Untitled Document
 Pigeons are seen as dirty,
germ-infested birds by many
people. Even some animal lovers cannot stand being close to them.
But just because they may be annoying to some does not
mean they are stupid and unintelligent. A recent study
shows that pigeons are actually very good with numbers.
Some have even said that they are “brilliant” in math!
Researchers at New Zealand’s University of Otago have discovered that pigeons can
distinguish different numbers,
quantity of objects, and can even learn
abstract rules in mathematics. Beside humans,
only monkeys have shown the same abilities.
Damian Scarf, the lead author of the study, said
that pigeons are probably one of the smartest
birds in the world. He began his study by teaching pigeons how to
put the first three numbers in order. To teach the birds,
Scarf and his researchers presented three separate images showing one,
two, or three objects.
 All three
images were shown at the same time on a touch
screen. To pass the test, the pigeons
had to peck the screen with their
beaks in correct order. The images
came in different colors and shapes to make the task more complicated. Surprisingly,
the birds succeeded in putting the objects in the right numerical order! “Pigeons
are amazingly good at math!” said Scarf. |
|
|
|
