Crows make decisions twice as fast as humans and monkeys
Researchers at the University of Tübingen have shown that carrion crows process visual information and make decisions twice as fast as humans and monkeys while maintaining high accuracy. In tests, two crows took an average of 235 milliseconds to identify the direction of a moving dot pattern and indicate their choice. Neural signals in the birds began to diverge just 70 milliseconds after the visual stimulus appeared. Scientists suggest this compact nervous system speed helps birds navigate and fly safely.
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- ✓ Two carrion crows took an average of 235 milliseconds to identify the direction of a moving dot pattern and indicate their choice.
- ✓ Philipp Schmidbauer and Professor Andreas Nieder from the University of Tübingen's Institute of Neurobiology conducted the study.
- ✓ Neural signals in the crows began to diverge 70 milliseconds after the visual stimulus appeared.
What changed
University of Tübingen researchers experimentally demonstrated that carrion crows execute visual choices in 235 milliseconds, outpacing human and monkey decision speeds.
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Crows make visual decisions twice as fast as humans and monkeys
Researchers at the University of Tübingen have shown that carrion crows process visual information and make decisions twice as fast as humans and monkeys while maintaining high accuracy. In tests, two crows took an average of 235 milliseconds to identify the direction of a moving dot pattern and indicate their choice. Neural signals in the birds began to diverge just 70 milliseconds after the visual stimulus appeared. Scientists suggest this compact nervous system speed helps birds navigate and fly safely.
Why it matters
Much of historical scientific understanding regarding decision-making speeds stems from studies observing monkeys watching random-dot-motion tasks. Recent findings demonstrate that avian brains operate with remarkable speed compared to mammalian counterparts. Researchers note this capability represents deliberate visual decision-making rather than simple automatic reflexes.
What is confirmed
- Two carrion crows took an average of 235 milliseconds to identify the direction of a moving dot pattern and indicate their choice.
- Philipp Schmidbauer and Professor Andreas Nieder from the University of Tübingen's Institute of Neurobiology conducted the study.
- Neural signals in the crows began to diverge 70 milliseconds after the visual stimulus appeared.
Still unconfirmed
- This rapid decision speed likely evolved to help crows fly safely.
What to watch next
- Further neurological studies comparing bird and mammalian brain structures
- Additional tests examining whether other bird species match the decision speeds of carrion crows
confidence 100%Sources used for this update (25)
- www.smithsonianmag.com — Smithsonian Magazine: Explore History, Science, Arts & Culture
- arstechnica.com — Ars Technica - Serving the Technologist since 1998. News, reviews, and ...
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- www.yahoo.com — Yahoo
- flipboard.com — Beloved singer’s wife killed after welcoming robbery suspects with lemonade
- Live Science — Crows may make lightning-fast decisions, sometimes twice as fast as humans, study hints
- NPR — Should 'bird brain' be a compliment? Here's how crows think fast
- The Transmitter — Crows have brains ‘in the fast lane’
- Ars Technica — Crows can evaluate visual info twice as fast as mammals
- Phys.org — Crows make decisions twice as fast as humans and monkeys
- www.martincid.com — Crows decide in 235 milliseconds, twice as fast as humans and monkeys – Martin Cid Magazine
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