Ravens+are+Sweet!

Raven Consciousness Summary

Introduction
 * 1) Wanted to find out if ravens can "think," i.e. Do they have the ability to solve problems without __training__?

1. Beginning with the Bees
 * Bees displayed "excitement" when they found a flower with a high nectar content; their flight speed, temperature and breathing increased. It is theorized that this behavior change means the bees can measure food quality,


 * "Cognition" - some conscious knowing with resulting purposeful actions

2. And Going to the Birds


 * Ravens
 * Solitary
 * Territorial breeders.
 * Why then, do ravens vocalize and attract other ravens to a food source?
 * Do their vocalizations attract others?
 * Do those that join the vocalizer get to feed?
 * Is there an advantage for the individual that called for the others?
 * Discovered that juvenile ravens were calling other ravens to get __access__ to a new/untested food source or to get at food defended by other adults.
 * Ravens motivation?
 * Emotional rewards: If others come to eat, it will be easier for me to get food.
 * Possibly understand that sharing now will lead to future material rewards.
 * When ravens go off to hide food, other ravens may follow them to steal the food.
 * The food is hidden inside the birds mouth, so how do the others know that the individual is going off to hide food?
 * Do the ravens anticipate other raven's actions, or did they learn from experience?
 * Can ravens think through scenarios in their minds without having to use their physical bodies to learn through trial and error tests?
 * Food on a string test: when confronted with a new method of getting food (pulling up on a string) are ravens able to perform all necessary intermediate steps to get the treat? Can they repeat the action? By later complicating the task (changing the color of the string, crossing it, etc.), this would prove that ravens have some consciousness or cognition in order to balance task versus reward, including psychic reward of undertaking the task itself.

3. Opportunities for future work:
 * should include work with other birds, especially corvids (crows, ravens, rooks, magpies, jays, over 120 species)
 * can other birds perform the same tasks? why or why not?
 * test whether ravens can keep track of objects that are out of sight, a prerequisite for conscious planning

Synopsis: Heinrich outlines reasons why doing research on ravens' ability to problem solve should occur.


 * Miscellaneous**

http://www.differencebetween.net/science/nature/difference-between-crow-and-raven/
 * Here is a link which describes the differences between "crows" and "ravens". I know most people use them interchangeably, but there are noticeable differences once you learn about them.

http://bees4communities.wordpress.com/2010/07/19/bumblebees-vs-honeybees-whats-the-difference/
 * Here is a link which shows some of the differences between honey bees and bumble bees, some people assume they are the same thing but they are different species.

http://faculty.bennington.edu/~sherman/how%20do%20animals%20work%3F/thermobees.pdf
 * A link on thermoregulation (the controlling of body temperature) in bees-

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGPGknpq3e0
 * Here is a link which shows how crows have developed an environment-adaptive eating process from living in a city.


 * References**

Allen, C. and Bekoff,M.(1997).//Species of Mind.//Cambridge, MA:MIT Press.

Boerman, W.I.,and Heinrich,B.(1999).//The common raven.//(The Birds of North America, series edited by A.Poole.)Washington,DC:Acad.Nat.Sciences.

Craig,W.(1918).Appetites and aversions as constituents of instincts.//Biological Bulletin// 34:91-107.

Griffin,D.R.(1998).From cognition to consciousness.//Animal Cognition// 1:3-16.

Heinrich,B.(1976).Foraging specializations of individual bumblebees.//Ecological Monographs// 46:129-133.

Heinrich,B.(1979)."Majoring" and "Minoring" by foraging bumblebees, //Bombus vagans//:An experimental analysis//.Ecology// 60:245-255.