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Animal behaviour: Laterality in tool manufacture by crows.
G R Hunt1, M C Corballis, R D Gray
1Department of Psychology, University of Auckland, Auckland 92019, New Zealand. grhunt10@hotmail.com
Nature
|December 14, 2001
Summary
New Caledonian crows exhibit tool-making laterality, a skill previously thought unique to humans. This species-level finding in crows suggests innate biases in tool manipulation, not just social learning.
Area of Science:
- Ethology
- Animal Behavior
- Cognitive Evolution
Background:
- New Caledonian crows are known for sophisticated tool manufacture and use.
- Tool-making in animals often involves complex cognitive processes.
- Laterality, or handedness, in motor skills is well-documented in humans.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and nature of tool-making laterality in New Caledonian crows.
- To determine if tool-making handedness in crows is consistent across different populations.
- To explore the evolutionary implications of tool-making laterality outside of humans.
Main Methods:
- Observing and analyzing the tool-making techniques of New Caledonian crows from various localities.
- Documenting the specific edge (left or right) of pandanus leaves used for tool construction.
- Comparing laterality patterns across different geographical populations.
Main Results:
- New Caledonian crows demonstrate consistent laterality in fashioning pandanus tools.
- This tool-making handedness was observed across different crow populations.
- The findings suggest the laterality is not solely due to local traditions or environmental factors.
Conclusions:
- Species-level laterality in complex manipulative skills, like tool making, exists in New Caledonian crows.
- This study presents the first evidence of such species-level laterality in tool manipulation outside of humans.
- The findings challenge the notion that advanced handedness is exclusively a human trait and suggest deeper evolutionary roots.
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