乌鸦跟黑猩猩一样聪明

时间：2016-04-27 08:01:32

（单词翻译:单击）

A study led by researchers at Lund University in Sweden shows that ravens1 are as clever as chimpanzees, despite having much smaller brains, indicating that rather than the size of the brain, the neuronal density2 and the structure of the birds' brains play an important role in terms of their intelligence. "Absolute brain size is not the whole story. We found that corvid birds performed as well as great apes, despite having much smaller brains", says Can Kabadayi, doctoral student in Cognitive3 Science.
 
Intelligence is difficult to test, but one aspect of being clever is inhibitory control, and the ability to override4 animal impulses and choose a more rational behaviour. Researchers at Duke University, USA, conducted a large-scale study in 2014, where they compared the inhibitory control of 36 different animal species, mainly primates5 and apes. The team used the established cylinder6 test, where food is placed in a transparent7 tube with openings on both sides. The challenge for the animal is to retrieve8 the food using the side openings, instead of trying to reach for it directly. To succeed, the animal has to show constraint9 and choose a more efficient strategy for obtaining the food. 
 
The large-scale study concluded that great apes performed the best, and that absolute brain size appeared to be key when it comes to intelligence. However, they didn't conduct the cylinder test on corvid birds. 
 
Can Kabadayi, together with researchers from the University of Oxford10, UK and the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology11 in Germany, therefore had ravens, jackdaws and New Caledonian crows perform the same cylinder test to better understand their inhibitory control. 
 
The team first trained the birds to obtain a treat in an opaque12 tube with a hole at each end. Then they repeated the test with a transparent tube. The animal impulse would naturally be to go straight for the tube as they saw the food. However, all of the ravens chose to enter the tube from the ends in every try. The performance of the jackdaws and the crows came very close to 100%, comparable to a performance by bonobos and gorillas13.

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1 ravens afa492e2603cd239f272185511eefeb8     
n.低质煤；渡鸦( raven的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • Wheresoever the carcase is,there will the ravens be gathered together. 哪里有死尸，哪里就有乌鸦麇集。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • A couple of ravens croaked above our boat. 两只乌鸦在我们小船的上空嘎嘎叫着。 来自辞典例句
2 density rOdzZ     
n.密集，密度，浓度
参考例句：
  • The population density of that country is 685 per square mile.那个国家的人口密度为每平方英里685人。
  • The region has a very high population density.该地区的人口密度很高。
3 cognitive Uqwz0     
adj.认知的，认识的，有感知的
参考例句：
  • As children grow older,their cognitive processes become sharper.孩子们越长越大，他们的认知过程变得更为敏锐。
  • The cognitive psychologist is like the tinker who wants to know how a clock works.认知心理学者倒很像一个需要通晓钟表如何运转的钟表修理匠。
4 override sK4xu     
vt.不顾，不理睬，否决；压倒，优先于
参考例句：
  • The welfare of a child should always override the wishes of its parents.孩子的幸福安康应该永远比父母的愿望来得更重要。
  • I'm applying in advance for the authority to override him.我提前申请当局对他进行否决。
5 primates 9536f12c27d026e37c108bd6fc53dbba     
primate的复数
参考例句：
  • Primates are alert, inquisitive animals. 灵长目动物是机灵、好奇的动物。
  • Consciousness or cerebration has been said to have emerged in the evolution of higher primates. 据说意识或思考在较高级灵长类的进化中已出现。
6 cylinder rngza     
n.圆筒，柱(面)，汽缸
参考例句：
  • What's the volume of this cylinder?这个圆筒的体积有多少？
  • The cylinder is getting too much gas and not enough air.汽缸里汽油太多而空气不足。
7 transparent Smhwx     
adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的
参考例句：
  • The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
  • The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。
8 retrieve ZsYyp     
vt.重新得到，收回；挽回，补救；检索
参考例句：
  • He was determined to retrieve his honor.他决心恢复名誉。
  • The men were trying to retrieve weapons left when the army abandoned the island.士兵们正试图找回军队从该岛撤退时留下的武器。
9 constraint rYnzo     
n.(on)约束，限制；限制(或约束)性的事物
参考例句：
  • The boy felt constraint in her presence.那男孩在她面前感到局促不安。
  • The lack of capital is major constraint on activities in the informal sector.资本短缺也是影响非正规部门生产经营的一个重要制约因素。
10 Oxford Wmmz0a     
n.牛津（英国城市）
参考例句：
  • At present he has become a Professor of Chemistry at Oxford.他现在已是牛津大学的化学教授了。
  • This is where the road to Oxford joins the road to London.这是去牛津的路与去伦敦的路的汇合处。
11 ornithology HJCxh     
n.鸟类学
参考例句：
  • He found his vocation in ornithology.他发现自己适于专攻鸟类学。
  • His main interests are botany and ornithology.他主要对植物学和鸟类学感兴趣。
12 opaque jvhy1     
adj.不透光的；不反光的，不传导的；晦涩的
参考例句：
  • The windows are of opaque glass.这些窗户装着不透明玻璃。
  • Their intentions remained opaque.他们的意图仍然令人费解。
13 gorillas a04bd21e2b9b42b0d71bbb65c0c6d365     
n.大猩猩( gorilla的名词复数 )；暴徒，打手
参考例句：
  • the similitude between humans and gorillas 人类和大猩猩的相像
  • Each family of gorillas is led by a great silverbacked patriarch. 每个大星星家族都由一个魁梧的、长着银色被毛的族长带领着。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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