Smart Crow

Question

B. Haq

Animal behavior researchers have declared the New Caledonian crow as highly intelligent. As its name suggests, this crow inhabits the islands of New Caledonia, a French territory located in the southwest Pacific Ocean.

Photograph A
New Caledonian Crow New Caledonia Map
It lives in the primary or old-growth forest found on the islands. Primary forest is a forest made up of native species developing and growing without any disturbance from human activities.

Description
The New Caledonian crow is mid-sized, about 16 inches in length. It looks like an ordinary house crow but is slightly bigger. It has a black beak and black feet, and lustrous black feathers cover its body. However, when seen in bright light, its feathers show hues of purple, dark blue, and deep green. It builds its nest on high branches of trees and lays two to three eggs in the fall.

Manufacturing and Using Tools
The New Caledonian crow eats insects, small mammals, and eggs and fledglings of other birds. It is known to build tools from wood twigs and ferns to get to insects inside logs and crevices. Many times, the crow shapes a simple twig into a hooking tool and uses it to extract the insect out from its safe hiding place.


Photograph B
Tool bending in New Caledonian crows
The crow is smart enough to manufacture tools from materials not found in the wild. An experiment with a female crow named Betty showed that she bent a metal wire to shape it into a hook to grab a morsel of food.

Compound Tools
The New Caledonian crow has shown a sophisticated level of cognition in using compound tools without being taught. A compound tool is a tool constructed through assembling different objects. Using compound tools to achieve an objective is a uniquely human characteristic. It requires higher-level cognitive processes and correct planning and execution.

Before studying this crow, scientists had observed the use of compound tools in some apes only. However, in a 2018 study, scientists found evidence of the crow’s capability to build different types of compound tools from memory to achieve a goal, such as acquiring food and water. This memory came from observing and learning from other crows, even improving others’ designs. Scientists also discovered that the brain of this crow is very different than that of the ape, yet it has many comparable mental abilities.

Problem-Solving Behaviors
The New Caledonia crow is smart enough to solve complex problems by planning up to three steps in advance. Scientists presented several crows with problems that required pre-planning and multiple steps to solve. Some of the crows were able to solve complex problems with little difficulty. One outstanding performance was given by one named Saturn, which never made a mistake on the task.

Complex problem-solving is another mental capability that makes humans distinct from other species. These discoveries do not imply that the crow’s cognition is comparable to humans. However, scientists believe that understanding the intellectual capacity of the crow is vital in understanding the evolution of cognitive processes in animals.
Question
How does Photograph B and caption add to the content of the article?
Responses
A They illustrate how New Caledonian crows use different materials to create compound tools.They illustrate how New Caledonian crows use different materials to create compound tools.
B They demonstrate that New Caledonian crows plan several steps to solve problems.They demonstrate that New Caledonian crows plan several steps to solve problems.
C They establish that the thought process in New Caledonian crows is similar to apes’.They establish that the thought process in New Caledonian crows is similar to apes’.
D They show how New Caledonian crows twist different materials to fashion into hooks.They show how New Caledonian crows twist different materials to fashion into hooks.

Answer 1

The correct response is:

A. They illustrate how New Caledonian crows use different materials to create compound tools.

This is because Photograph B and its caption are focused on the tool-making behavior of the New Caledonian crow, demonstrating its ability to manipulate materials to create tools, which is a key point discussed in the article regarding their intelligence and problem-solving skills.