— Ravens can communicate information about food sources that are not nearby.
Biologists initially struggled to explain how these remarkable feats were structurally possible, given that bird brains lack the layered neocortex found in highly intelligent mammals. The answer lies in convergent evolution. Instead of a neocortex, the avian brain features a hyper-developed region called the nidopallium neuroanatomically optimized for executive functions. Neurons in this area are packed far more densely than in mammalian brains, allowing for rapid information processing within a highly compact space. Practice Questions Questions 1–4
Without prior training, the rooks successfully selected heavy, solid objects (like stones) over light, hollow objects (like polystyrene) to drop into the tube. They calculated that only heavy items would displace the water and raise the reward to the top. When practicing this passage, ensure you can trace the exact sequence of this experiment, as it is a prime target for flow-chart or diagram labeling questions.
Western scrub-jays re-hide their food immediately in front of watching rivals.
The IELTS Reading passage " The Intelligence of Corvids " explores the advanced cognitive abilities of birds such as
Answer: tools (or "tool use").
This IELTS General Reading test passage focuses on cumulative change in tool manufacture. The "ratchet-like" nature of technological evolution means that design changes are retained at the population level until new, improved designs arise. This ratchet effect is possible because tool manufacture methods are socially transmitted with sufficient fidelity that individuals do not need to reinvent or recapitulate past inefficient designs. The New Caledonian crow is an ideal model species to examine the links between tool manufacture, social learning and cognition. These crows make tools out of twigs and the long, ridged edges of the leaves of the tropical pandanus tree to facilitate the capture of prey. Three distinct tool designs are found: wide tools, narrow tools, and stepped tools.
Paragraph B notes that Betty created the hook "spontaneously" and that she "had never encountered wire before," directly contradicting the idea of prior training.
