Study suggests that certain birds may engage in ‘mental time travel’

New Research Suggests Birds May Share Humans’ Ability to Recall Past Events

Have you ever wondered if birds have the ability to remember past events in the same way humans do? Well, new research published in the journal PLOS One suggests that Eurasian jays, a type of bird, may possess a form of episodic memory similar to that of humans.

Episodic memory is the ability to remember specific events or episodes from the past, including details such as sounds, sights, and emotions associated with the event. This type of memory is different from semantic memory, which involves recalling factual information.

In the study conducted by James Davies, a doctoral student at the University of Cambridge, and his advisor Dr. Nicola Clayton, Eurasian jays were tested for their ability to remember incidental details from past events. The researchers found that the birds were able to recall specific details, such as the decorations on cups, even when those details were not relevant to finding hidden food.

During the experiment, the birds were trained to find food hidden under cups, with each cup decorated with different stickers or strings. Despite the changes in cup decorations, the birds were still able to remember which cup contained the food, even after a 10-minute break.

Dr. Jonathon Crystal, a professor of psychological and brain sciences at the University of Indiana Bloomington, who was not involved in the study, commented on the significance of the findings. He noted that understanding animals’ abilities to form episodic memories could have implications for research on human memory, particularly in the context of diseases like Alzheimer’s.

Crystal explained that Alzheimer’s disease is characterized by a loss of episodic memory, making it crucial to develop treatments that target this specific type of memory. By studying how animals like Eurasian jays form episodic-like memories, researchers may gain insights that could ultimately lead to new treatments for memory-related disorders.

Overall, the study provides compelling evidence that birds, specifically Eurasian jays, possess a form of episodic memory that allows them to recall past events and details. This research opens up new possibilities for understanding the complexities of memory across different species and could have important implications for future studies on memory-related diseases in humans.