[Animals] The intelligence of cockatoos: animals that use tools to complete complex tasks

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So we launched a study of the universities of Birmingham and Vienna. It is an ability that humans do not fully develop until they are 8 years old. The details

According to the challenge proposed by the experts, the cockatoos have to mani[CENSORED]te a ball through a hole (Photo: University of Vienna)
Tool use may be a rare skill in the animal kingdom, but there is one type of bird that excels at it. According to a study by scientists from the University of Birmingham and the University of Vienna, published in Scientific Reports, the cockatoo has shown outstanding use of problem-solving skills when challenged.

The researchers devised a golf-like game for the bird species that is known for being able to complete complex puzzles, pick even locks, and use tools such as sticks to make shells from nuts and seeds.

According to the challenge proposed by the experts, the cockatoos have to mani[CENSORED]te a ball through a hole in a closed box, before using a stick to push the ball to the side of the box to activate a trap mechanism. This in turn freed up a cashew nut for the bird.

 

Three of the cockatoos very well how to use the stick to maneuver the ball into the correct position to release the treat, showing a high level of tool innovation. It was so impressive, the researchers said, that it shows that cockatoos can master problems that children under the age of eight struggle to solve.

 

"Young children often find it difficult to come up with novel solutions to problems involving the use of tools," she said.
The study by the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna and the University of Birmingham is part of a larger international and interdisciplinary project comparing children's problem-solving and innovation skills with those of cockatoos. "One of the most amazing aspects of the process was watching how these animals each invented their own individual technique for grasping the stick and hitting the ball, sometimes with amazing dexterity," said lead researcher Dr Antonio Osuna-Mascaró, from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna.

"One of the birds operated the stick while holding it between its jaws, another between the tip of its beak and its tongue, and another with its claw, similar to a primate." The use of tools is rare in animals, and in particular composite tools in which two elements come together, such as a spear or axe, or composite tools in which two elements, for example a stick and a stone, are joined together. we use together.

 

These types of tools have become recreational activities, such as hockey, cricket or golf, and it was this that inspired the researchers. Study co-author Sarah Beck, Professor of Cognitive Development at the University of Birmingham School of Psychology, focuses on associations between children and birds in learning to use tools.

“Although children are very good at using tools and technology in their lives (think spoons and iPads), our research has shown that young children often find it difficult to invent novel solutions to problems involving the use of tools. tools”, said the specialist. "In fact, children under the age of eight can really have a hard time figuring out which cockatoos can dominate," he added.

 

It's not just about who's smarter: children or cockatoos, but comparing such different species helps us understand how humans
"So while this study is the first to show that cockatoos can coordinate tools to solve a problem, it also feeds into our ongoing work with children." Professor Beck added: "As tempting as it may be, it's not simply a question of who is smarter: children or cockatoos, but comparing such different species helps us understand how humans and some other species develop impressive technological abilities." ”.

Fellow author Professor Alice Auersperg, the head of the Goffin Laboratory at the Messerli Research Institute at the University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, said: "I think studying what spatial relationships animals attend to and how they use them to enable tools will be key. to give us a better insight into the evolution of technology.

 

"Improving our understanding of the onset of complex tool use in particular is therefore currently a goal of our research team," he said.

The researchers said they hoped the findings would also shed new light on how our ancestors developed the ability to design and use tools.

 

Link: https://www.infobae.com/america/perrosygatos/2022/02/14/la-inteligencia-de-las-cacatuas-los-animales-que-usan-herramientas-para-completar-tareas-complejas/