keep them safe and free.
Crows have always been a bit creepy. It probably doesn't help that a group of them is not-so-sweetly referred to as a "murder". Surprisingly they are highly social birds and very much connected with humans. Crows appear in many Indian folktales as a mischievous, dangerous creatures. They are truly mischievous but more than that they are very social ( living in a family of 6-8 members) and very much connected with humans. Being scavenger they feed on almost anything. A research shows that crows can also digest tiny pieces of plastic. They shows extreme parental care.
Intelligence of a species is measured in many ways such as encephalisation quotient that is there brain size compared to the average body size third below dolphins and humans. They are evolved to survive due to their ability to form complex social networks that hunts, ward off rivals and raise offspring together. They have masters the skill of deliberate planning and cooperation which in turn requires some form of communication. Crows pass down their communication methods and skills from generation to generation. Different crow population exhibit variations in greetings, language, hunting strategy intelligent or notes and other behaviours. This sort of cultural transmission even extends to tool use. Crows are also one of the species who pass the mirror test. By recognising themselves in the mirrors, they indicate physical self awareness and research shows they can recognise not just their bodies, but also their own thoughts a property known as metacognition. Some research suggest that crows are aware of what they know, and how confident they feel about that knowledge.
But some of the most amazing thing about crows are their senses of empathy, altruism and attachment. The habit of helping injured individuals extends across the species barrier. And like us crows also have funerals.
The ultimate question may not be whether crows are intelligent and complex being but whether humans can empathise with them to keep them safe and free.
Comments
Post a Comment