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Parrots just as smart as apes: Study
Despite having much smaller brains than mammals, some birds like parrots and crows have mental skills that match with those of our ape cousins, new research has found. Among other things, they are capable of thinking logically, of recognising themselves in the mirror and of empathy, the study said.
London: Despite having much smaller brains than mammals, some birds like parrots and crows have mental skills that match with those of our ape cousins, new research has found. Among other things, they are capable of thinking logically, of recognising themselves in the mirror and of empathy, the study said.
In mammals, cognitive skills are controlled by the multi-layered cerebral cortex, also called neocortex. This brain structure does not exist in birds. Instead, complex mental tasks are managed by the so-called pallium. Moreover, birds have much smaller brains than apes. While ape brains weigh 275 to 500 gram on average, birds, who are just as skilful despite lacking a cortex, only manage five to 20 gram.
"How, then, are birds capable of the same cognitive performance as apes?" Gunturkun asked. To address this question, the researchers compiled studies which had revealed diverse cognitive skills in birds and analysed numerous neuro-anatomic studies. They found that brains of birds and mammals have some similarities.
