The use of causal reasoning to solve problems was previously thought to be something only humans can do. But new research suggests that crows are capable of it too. University of Auckland cognitive scientist Alex Taylor and his colleagues devised an experiment to test New Caledonian crows’ causal reasoning. Turns out, they were able to succeed where even chimps fail. I, for one, welcome our new feathered overlords.
“Crows make monkeys out of chimps in mental test” (New Scientist), “Do New Caledonian crows solve physical problems through causal reasoning?” (Proceedings of the Royal Society)
