Crows can evaluate visual info twice as fast as mammals
Researchers found that carrion crows can judge the direction of moving visual dots about twice as quickly as monkeys in comparable experiments, while maintaining similar accuracy. The finding suggests that birds can use decision-making processes resembling those seen in primates despite their differently organised brains.
Two hand-raised crows reported whether dots on a screen moved left, right, up or down by pecking a target, earning mealworms for correct answers. They could still perform above chance when only 3 per cent of the dots moved together. Activity was recorded from 248 neurons in the crows’ NCL brain region; their average response time was 235 milliseconds, compared with roughly 410 to 600 milliseconds in three monkey studies. Crow reaction times varied by only 34 milliseconds between the easiest and hardest trials.
In short
- Crows judged moving dots in an average of 235 milliseconds.
- Their accuracy was comparable to monkeys and humans.
- Researchers recorded activity from 248 neurons in a key brain region.
Explained simply
Carrion crows are members of the crow family that feed on dead animals as well as other food. Birds and mammals have differently organised brains, so comparing how they make decisions can help researchers understand which abilities may work in similar ways across species.
In the study, two hand-raised crows watched dots moving on a screen and pecked to indicate their direction. Researchers also recorded activity in the birds’ NCL, a brain region involved in processing information and guiding behaviour.
Comparisons with earlier monkey experiments can show how quickly different animals make visual decisions while keeping them accurate. The findings may help scientists study the relationship between brain organisation and decision-making in birds and mammals.