Brain genes related to innovation revealed in birds

Glutamate brain receptors, linked with human intelligence, are also associated with problem-solving skills in wild birds

Date:  March 14, 2018

Source:  McGill University

Wild birds that are more clever than others at foraging for food have different levels of a neurotransmitter receptor that has been linked with intelligence in humans, according to a new study. The findings could provide insight into the evolutionary mechanisms affecting cognitive traits in a range of animals.

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Cockatoos crack lock-picking puzzle

By Michelle Warwicker, BBC Nature

Cockatoos can pick their way through a series of locks to reach a reward, scientists have found.

Researchers presented 10 birds with a box containing a cashew nut treat, which they could reach by removing five different interlocking devices.

One of the Goffin's cockatoos, called "Pipin", solved the complex mechanical puzzle unassisted within two hours.

Several other birds mastered the task after observing peers or being presented with the locks incrementally.

The study, carried out by scientists from the University of Oxford in the UK, the University of Vienna in Austria and the Max Planck Institute in Germany, is published in the journal PLoS One.

To reach the nut, the captive Goffin's cockatoos (Cacatua goffini) had to remove a pin, followed by a screw, a bolt, then turn a wheel and move a latch sideways.

"The progress of the birds towards the solution is unaffected by the fact that the goal is very distant," said Professor Alex Kacelnik from the University of Oxford's department of zoology, who co-authored the study.

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