Animal Learning and Intelligence News
September 9, 2016
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September 9, 2016

You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks, but Younger Dogs Learn Faster

Feb. 2, 2016 — Aging affects the cognitive abilities of dogs, as a recent study shows. A team of scientists studied dogs of different ages working on a specially designed touchscreen and discovered that although ... read more

Ancient Rodent's Brain Was Big ... but Not Necessarily 'Smart'

Jan. 27, 2016 — Ancient rodent Paramys had a large brain that was even larger than some primitive primates of the same ... read more

Animals With Larger Brains Are Best Problem Solvers, Study Shows

Jan. 25, 2016 — Despite decades of research, the idea that relative brain size predicts cognitive abilities remains highly controversial, because there is still little experimental evidence to support it. However, a ... read more

How Dogs See Your Emotions: Dogs View Facial Expressions Differently

Jan. 19, 2016 — A recent study shows that the social gazing behavior of domestic dogs resembles that of humans: dogs view facial expressions systematically, preferring eyes. In addition, the facial expression alters ... read more

New Study Gives Squirrels Plenty of Food for Thought

Jan. 19, 2016 — Persistence and the ability to choose the right behavior to solve a problem are important aspects of problem solving in the common squirrel when they were learning to unravel challenges in the quest ... read more

A Man’s Best Friend: Study Shows Dogs Can Recognize Human Emotions

Jan. 12, 2016 — Dogs can recognize emotions in humans by combining information from different senses -- an ability that has never previously been observed outside of humans, a new study published today ... read more

Is Evolution More Intelligent Than We Thought?

Dec. 18, 2015 — Evolution may be more intelligent than we thought, according to researchers. In a new article, the authors make the case that evolution is able to learn from previous experience, which could provide ... read more

Elephants May Use Trunks Like 'Leaf Blowers' to Obtain Inaccessible Food

Nov. 5, 2015 — Two captive elephants blast air through their trunks to grasp hard-to-reach food, suggests an initial study. This behavior, studied in a zoo population of Asian elephants, is altered according to the ... read more

Citizen Scientists Contribute to Dog Research

Sep. 16, 2015 — Five hundred citizen scientists around the world have contributed data to a study of what goes on inside the minds of their dogs. On five of the seven tests analyzed, citizen science data ... read more

Something to Crow About: New Caledonian Crows Show Strong Evidence of Social Learning

Aug. 26, 2015 — Among our greatest achievements as humans, some might say, is our cumulative technological culture -- the tool-using acumen that is passed from one generation to the next. As the implements we use on ... read more

Dogs Process Faces in Specialized Brain Area, Study Reveals

Aug. 4, 2015 — Having neural machinery dedicated to face processing suggests that this ability is hard-wired in dogs through cognitive evolution, and may help explain dogs' extreme sensitivity to human social ... read more

Stress 'Sweet Spot' Differs for Mellow Vs. Hyper Dogs

July 21, 2015 — People aren't the only ones who perform better on tests or athletic events when they are just a little bit nervous -- dogs do too. But in dogs as in people, the right amount of stress depends on ... read more

You Need This Hole in the Head -- To Be Smart

July 15, 2015 — Researchers have shown that intelligence in animal species can be estimated by the size of the holes in the skull through which the arteries ... read more

Grey Squirrels Are Quick Learners, Study Shows

July 6, 2015 — They may be viewed by some as an invasive species or a commonplace pest of public parks, but a new study has shown that grey squirrels are actually quick learners capable of adapting tactics to ... read more

Do Insect Societies Share Brain Power?

June 16, 2015 — The cooperative or integrative aspects of insect colonies, such as information sharing among colony mates, can reduce the need for individual cognition in these societies, a new study suggests. ... read more

Crows Count on 'Number Neurons'

June 8, 2015 — Neurobiologists have discovered cells in the crow brain that respond to a specific number of items. The study provides valuable insights into the biological roots of counting capabilities. What makes ... read more

Barking Characterizes Dogs as Voice Characterizes People

May 28, 2015 — Research on canine behavior shows that gender, age, context and individual recognition can be identified with a high percentage of success through statistical and computational methods of pattern ... read more

Clever Snail? Animals, Like Humans, Excel at Some Tasks but Not Others

May 27, 2015 — Animals, like humans, excel at some tasks but not others. Researchers used pond snails to investigate learning and memory. They found that if an individual is good at forming memories about food they ... read more

Cannabis Consumers Show Greater Susceptibility to False Memories

Apr. 21, 2015 — Consumers of cannabis are more prone to experiencing false memories. One of the known consequences of consuming this drug is the memory problems it can cause. Chronic consumers show more difficulties ... read more

Sniffing Safer: New Canine Training Aid Matches Explosives' Scent but Doesn't Explode

Apr. 1, 2015 — One of the biggest challenges in the training and testing of canine teams results from the explosives materials themselves - especially new homemade explosives. A new training aid has been created ... read more
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