Study finds crows have human-like geometric intuition

A new study reveals that crows possess an advanced geometric intuition similar to humans. Conducted at Tübingen University in Germany, the research shows that crows can identify the "odd one out" among geometric shapes displayed on a screen and show a distinct preference for regular, symmetrical shapes, a perceptual ability once thought to be exclusive to humans.

In the experiment, two male carrion crows were presented with tasks where they had to identify the different shape from a set of six on a computer screen, and they responded by pecking the odd shape. The study suggests that this ability may be an evolutionary trait rather than learned behavior.

Crows had a higher success rate in identifying differences in regular shapes like squares or rectangles, compared to more irregular ones like trapezoids. The research highlights that crows have a geometric sense that may help them survive in tasks like navigation and environmental perception.

The study's findings, published in Science Advances, suggest that geometric cognition is not exclusive to humans and may be present in other animals like birds as well.