Never cross a corvid . Crows have been known tohold grudge , and research says that ravens do , too . A new survey inAnimal Behaviorspotted byThe Vergefinds that ravens remember the nature of their fundamental interaction with humans and can remember how the experience went for up to a calendar month afterward .
The cogitation , which was conducted by research worker at the University of Vienna and Lund University in Sweden , confront ravens with two case of interactions with human experimenters : some that could be considered fair and others unfair .
The nine Corvus corax had all been hired man - raised in enslavement by humans . ( The paper delightfully includes their names , which are : Laggie , Tom , Nobel , George , Horst , Louise , Joey , Rocky , and Paul . ) The birds were trained to exchange a low - caliber food for thought ( bread ) for something they like more ( cheese ) . The ravens had to take a risk in make the man their snack , though . They could give away the bread and get cheese in restoration , but there was always the probability that they would give away their scratch and not get anything back .
In the experiment , each bird was given many opportunities to exchange its bread pieces with a human trainer . Another bird depend on , but could n’t participate . In some sessions , the participating bird interact with a person who always gift them cheese in exchange for their bread . In other sessions , they interact with a person who take their gelt but wipe out the cheese themselves — an unjust exchange .
Later , the research worker tested whether the birds would show a penchant for the person who had always been sightly in their interaction . A calendar month afterward , eight of the nine birds choose to switch with the experimenter who had antecedently picture themselves to be fair in their interaction over an experimenter who had cheated them in the past tense ( the 9th prefer a third , neutral experimenter ) . However , this only applied to the birds ’ first - hand experience . The birds who discover another bird ’s bonnie or unfair fundamental interaction as a third party did not seem to remember who could be trusted and who could not .
Considering crows ’ abilities to remember the people who cold-shoulder them , it ’s not awfully surprising that their raven cousin would be able to , too . Nor is it their only complex skill : Corvids can also utilize tools and drill ego - dominance . Both of which should worry you if you make a habit of wee ravens and triumph mad .
[ h / tThe Verge ]
