The surprising key to magpie intelligence: it’s not genetic
Are their sharp cognitive abilities innate – something coded into their genetic makeup?
- Are their sharp cognitive abilities innate – something coded into their genetic makeup?
- Or are magpie smarts more a product of their environment and social experiences?
- In a new study, we shed light on the “nature versus nurture” debate – at least when it comes to avian intelligence.
- Instead, the key factor influencing how quickly the fledglings learned to pick the correct colour was the size of their social group.