I was amazed to read some reports on research by a Karl Berg, and his group, from Cornell University, that indicates that baby parrots are given names by their parents, and modify these slightly, so that each parrot has a unique sound sequence that identifies the animal, much like "John Jones, Jr." might identify a human individual.
Here is the report in Science Now, and here in Nature News blog. The reports are readable, and interesting, and both of them include a short video. Science and Nature are the two most important scientific periodicals in English.
Thanks for reading!
Musings on science, the Bible, and fantastic literature (and sometimes basketball and other stuff).
God speaks to us through the Bible and the findings of science, and we should listen to both types of revelation.
The title is from Psalm 84:11.
The Wikipedia is usually a pretty good reference. I mostly use the World English Bible (WEB), because it is public domain. I am grateful.
I've always thought "triggered memories" were interesting in parrots.
ReplyDeleteI have a bird owner friend and her parrot would randomly say things that she hadn't said in years.
She left the bird with the History channel on all day just to see what she would repeat when she returned home.
It was interesting to hear a recap of the nuclear bomb being dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
Thanks! That's amazing. So are parrot brains, apparently.
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