Page 82 - 2003 DT 12 Issues

Animal Minds and will respond to specific commands or Clayton had seen evidence that an animal
questions such as, “do you want a ba- “other than a human recalled the social con-
nana?” In studying Kanzi’s sounds, text of an event and adjusted its future be-
nimal cognition is a thorny sub-
ject. The human conceit that researchers identified four specific sounds havior.”
relating to ‘banana,’ ‘grape,’ ‘juice,’ and Ornithologists have learned that birds
A“we” are the only intelligent crea-
‘yes.’ The sounds remain the same regard- can navigate by setting their compass to
tures on earth capable of even
less of the circumstances or emotional the moon, sun, or stars or by using the
rudimentary thought processes has been
states. While studies of Ivory Coast mon- Earth’s magnetic field. In older birds, how-
most entrenched in the scientific commu-
nity. Until recently, few scientists have keys have hinted at syntax use in the mon- ever, these “genetic compasses” seem to
keys’ calls, “Kanzi comes closest yet to be replaced by their ability to learn from
been willing to risk a career exploring the
providing concrete evidence that apes can experience. Studies conducted with a va-
provocative evidence slowly accumulated
make sounds that carry a particular meaning.” riety of species at the Max Plank Research
in past decades.
Then, there is the 450-pound male Centre for Ornithology in Andechs, Ger-
The story of Koko, the gorilla who
gorilla named “King” at the University of many have suggested that mature
learned to communicate with her trainer
through American Sign Language (ASL), Florida in Miami who communicates with migratory birds develop long-term
caretakers via picture cards in memory memory, allowing them to return accu-
even creating sentences of her own, is well
tests. Using the cards, he can remember rately to their destinations even when
known. Washoe, a chimpanzee at the Uni-
versity of Central Washington who who gave him certain
inspired the Koko Project, learned to com- foods even when his
municate in ASL in 1967. Even this caretakers cannot. And a
amazing accomplishment, since repli- female chimpanzee
cated in four other chimps, has been named “Panzee” at the
rejected as mere conditioning in the use Georgia State University
of signs, not language. in Atlanta uses a key-
Respected scientists such as Dian board with more than 256
Fossey, Jane Goodall, and Franz deWaal lexigrams. After more than 30 different
have given us insights into primate items outside Panzee’s enclosure were hid- diverted far from their regular course.
Adult European swallows deliberately re-
behavior, social structure, and the emo- den while she was watching, she correctly moved from their flight paths were able
tional depth and complexity exhibited by identified each type of item and where each
was hidden, directing her caretakers—un- to correctly reach their specific
these animals, but it has been an uphill nests without the usual signposts. Young,
battle. Now, a new generation of interna- aware of the hiding places—to retrieve the
item correctly in 90% of the cases. inexperienced birds, in contrast, were not
tional researchers has come to the fore,
A series of experiments over the last able to get themselves back on course.
providing sound—though still controver-
six years by Nicola Clayton, a professor Are we humans ready to face the prob-
sial—data on many fronts.
of comparative cognition at the University able reality that we are not the only species
New research in the last few years has
of Cambridge in England, has provided to have evolved cognitive intelligence?
focussed on the aspects of memory, “lan-
evidence that scrub jays use memory to Although the quality and type of intelli-
guage,” communication strategies,
recall past events and apply that knowl- gence may be quite different, it is no less
extraordinary tool use, and other elements worthy of respect. Perhaps those qualities
edge to future planning. According to a
that, in some animals at least, point to- which make us human may one day goad
report in National Geographic News, the
ward a form of “cognition.” our superior intelligence into sparing
jays cache their food based on its perish-
Earlier this year, the New Scientist adequate space on the planet for the sur-
ability. When given worms and peanuts
reported on “Kanzi,” an adult bonobo that to store, if the worms had been left cached vival of “other minds.”
was raised in captivity among humans and for a long period, the jays preferred to re-
kept at the University of Georgia primate trieve the peanuts, “remembering” spoiled Biggest Banquet Ever
lab. Kanzi appears to make up his own worms from past experience. In another
“words,” making sounds for specific re- experiment, the scrub jays—notorious pil- his year’s banquet at the Tuscany
quests that seem to retain their meaning ferers themselves—were observed to be Best Western on Friday, October
over a range of different situations. Kanzi cautious about stashing food that might be T17 broke the attendance record
also understands some spoken English stolen by other birds. It was the first time with 113 guests.

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