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New Insights into Intransitive Action Mimicry in Blue-Throated Macaws

Research has increasingly explored the ability of non-human animals to mimic transitive actions, which are actions performed with a specific purpose. However, studies examining intransitive actions—movements that lack a defined goal—are scarce. Despite the absence of a clear purpose in these actions, their imitation is believed to enhance social interactions and strengthen relationships among both animals and humans.

A team led by zoologist Esha Haldar from the Comparative Cognition Research group conducted a study involving the critically endangered blue-throated macaws at the Loro Parque Fundación in Tenerife. The researchers trained these macaws to execute two distinct intransitive actions and then introduced a scenario where two neighboring macaws were tasked with performing different actions.

The findings revealed a remarkable tendency among the macaws to imitate the intransitive actions of the nearby bird, regardless of their specific instruction. This suggests the potential existence of mirror neurons in macaws—neurons similar to those in humans that activate while observing others perform movements without a clear goal, leading to imitation, provided these neurons operate as theorized.

Understanding the Mechanism of Mimicry

Parrots, known for their ability to mimic purposeful actions like grasping objects, were ideal subjects for this investigation due to their highly social nature and relatively large brain size in proportion to their bodies. The study aimed to determine the extent to which blue-throated macaws could be influenced to copy intransitive actions.

The process of mirroring intransitive actions, referred to as automatic imitation, can be evaluated using a stimulus-response compatibility (SRC) test. This testing method assesses the time it takes for an individual to react to an observed intransitive movement (the visual stimulus) and the subsequent imitation of that action. A quicker reaction time is indicative of a stronger inclination to mimic the observed behavior, as well as the accuracy with which the stimulus is replicated.

To date, research has identified only three studies demonstrating that non-human animals can imitate intransitive actions. However, these prior instances involved intransitive actions arising as unintended consequences of transitive movements. Notably, only one of these studies concentrated on a parrot species. Haldar’s research marks a significant advancement, being the first to explicitly investigate animal mimicry concerning purely intransitive actions.

This breakthrough not only enhances our comprehension of cognitive abilities in macaws and potentially other parrot species but also opens avenues for further research into the social dynamics of animal behavior and communication.

Source
arstechnica.com