animal cognition
(some examples)
Jellyfish
Jellyfish change their behavior based on past experiences through a process known as associative learning. In contrast to humans, jellyfish lack a central brain. However, box jellyfish possess clusters of neurons near their eye-like structures, called rhopalia. This system, known as rhopalia, serves as visual information processing centers.
Within each rhopalium are six eyes responsible for producing electrical signals that regulate the distinctive pulsing movement of the jellyfish. In the presence of an obstacle, T. cystophora's rhopalia intensify signal transmission, prompting the creature to alter its course.
In a research experiment is presented a moving gray bar was projected onto the rhopalium, simulating a scenario where a jellyfish approaches a mangrove root. Initially, the visual center remained unresponsive. However, upon introducing a mild electric shock to replicate the impact of a collision, the rhopalium started producing high-frequency electrical signals associated with obstacle avoidance. These results imply that this structure, acting akin to a miniature visual brain, doubles as a learning hub.
references
1. Jellyfish show how you don’t need a brain to learn, say researchers
2. Jellyfishes-Diversity, Biology-Importance in Conservation
3. No brain, no problem. Jellyfish learn just fine
write each point on a search engine
Chimpanzees
In October 1960, Dr. Goodall observed a chimpanzee bending a twig, removing its leaves, and utilizing it to 'fish' termites from their nest. Prior to this discovery, the capacity to create and employ tools had been exclusively attributed to humans.
Chimpanzees, our closest animal relatives, demonstrate the capacity for 'metacognition'—the ability to reflect on their own thinking processes. Research suggests that these apes can discern human intentions, indicating a level of intuitive understanding. While evidence supports their comprehension of others' mental states when aligned with reality, chimpanzees consistently falter in tests of false belief, which gauge the recognition that someone may act based on a belief contrary to reality. The challenge lies in distinguishing whether subjects pass these tests due to genuine understanding or simply by following a basic behavioral rule—such as 'agents search for things where they last saw them'—without grasping the concept of false beliefs.,
In an experiment, the development of cognitive flexibility was investigated through a basic spatial task, uncovering an extended developmental trajectory and a noteworthy sex difference: females displayed faster response shifting compared to males. Subsequently, we compared response shifting based on spatial cues with that based on perceptual cues. Intriguingly, chimpanzees exhibited notably higher success rates in shifting based on spatial information, despite initially being capable of learning from both types of cues
references
4. Jane Goodall, The way she saw the world changed the world
5. Chimps: Ability to 'think about thinking' not limited to humans
6. The origins of cognitive flexibility in chimpanzees
Bali monkeys
case in which Bali monkey negotiating for food in exchange for a woman's stolen mobile phones exemplifies the cognitive abilities of animals
references
7. Bali’s thieving monkeys can spot high-value items to ransom
Honeyguide/pointers birds
The mutualism between humans and greater honeyguides (Indicator indicator) persists in only a few regions of Africa. In a study, it was delved into the honey-hunting practices of the marginalized Awer people in Kenya, who have historically been a hunter-gatherer culture but now engage in a mixed economy, including significant foraging for wild foods. Greater honeyguides and humans collaborate across different parts of Africa to access the contents of bees' nests. These birds lead people to bees' nests, which are then harvested for honey and brood using smoke and tools, while the birds feed on the beeswax left behind.
The birds lead people to bees' nests, which are then harvested for honey and brood using smoke and tools, while the birds feed on the beeswax left behind. The study revealed that birds were significantly more inclined to appear and guide individuals to honey when exposed to recordings of calls made by their regular human partners, compared to calls made by honey hunters from another country.
references
8. Awer Honey-Hunting Culture With Greater Honeyguides in Coastal Kenya
9. Looking for honey? This African bird will heed your call and take you there
Elephants
Different from people and chimpanzees, elephants heavily rely on their keen senses of smell and touch rather than their relatively weaker vision, especially when foraging for food. Previous studies primarily provided elephants with sticks as potential tools to access dangling or distant treats, a strategy at which chimpanzees excel. Chimpanzees are adept tool users and cooperative problem solvers. They also exhibit high levels of empathy, offering comfort to one another when distressed, and likely possess a sense of self.
Elephant mothers and their offspring, who are closely related, remain together in close-knit clans for their entire lives. Within these clans, they care for each other's young and create defensive formations around calves when facing threats from lions or poachers. Communication among elephant clan members involves a variety of sounds, including gentle chirps, powerful trumpets, and low-frequency rumbles that are imperceptible to humans. They also use physical gestures such as nudges, kicks, and visual signals like tilting their heads or flapping their ears to convey messages. Furthermore, they engage in collective deliberation, reach group decisions, and celebrate their accomplishments together.
In semi-arid regions, the spatial movement of elephants is heavily influenced by the distribution of water resources, with the distance between water sources and forage areas determining the daily ranging distances of individuals. Through the identification of movement phases and the locations where these phases transition in relation to perennial waterholes, we examined the movement behavior associated with accessing a crucial resource in the study area.
Elephants displayed impressive spatial awareness when accessing specific water points, exhibiting highly focused movements towards water sources located at significant distances from the waterhole. The individuals observed consistently selected the nearest waterhole when making directed movements towards it across various scales, indicating a cognitive-driven mechanism for these behaviors. It is likely that there is significant diversity in the factors influencing the decision-making process underlying the observed patterns.
A study has established that elephants' emotional characteristics are similar to those of humans. It turns out the animals have distinct personalities. They can be aggressive, attentive and outgoing. Also, Indian scientists have documented that Asian elephants openly mourn and bury their deceased calves, a behavior reminiscent of human funeral rituals, according to a recent study. According to a study published this week in the Journal of Threatened Taxa, researchers identified five instances of calf burials carried out by Asian elephants in the northern Bengal region of India in 2022 and 2023.
Examples from elephant behavioral ecology and comparative cognition can and should be incorporated into the formulation of comprehensive conservation strategies, particularly in the development of action plans aimed at mitigating human-elephant conflicts in both Asia and Africa.
references
10. The Science Is In: Elephants Are Even Smarter Than We Realized
11. Taking the Elephants' Perspective: Remembering Elephant Behavior, Cognition and Ecology in Human-Elephant Conflict Mitigation
12. Elucidating the significance of spatial memory on movement decisions by African savannah elephants using state–space models
13. Asian elephants mourn, bury their dead calves: Study
14. Elephants mourn their dead even if they did not have a close bond and continue to take an interest long after their bodies start to decay.
Octopus
Octopuses possess a centralized nervous system, yet unlike many other animals, their nervous system is distributed throughout their bodies. Two-thirds of their neurons are located outside their brains. Additionally, they utilize a hydrostatic skeleton, which combines muscular contraction with the resistance of water to compression to facilitate movement.
Two features of the octopus nervous system are particularly unique and noteworthy. Firstly, the brain lacks the capacity for somatotopic representation, meaning it cannot map the body point-for-point. Secondly, the arm nervous system exhibits extensive autonomy in sensory processing and motor control, distinguishing it from other animals.
Another study on Octopus vulgaris demonstrated their ability to solve innovative problem-solving tasks, offering valuable insights into the evolutionary origins of traits associated with problem-solving and innovation. Additionally, the research highlighted differences between 'reactive' and 'proactive' octopuses, which could have implications for their welfare and management in captivity. Key characteristics distinguishing reactive from proactive individuals were identified, serving as potential targets for future research on octopus personality. Furthermore, seasonal and geomorphological factors in the origin location of octopuses were found to influence the expression rate of individual traits crucial to problem-solving.
references
15. octopus intelligence is unlike anything we know
16. The mysterious inner life of the octopus
17. Where Is It Like to Be an Octopus?
18. Octopus vulgaris Exhibits Interindividual Differences in Behavioural and Problem-Solving Performance
19. The mysterious inner life of the octopus
cats and dogs
The instinct you're referring to is often referred to as the "homing instinct," a term commonly used in discussions about migratory animals or birds. Occasionally, it's also used to describe the behavior of cats that find their way back home after being relocated or temporarily lost, perhaps due to distractions or temporary confusion. This phenomenon is sometimes known as "PSI Trailing.”.
In one remarkable case from France, a cat named Misele resided on a farm with her owner, Alfonse Mondry. When Alfonse fell ill and had to be hospitalized in a town nine miles away, a place Misele had never visited, the determined feline set out to find him. Overcoming numerous obstacles such as rock quarries, dense forests, busy highways, and cow pastures, Misele embarked on her journey. After a hazardous trek, she eventually reached the hospital where her owner was being treated. Imagine the nurse's astonishment when she discovered Misele, curled up on Alfonse's legs, having successfully located him despite the distance and challenges.
In addition to the cat's remarkable journey, there are numerous instances involving dogs displaying incredible determination to find their way back home. For instance, Bucky the Labrador traveled an astounding 500 miles after being relocated, while Georgia May embarked on a 35-mile journey home after getting lost during a hike. Another heartwarming tale comes from a region in the north of South America, where a small female dog named Mona lived with an old couple in a rural house. One day, a visitor expressed interest in buying the adorable dog and took her to a small town 23 km away. However, after some time, Mona miraculously found her way back to her former owners, returning home on her own after 1-2 months.
references
20. When Cats and Dogs Travel Long Distances to Get Home - Psi Trailing
21. home sense in dogs
Penguins
Adélie penguins are known for their tendency to pilfer rocks from the nests of their peers, yet they exhibit a selective behavior by targeting certain nests more frequently than others.
Birds usually traverse the periphery of a colony, and those with nests located in the center must pass over the outer nests to reach their destination. Since nests along the outer edges experience higher foot traffic, there are increased chances for stone theft. Moreover, peripheral nests have fewer neighbors, making it easier for the birds to pilfer stones unnoticed.
references
22. Adélie penguins – the Stone thieves.
23. Crafty Adélie penguins poach nest-building materials from their neighbors.
Cuckoos
Cuckoos, as brood parasites, forego raising their own offspring and instead deposit their eggs in the nests of other birds. These unwitting hosts then care for the cuckoo chick, mistakenly believing it to be one of their own. Dunnocks, meadow pipits, and reed warblers are among the preferred hosts for cuckoos.
references
24. CUCKOO (Cuculus canorus) from woodlandtrust
25. -Cuckoos- These Birds Trick Others Into Raising Their Gigantic Kids
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