//www.koonmotors.com/news/plants_animals/animal_learning_and_intelligence/ Read about the latest research on animal learning and intelligence, including studies on elephants, apes, birds and dogs. en-us Fri, 08 Sep 2023 17:22:50 EDT Fri, 08 Sep 2023 17:22:50 EDT 60 //www.koonmotors.com/images/scidaily-logo-rss.png//www.koonmotors.com/news/plants_animals/animal_learning_and_intelligence/ For more science news, visit ScienceDaily. //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230807133815.htm New study explores the relationship between a canine's facial appearance and how expressive they appear to be when communicating with their human companions. Mon, 07 Aug 2023 13:38:15 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/08/230807133815.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230712203752.htm Heliconius butterflies' brains grew as they adopted a novel foraging behavior, scientists have found. Wed, 12 Jul 2023 20:37:52 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230712203752.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230712165127.htm Being smart pays off, as it allows for more balanced decision-making. However, the origins of these abilities during evolution remain largely unexplored. Only if smarter individuals enjoy better survival and have higher reproductive rates than their conspecifics, improved cognitive abilities can evolve. Researchers from the German Primate Center (DPZ) -- Leibniz Institute for Primate Research have recently examined the link between cognitive abilities and survival in gray mouse lemurs. The study involved capturing the animals, subjecting them to various cognition and personality tests, measuring their weight, and subsequently releasing them. The findings revealed that the animals that performed best in the cognition tests lived for longer. Additionally, those that were heavier and displayed more exploratory behavior also experienced an increased lifespan. Wed, 12 Jul 2023 16:51:27 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/07/230712165127.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230627123033.htm Dogs who slow down physically also slow down mentally, according to a new study. Measuring gait speed in senior dogs could be a simple way to monitor their health and to document decline in their neurological function as they age. Tue, 27 Jun 2023 12:30:33 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230627123033.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230608121016.htm Socially tolerant species are better at controlling their emotions and behaviors, according to a new study of one of humanity's closest relatives. Thu, 08 Jun 2023 12:10:16 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/06/230608121016.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230522131341.htm Understanding that others hold different viewpoints from your own is essential for human sociality. Adopting another person's visual perspective is a complex skill that emerges around the age of two. A new study suggests that this ability first arose in dinosaurs, at least 60 million years before it appeared in mammals. These findings challenge the idea that mammals were the originators of novel and superior forms of intelligence in the wake of the dinosaur extinction. Mon, 22 May 2023 13:13:41 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/05/230522131341.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/04/230410111657.htm Elephants like to eat bananas, but they don't usually peel them first in the way humans do. A new report however, shows that one very special Asian elephant named Pang Pha picked up banana peeling all on her own while living at the Berlin Zoo. She reserves it for yellow-brown bananas, first breaking the banana before shaking out and collecting the pulp, leaving the thick peel behind. Mon, 10 Apr 2023 11:16:57 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/04/230410111657.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/04/230404114229.htm Human culture and language may be the result of 'self-domestication': an evolutionary process that leads to less aggressive and more prosocial individuals. A research team argues that elephants -- like humans and bonobos -- may also be self-domesticated. Elephants show many traits associated with self-domestication, such as prosocial behavior, playfulness and complex communication skills. This makes elephants an interesting new animal model for the evolution of prosociality. Tue, 04 Apr 2023 11:42:29 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/04/230404114229.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230328145343.htm 数据从124年社会表明,狗的功能predict their treatment, with closer bonds forming in societies where dogs have multiple roles. Tue, 28 Mar 2023 14:53:43 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230328145343.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230314104023.htm Researchers compared a new genetic animal model of Down syndrome to the standard model and found the updated version to be enhanced. The new mouse model shows milder cognitive traits compared to a previously studied Down syndrome mouse model. Tue, 14 Mar 2023 10:40:23 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/03/230314104023.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230207144220.htm Can a pigeon match wits with artificial intelligence? Researchers tested pigeons' learning abilities and concluded the birds employ the same basic process, called associative learning, as the most advanced AI technologies. Tue, 07 Feb 2023 14:42:20 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230207144220.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230202135703.htm The alterations are linked with poor ability to recognise emotions and cravings to consume alcohol. Thu, 02 Feb 2023 13:57:03 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/02/230202135703.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/01/230124192602.htm Humans retain an understanding of gestures made by other great apes, even though we no longer use them ourselves, according to a new study. Tue, 24 Jan 2023 19:26:02 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/01/230124192602.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/01/230111075855.htm New research has found a better education has a strong genetic correlation and a protective causal association with several gut disorders. Wed, 11 Jan 2023 07:58:55 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2023/01/230111075855.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/12/221215130916.htm 研究人员报道,章鱼是第一个known invertebrates to show an increase over evolutionary time in microRNAs, which are gene-regulating molecules linked to the development of advanced cells and cognition in humans, mammals and other vertebrates. When combined with the known intelligence of octopuses, the findings provide crucial support for the theory that microRNAs are key to the evolution of intelligent life. Thu, 15 Dec 2022 13:09:16 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/12/221215130916.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/10/221031091407.htm A study has found that Eurasian jays can pass a version of the 'marshmallow test' -- and those with the greatest self-control also score the highest on intelligence tests. Mon, 31 Oct 2022 09:14:07 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/10/221031091407.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/10/221021132720.htm By embracing a broader definition of learning that includes any behavioral adaption developed in response to regular features of an environment, researchers could better collaborate across the fields of psychology, computer science, sociology, and genetics, according to a new Perspectives on Psychological Science article. Fri, 21 Oct 2022 13:27:20 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/10/221021132720.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/08/220802175824.htm If you've ever seen a grackle steal your dog pellets or a starling peck open a garbage bag, you get a sense of that some birds have learned to take advantage of new feeding opportunities -- 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's a bit of both. Tue, 02 Aug 2022 17:58:24 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/08/220802175824.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220721132015.htm Even common infections can come with acute or lingering cognitive symptoms; one of the best-known examples is 'COVID fog.' In a new review article, cognitive and disease ecologists discuss how infection-associated decline in learning, memory, or decision making can affect how well animals, such as birds and bees, adapt to urbanization or climate change. Thu, 21 Jul 2022 13:20:15 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220721132015.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220718181030.htm Researchers have provided the first documentation that dogs' sense of smell is integrated with their vision and other unique parts of the brain, shedding new light on how dogs experience and navigate the world. Mon, 18 Jul 2022 18:10:30 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/07/220718181030.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/05/220520132904.htm Researchers have reported a nano-sized neuromorphic memory device that emulates neurons and synapses simultaneously in a unit cell, another step toward completing the goal of neuromorphic computing designed to rigorously mimic the human brain with semiconductor devices. Fri, 20 May 2022 13:29:04 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/05/220520132904.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/05/220519081109.htm Researchers have found that eating cranberries could improve memory, ward off dementia, and reduce 'bad' cholesterol. The research team studied the benefits of consuming the equivalent of a cup of cranberries a day among 50 to 80-year-olds. They hope that their findings could have implications for the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia. Thu, 19 May 2022 08:11:09 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/05/220519081109.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/05/220509150745.htm Researchers have found that a suite of complimentary tests can quantify changes in dogs suspected of suffering from cognitive decline. The approach could not only aid owners in managing their elderly canine's care, but could also serve as a model for evaluating cognitive decline progression in -- and treatments for -- humans with Alzheimer's disease. Mon, 09 May 2022 15:07:45 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/05/220509150745.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/05/220509112033.htm 个人特质似乎推动我们学习成功ss: for instance, conscientious individuals often show higher academic performance. A group of cognitive and behavioral biologists conducted personality assessments and a battery of learning tests with common marmosets and found that such a link, intertwined with family group membership, exists in these monkeys, too. Mon, 09 May 2022 11:20:33 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/05/220509112033.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/03/220329152826.htm Bigger brains have led some species of parrot to live surprisingly long lives, new research shows. Tue, 29 Mar 2022 15:28:26 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/03/220329152826.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/03/220314095740.htm The ability to make perceptual and conceptual judgements such as knowing the difference between a picture of an object and the actual 3D object itself has been considered a defining capacity of primates, until now. A study provides the very first behavioral evidence that laboratory mice are capable of higher-order cognitive processes. Findings also provide strong support that the mouse's hippocampus, like that of humans, is required for this form of nonspatial visual recognition memory and picture-object equivalence. Mon, 14 Mar 2022 09:57:40 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/03/220314095740.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/03/220309165538.htm The California scrub-jay, a generally non-social bird, can learn just as well as another species of jay that lives in groups, a finding that surprised animal intelligence researchers who devised a novel food puzzle to study cognition in the wild. Wed, 09 Mar 2022 16:55:38 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/03/220309165538.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/02/220217141245.htm Common flies feature more advanced cognitive abilities than previously believed. Using a custom-built immersive virtual reality arena, neurogenetics and real-time brain activity imaging, researchers found attention, working memory and conscious awareness-like capabilities in fruit flies. Thu, 17 Feb 2022 14:12:45 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/02/220217141245.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/01/220104112241.htm Are animals' innate navigational abilities universal or are they restricted to their home environments? Researchers designed a set of wheels under a goldfish tank with a camera system to record and translate the fish's movements into forward and back and side to side directions to the wheels. By doing so, they discovered that a goldfish's navigational ability supersedes its watery environs. Tue, 04 Jan 2022 11:22:41 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2022/01/220104112241.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/12/211220120719.htm A new theory of consciousness provides experimental access to the study of this phenomenon. Not just in humans. Mon, 20 Dec 2021 12:07:19 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/12/211220120719.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/11/211125154826.htm An international research team have discovered a specific type of gut bacteria in bees that can improve memory. Thu, 25 Nov 2021 15:48:26 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/11/211125154826.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/10/211012112251.htm A new study is the first to show that gorillas are able to recognize familiar human voices based on their relationship with the speaker. Tue, 12 Oct 2021 11:22:51 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/10/211012112251.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/10/211005190926.htm The smarter the bird, the more unique welfare needs it has in captivity, according to a new study that helps to explain why many intelligent animals struggle in captivity. The findings are also important to owners of intelligent birds to ensure they provide them with naturalistic diets rather than processed foods. Tue, 05 Oct 2021 19:09:26 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/10/211005190926.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/08/210818130553.htm Differences in impulsivity between individuals are linked to both experience and gene expression, according to a study on the ancestor of domestic chickens, the red junglefowl. Wed, 18 Aug 2021 13:05:53 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/08/210818130553.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/07/210712122206.htm You know your dog gets your gist when you point and say 'go find the ball' and he scampers right to it. This knack for understanding human gestures may seem unremarkable, but it's a complex cognitive ability that is rare in the animal kingdom. New research comparing dog puppies to human-reared wolf pups offers some clues to how dogs' unusual people-reading skills came to be. Mon, 12 Jul 2021 12:22:06 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/07/210712122206.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/06/210625190956.htm This study makes connections between two sources of individual variation, personality and cognition, in threatened species. Fri, 25 Jun 2021 19:09:56 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/06/210625190956.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/06/210623113829.htm Communication is crucial for elephants that live in complex multi-tiered social systems. Apart from their iconic trumpets uttered through the trunk, Asian elephants also produce species-specific squeaks by buzzing their lips. This demonstrates once again the elephant's flexibility in sound production. Wed, 23 Jun 2021 11:38:29 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/06/210623113829.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/05/210512083409.htm Programs exclusively focused on petting therapy dogs improved stressed-out students' thinking and planning skills more effectively than programs that included traditional stress-management information, according to new research. Wed, 12 May 2021 08:34:09 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/05/210512083409.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/04/210429090227.htm A large study reveals the way relative brain size of mammals changed over the last 150 million years. Thu, 29 Apr 2021 09:02:27 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/04/210429090227.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/04/210423130119.htm Using data from 164 wild primate populations, the global survey examines the mental abilities that primates, including ourselves, use to know where and when to travel in the most efficient way. Fri, 23 Apr 2021 13:01:19 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/04/210423130119.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/04/210421124646.htm Categorization is the brain's tool to organize nearly everything we encounter in our daily lives. Grouping information into categories simplifies our complex world and helps us to react quickly and effectively to new experiences. Scientists have now shown that also mice categorize surprisingly well. The researchers identified neurons encoding learned categories and thereby demonstrated how abstract information is represented at the neuronal level. Wed, 21 Apr 2021 12:46:46 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/04/210421124646.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/02/210217175211.htm A new study finds children not only reap the benefits of working with therapy dogs -- they enjoy it too. Wed, 17 Feb 2021 17:52:11 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/02/210217175211.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/02/210210133340.htm People who eat a Mediterranean-style diet -- particularly one rich in green leafy vegetables and low in meat -- are more likely to stay mentally sharp in later life, a study shows. Closely adhering to a Mediterranean diet was associated with higher scores on a range of memory and thinking tests among adults in their late 70s, the research found. The study found no link, however, between the Mediterranean-style diet and better brain health. Wed, 10 Feb 2021 13:33:40 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2021/02/210210133340.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/12/201217095536.htm After aversive training, dogs had a lower behavioral state (higher stress and anxiety), a new study has found. If aversive methods were used in high proportions, that persisted even in other contexts. Thu, 17 Dec 2020 09:55:36 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/12/201217095536.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/11/201105115201.htm Study explores functions of fruit fly's nervous system in food seeking / results valuable for the development and control of artificial intelligence. Thu, 05 Nov 2020 11:52:01 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/11/201105115201.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/10/201022112557.htm Taking a look at generosity within the crow family reveals parallels with human evolution. Working together to raise offspring and increased tolerance towards group members contribute to the emergence of generous behavior among ravens, crows, magpies and company. Biologists found that the social life of corvids is a crucial factor for whether the birds act generously or not. Thu, 22 Oct 2020 11:25:57 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/10/201022112557.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/10/201006091231.htm From ants to primates, 'Napoleonic' intelligence has evolved to help animals contend with the myriad cognitive challenges arising from interactions with rival outsiders, suggest researchers. Tue, 06 Oct 2020 09:12:31 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/10/201006091231.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/10/201005101527.htm Researchers monitored the success of rehoming 16 laboratory beagles in 2015-2018. The study revealed that the development of house training skills could be supported by care arrangements at the laboratory animal facilities. Mon, 05 Oct 2020 10:15:27 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/10/201005101527.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/09/200925113353.htm A research team has systematically investigated the cognitive abilities of lemurs, which have relatively small brains compared to other primates. Conducting systematic tests with identical methods revealed that cognitive abilities of lemurs hardly differ from those of monkeys and great apes. Instead, this study revealed that the relationship between brain size and cognitive abilities cannot be generalized and it provides new insights into the evolution of primates. Fri, 25 Sep 2020 11:33:53 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/09/200925113353.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/09/200918104244.htm How do birds make decisions and which brain regions are particularly active when they solve tasks? Researchers are investigating these questions. So far, only anesthetized birds and therefore passive experiments could be examined using the functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Thus, the examination of brain processes during active tasks was not possible. Now the researchers have constructed an experimental set-up which allows them to carry out fMRI examinations on awake pigeons and thus also investigate cognitive processes for the first time. Fri, 18 Sep 2020 10:42:44 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/09/200918104244.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/08/200804134734.htm A new study offers evidence that the brain's inferotemporal cortex, which is specialized to perform object recognition, has been repurposed for a key component of reading called orthographic processing -- the ability to recognize written letters and words. Tue, 04 Aug 2020 13:47:34 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/08/200804134734.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/07/200724141034.htm Primates with large brains can master more complex hand movements than those with smaller brains. However, fine motor skills such as using tools can take time to learn, and humans take the longest of all. Large-brained species such as humans and great apes do not actually learn more slowly than other primates but instead start later, researchers have shown. Fri, 24 Jul 2020 14:10:34 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/07/200724141034.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/07/200714101224.htm Researchers argue that cognitive studies in comparative psychology often wrongly take an anthropocentric approach, resulting in an over-valuation of human-like abilities and the assumption that cognitive skills cluster in animals as they do in humans. The authors advocate for philosophical and procedural changes to the discipline that would lead to a better understanding of animal minds and the evolution of multiple forms of cognition. Tue, 14 Jul 2020 10:12:24 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/07/200714101224.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/06/200630125135.htm Light to moderate drinking may preserve brain function in older age, according to a new study. Tue, 30 Jun 2020 12:51:35 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/06/200630125135.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/06/200624100031.htm Scientists investigated cooperation dynamics in wild chimpanzees (Tai, Ivory Coast) and bonobos (LuiKotale, DCR) using a snake model. While chimpanzees cooperate to defend their territory, bonobos do not. The study reveals no differences in both species' social intelligence but supports theories linking territoriality and in-group cooperation in humans since chimpanzees were more motivated to cooperate by informing others of a threat as compared to bonobos. Wed, 24 Jun 2020 10:00:31 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/06/200624100031.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/06/200611094156.htm Scientists recently published findings indicating the baboon could prove to be a relevant model to test therapeutics and interventions for neurodegenerative diseases, such as early stage Alzheimer's and related dementias. Thu, 11 Jun 2020 09:41:56 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/06/200611094156.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/05/200531200335.htm The current study analyzes social and life-history data from several thousand songbirds, including 127 corvids, the family that includes jays, crows, ravens, and magpies. Results show that corvids are unusual in having larger brains and 'extended childhoods,' where parents provide the young with a safe haven to learn and practice skills they need to survive as adults. These findings shed light on how extended parenting in humans facilitated the evolution of our extraordinarily large brains. Sun, 31 May 2020 20:03:35 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/05/200531200335.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/04/200420125519.htm The human language pathway in the brain has been identified by scientists as being at least 25 million years old -- 20 million years older than previously thought. Mon, 20 Apr 2020 12:55:19 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/04/200420125519.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/04/200414084316.htm According to a recent analysis of data from two major eye disease studies, adherence to the Mediterranean diet - high in vegetables, whole grains, fish, and olive oil -- correlates with higher cognitive function. Tue, 14 Apr 2020 08:43:16 EDT //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/04/200414084316.htm //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/03/200304141703.htm A new study explores in greater depth the effect on infant cognition of drinking fruit juice while pregnant. Wed, 04 Mar 2020 14:17:03 EST //www.koonmotors.com/releases/2020/03/200304141703.htm