Latest Ethologists Stories

By Anna Driver NEW YORK (Reuters) - Charles Darwin's theory of evolution is nearly 150 years old and under fresh attack, but thanks to him scientists today understand the danger bird flu poses to humans, curators of a new Darwin exhibit say. "Without his insights, we would fail to appreciate the dangerous potentials of rapid evolution in the avian flu virus," Michael Novacek, curator of paleontology at the museum, told a news conference on Tuesday. The show chronicling the life of...

By Daniel TrottaNEW YORK (Reuters) - The upcoming movie remake of "King Kong" might outrage some serious scientists, but one expert in gorilla conservation sees the fictional ape as an inspiration.Patrick Mehlman is a field researcher in Rwanda and a vice president of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International.He is also a King Kong fan."The original 'King Kong' (1933) is one of my favorite movies. I think that's one of the things that as a child got me interested in studying...

Waltham, Mass. "“ A Brandeis University researcher has shown that an African grey parrot with a walnut-sized brain understands a numerical concept akin to zero "“ an abstract notion that humans don't typically understand until age three or four, and that can significantly challenge learning-disabled children Strikingly, Alex, the 28-year-old parrot who lives in a Brandeis lab run by comparative psychologist and cognitive scientist Dr. Irene Pepperberg, spontaneously and correctly used the...

During the course of human evolution, our ancestors eventually grasped the abstract concept of counting nothing, or 'zero'. Is this a unique component of human intelligence? Or does one of the most sophisticated abstractions discovered yet among animals tell us anything about the evolution of intelligence, on Earth or elsewhere?Astrobiology Magazine -- A Brandeis University researcher has shown that an African grey parrot with a walnut-sized brain understands a numerical concept akin to zero...

SINGAPORE (AP) -- Biologist Jane Goodall brought her trademark message to Singapore on Tuesday: human beings and chimpanzees are more alike than one would think. To prove it, Goodall imitated the laugh of a chimpanzee before a surprised audience of 300 students and university lecturers at an international conference. It sounded a lot like a human laugh, though more high-pitched. Goodall, known for decades of research on chimpanzees' behavior, told the crowd at the Biology in Asia...