scholarly journals New Caledonian crows afford invaluable comparative insights into human cumulative technological culture

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Rutz ◽  
Gavin R. Hunt
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Technological Progress ◽  
Primate Species ◽  
Biological Processes ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Technological Culture ◽  
Progressive Refinement ◽  
New Caledonian Crow ◽  
Caledonian Crow ◽  
New Caledonian Crows

Abstract The New Caledonian crow may be the only non-primate species exhibiting cumulative technological culture. Its foraging tools show clear signs of diversification and progressive refinement, and it seems likely that at least some tool-related information is passed across generations via social learning. Here, we explain how these remarkable birds can help us uncover the basic biological processes driving technological progress.

scholarly journals Tool bending in New Caledonian crows

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (8) ◽  
pp. 160439 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Rutz ◽  
Shoko Sugasawa ◽  
Jessica E. M. van der Wal ◽  
Barbara C. Klump ◽  
James J. H. St Clair
Keyword(s):  
Natural History ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Cognitive Capacities ◽  
New Caledonian Crow ◽  
The World ◽  
Caledonian Crow ◽  
New Caledonian Crows ◽  
Behavioural Repertoire

‘Betty’ the New Caledonian crow astonished the world when she ‘spontaneously’ bent straight pieces of garden wire into hooked foraging tools. Recent field experiments have revealed that tool bending is part of the species' natural behavioural repertoire, providing important context for interpreting Betty's iconic wire-bending feat. More generally, this discovery provides a compelling illustration of how natural history observations can inform laboratory-based research into the cognitive capacities of non-human animals.

A cognitive approach to cumulative technological culture is useful and necessary but only if it also applies to other species

2020 ◽  
Vol 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thibaud Gruber
Keyword(s):  
Social Learning ◽  
Cognitive Processes ◽  
Learning Processes ◽  
Cognitive Approach ◽  
Technological Culture ◽  
Social Learning Processes

Abstract The debate on cumulative technological culture (CTC) is dominated by social-learning discussions, at the expense of other cognitive processes, leading to flawed circular arguments. I welcome the authors' approach to decouple CTC from social-learning processes without minimizing their impact. Yet, this model will only be informative to understand the evolution of CTC if tested in other cultural species.

scholarly journals Population Genetic Structure and Colonisation History of the Tool-Using New Caledonian Crow

PLoS ONE ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 7 (5) ◽  
pp. e36608 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jawad Abdelkrim ◽  
Gavin R. Hunt ◽  
Russell D. Gray ◽  
Neil J. Gemmell
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Structure ◽  
Population Genetic Structure ◽  
Population Genetic ◽  
New Caledonian Crow ◽  
Caledonian Crow ◽  
History Of

scholarly journals Delayed gratification in New Caledonian crows and young children: influence of reward type and visibility

2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-85 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rachael Miller ◽  
Anna Frohnwieser ◽  
Martina Schiestl ◽  
Dakota E. McCoy ◽  
Russell D. Gray ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cognitive Abilities ◽  
Delay Of Gratification ◽  
Comparative Investigation ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Primate Species ◽  
Delayed Gratification ◽  
New Caledonian Crows ◽  
Species Comparisons ◽  
The Subject

Abstract Self-control underlies cognitive abilities such as decision making and future planning. Delay of gratification is a measure of self-control and involves obtaining a more valuable outcome in the future by tolerating a delay or investing a greater effort in the present. Contextual issues, such as reward visibility and type, may influence delayed gratification performance, although there has been limited comparative investigation between humans and other animals, particularly non-primate species. Here, we adapted an automated ‘rotating tray’ paradigm used previously with capuchin monkeys to test for delay of gratification ability that requires little pre-test training, where the subject must forgo an immediate, less preferred reward for a delayed, more preferred one. We tested New Caledonian crows and 3–5-year-old human children. We manipulated reward types to differ in quality or quantity (Experiments 1 and 2) as well as visibility (Experiment 2). In Experiments 1 and 2, both species performed better when the rewards varied in quality as opposed to quantity, though performed above chance in both conditions. In Experiment 1, both crows and children were able to delay gratification when both rewards were visible. In Experiment 2, 5-year-old children outperformed 3- and 4-year olds, though overall children still performed well, while the crows struggled when reward visibility was manipulated, a result which may relate to difficulties in tracking the experimenters’ hands during baiting. We discuss these findings in relation to the role of contextual issues on self-control when making species comparisons and investigating the mechanisms of self-control.

Sequential Tool Use in the New Caledonian Crow

2006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna Wimpenny ◽  
Alex A. S. Weir ◽  
Alex Kacelnik
Keyword(s):  
Tool Use ◽  
New Caledonian Crow ◽  
Caledonian Crow

scholarly journals Modifications to the Aesop's Fable Paradigm Change New Caledonian Crow Performances

PLoS ONE ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 9 (7) ◽  
pp. e103049 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corina J. Logan ◽  
Sarah A. Jelbert ◽  
Alexis J. Breen ◽  
Russell D. Gray ◽  
Alex H. Taylor
Keyword(s):  
Paradigm Change ◽  
New Caledonian Crow ◽  
Caledonian Crow
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