Although worlds apart, the way fish learn could be closer to humans' way of thinking than previously believed, suggests a new research study.
A common species of fish which is found across Europe including the UK, called the nine-spined stickleback, could be the first animal shown to exhibit an important human social learning strategy. The sticklebacks can compare the behaviour of other sticklebacks with their own experience and make choices that lead to better food supplies, according to the study by St Andrews and Durham universities.
The researchers suggest these fish might have an unusually sophisticated social learning capability not yet found in other animals, called a 'hill-climbing' strategy.
Here's the rest of the Durham University press release....
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2 comments:
Of Human Conceitedness And Scientific Staleness
A. Pearls from "Common fish species has 'human' ability to learn"
http://www.physorg.com/news164423377.html
- "The findings show that big brains, like those in humans, are not necessarily needed as a pre-requisite for cumulative culture."
- "The researchers say the findings contribute to the understanding of brain evolution and the types of brain required for certain cognitive functions, both in humans and animals."
- "But our results suggest brain size isn't everything when it comes to the capacity for social learning."
- "These fish are obviously not at all closely related to humans, yet they have this human ability to only copy when the pay off is better than their own. You might expect this ability in animals who are closely related to humans. In the case of the nine-spined stickleback, they have most likely adapted to their local ecology."
B. About time for life sciences to assimilate, to internalize, that it is culture that drives genetics, NOT genetics that drives culture,
starting with search-surfing "Dov Henis : It is culture that drives genetics, not genetics that drives culture"
Suggesting,
Dov Henis
(Comments From The 22nd Century)
http://profiles.yahoo.com/blog/2SF3CJJM5OU6T27OC4MFQSDYEU
Origin Of Origins
http://www.the-scientist.com/community/posts/list/160/122.page#2753
I didn't know that a common species of fish which is found across Europe including the UK, called the nine-spined stickleback, could be the first animal shown to exhibit an important human social learning strategy.
The researchers suggest these fish might have an unusually sophisticated social learning capability.
Term papers
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