Cross-Modal Object Recognition in Bumble Bees
Animals, Psychology Mary Bates Animals, Psychology Mary Bates

Cross-Modal Object Recognition in Bumble Bees

The ability to experience an object in one sensory modality and later recognize it in another is called cross-modal object recognition. It’s actually a highly complex cognitive capacity thought to be limited to vertebrates. Now, a group of researchers from Queen Mary University of London and Macquarie University in Australia show that bumble bees are capable of performing this task, raising questions of bees’ mental imagery and awareness.

Read my latest post at my Animal Minds blog: Bumble Bees Can Recognize Objects Across Senses.

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Octopus Arms Have a Mind of Their Own

Octopus Arms Have a Mind of Their Own

Octopuses and their relatives stand out from other invertebrates in terms of their cognitive complexity and the range of their behaviors. Despite their evolutionary distance from humans and other vertebrates, these animals can use tools, solve complex puzzles, recognize individual people, and explore objects through play. They do all this and more with a completely unique nervous system.

Read more at my Animal Minds blog: Octopus Arms Have a Mind of Their Own.

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Weird Ways Animal Moms Feed Their Babies

Weird Ways Animal Moms Feed Their Babies

Any human mom can attest that keeping a baby fed and happy can be a Herculean task. That’s why some animal mothers have evolved some truly creative—and sometimes surprising—strategies. These include regurgitating nectar, sequestering toxins, and even self-sacrifice.

Read my latest for National Geographic's Weird & Wild news: Bats Regurgitate Nectar for Their Babies -- A New Discovery.

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