Dot
08-25-2008, 10:07 PM
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/sciencenow/3214/03-brain.html
excerpt:
"Surprisingly, some birds such as parrots can teach and learn hundreds or even thousands of different calls, the basic communication skill that makes human language possible. So-called vocal learning is a kind of intelligence not found in any mammal other than people, bats, dolphins, whales, and elephants. Even chimpanzees and other primates closely related to humans are not as vocally sophisticated as birds."
Check out all the diagrams, especially the last one.
"Studies of brain chemicals and neural connections have shown that most of a bird's small brain (notice it shown to scale) consists of a robust "pallium," or higher-processing center. In fact, many birds have more powerful palliums than mammals."
excerpt:
"Surprisingly, some birds such as parrots can teach and learn hundreds or even thousands of different calls, the basic communication skill that makes human language possible. So-called vocal learning is a kind of intelligence not found in any mammal other than people, bats, dolphins, whales, and elephants. Even chimpanzees and other primates closely related to humans are not as vocally sophisticated as birds."
Check out all the diagrams, especially the last one.
"Studies of brain chemicals and neural connections have shown that most of a bird's small brain (notice it shown to scale) consists of a robust "pallium," or higher-processing center. In fact, many birds have more powerful palliums than mammals."