These cute mallard ducklings are already capable of abstract thought. (Photo : Pixabay)
Animals can apparently deal with abstract concepts with some training, where they can become aware of patterns that are the same or different. However in this new study, newly born ducklings are already this smart that they can immediately differentiate patterns that are the same or different, sans any sort of training.
According to Alex Kacelnik from the University of Oxford, ducklings can apparently learn fast from their mothers after scientists conducted a behavioral test on them, just within hours of hatching. This process is called imprinting, where researchers discovered that these newly hatched mallards are more intelligent than first thought.
Kacelnik explains how imprinting appears to be a simple process, however, this can be extremely complex since the mother duck already possesses an extremely complex collection of properties, providing more clues about how a young animal can store information in its brain, regarding the identity of its mother.
In this new study, researchers placed two objects in front of the ducklings that were either the same or different in shape and color. As the ducklings saw new pairs of objects they followed the pairs that show the same relations to each other, where they were originally imprinted.
Kacelnik explains that these ducklings are imprinting concepts of same objects and different objects, as opposed to specific shapes and colors, which also suggests that these duckling are abstracting properties.
According to a related commentary by Edward Wasserman of the University of Iowa, who is not part of this study, the ducklings were only exposed to a single pair of stimuli, which means that they can outperform human babies. Human babies can distinguish same and different objects but only after seeing at least four pairs of objects, where as ducklings can distinguish objects only after seeing one pair.
This new study yields a better understanding of how animals who are initially though of as not intelligent that are apparently capable of abstract thought. Apart from this, young animals can already show behavioral signs of abstract thinking and without any reward and punishment procedures.
This new study is published in the journal Science.
