#animal-intelligence — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

Front Page [Unofficial] @[email protected] · 2026-05-07 · 19:42 UTC

Crows are incredibly smart. Here’s how to make friends with one in four easy steps.

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.upworthy.com/rp-are-crows-smart/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=rp-are-crows-smart

#animals #nature #popular_sourcepageview #alexandra #animalintelligence #befriendcrows

JZehcuob @[email protected] · 2026-04-15 · 14:04 UTC

Little by little, Homo sapiens is coming down from its pedestal. We are discovering that many species use forms of communication just as sophisticated as our own.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/apr/15/sperm-whales-alphabet-vocalizations-similar-humans

#whales #spermwhales #communication #animalintelligence

Levka @[email protected] · 2026-04-14 · 16:45 UTC

#AnimalIntelligence

"Quick Take

• Cleaner wrasses used mirrors to locate and scrape marks placed on their bodies.

• Experiments suggest fish can link reflections with sensations on their own bodies.

• Findings challenge assumptions that only large-brained animals recognize themselves in mirrors.

• Research raises questions about animal intelligence and how scientists interpret mirror tests.

For decades, scientists used a mirror experiment to explore whether animals could recognize themselves. In that test, researchers placed a mark on an animal’s body where it could only be seen in a mirror. If the animal used the mirror to investigate the mark on its own body, scientists interpreted the behavior as self-recognition. Only a small group of species seemed to pass the test. These included great apes, dolphins, elephants, and a few birds.

New experiments with a small reef fish have complicated that picture. Researchers studying the bluestreak cleaner wrasse discovered that this species can use a mirror to locate marks placed on its own body. The fish scraped at the marked spot when it saw the reflection. When the mirror was removed, the scraping stopped. These observations suggest the fish used the mirror to guide its actions.

The results have sparked debate among scientists. Some believe the fish demonstrates a form of self-related awareness. Others think the fish simply learned to associate the reflection with sensations on its skin. Either way, the findings are prompting researchers to reconsider how the mirror test should be interpreted."

https://a-z-animals.com/articles/scientists-thought-only-great-apes-were-this-smart-but-a-tiny-fish-proved-them-wrong/

#animalintelligence

Palm Oil Detectives @[email protected] · 2026-03-06 · 13:05 UTC

Marsupials thought extinct for 6,000 years found in West Papua

In an astonishing discovery, two marsupial species believed to be extinct for 6,000 years have been rediscovered alive and well in the remote rainforests of West Papua. The pygmy long-fingered possum and the ring-tailed glider were located with the crucial assistance of local indigenous Vogelkop clans. However, their survival remains precarious as their habitats are increasingly threatened by logging and the expansion of the palm oil colonialism in West Papua. Laws and native title to protect this region is essential for indigenous land defenders. We musn’t let them disappear again #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife

Two #extinct #marsupials in #WestPapua found alive! The #marsupials highlight the need to protect #Papuan forests or they are gone for good! Resist for them and #BoycottPalmOil #Boycott4Wildlife when you shop 🌴🙊🔥☠️🚫 @palmoildetect #Boycott4Wildlife https://wp.me/pcFhgU-iOH

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Two #possums thought extinct for 6000 years are alive in #WestPapua! The pygmy #possum and sacred ring-tailed #glider are #nature’s battlers who deserve a break from #palmoil ecocide. Stand with #indigenous defenders against palm oil #colonialism! 🌴🚫 @palmoildetect #BoycottPalmOil https://wp.me/pcFhgU-iOH

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https://youtu.be/T1uWC5ZE4KI

Two extraordinarily rare marsupials, entirely believed to have been extinct for over six thousand years, have been discovered alive in the remote, Vogelkop mountain forests of the Bird’s Head peninsula in West Papua. This remarkable rediscovery of the pygmy long-fingered possum and the ring-tailed glider was confirmed by Australian scientist Professor Tim Flannery, alongside a team of local indigenous experts and university researchers.

“More important than finding a living thylacine in Tasmania.”
Scott Hucknull from Central Queensland University describes the magnitude of the discovery.

These species are rare examples of “Lazarus taxa”. Animals who disappear from the fossil record only to be found alive centuries later. Flannery noted that the likelihood of finding even one lost mammal was almost zero, let alone two.

“It’s unprecedented and groundbreaking, really, to find two Lazarus taxa,” Flannery says. “We’ve been able to finalise two pieces of work that are incredibly important from a biological and a conservation perspective, documenting the existence of rare marsupials in an area under threat. It’s sort of a crowning glory in my career as a biologist.”

The first of the resurrected species is the pygmy long-fingered possum, Dactylonax kambuayai. This tiny, striped marsupial possesses an extraordinary evolutionary trait: an elongated fourth finger on each hand that is double the length of other digits. Flannery explains that they use this finger to extract grubs from timber.

“They’ve got a whole lot of specialisations in their ear region as well, which seem to be related to detection of low-frequency sound. So presumably they’re listening for wood-boring beetle larvae, and they then rip open the rotting wood and use that finger to fish out the grub,” Flannery says.

The second species, the ring-tailed glider (Tous ayamaruensis), features unfurred ears and a strong, prehensile tail used for gripping branches. Flannery calls it “one of the most photogenic animals, most beautiful marsupials you’ll ever see.”

Crucially, the rediscovery of these elusive creatures was entirely dependent on the profound ecological knowledge of the local Tambrauw and Maybrat clans. These indigenous communities view the ring-tailed glider as deeply sacred, believing them to be manifestations of their ancestors’ spirits, and actively protect them from hunting. Rika Korain, a Maybrat woman and co-author of the research, emphasised that identifying the species relied entirely on traditional owners. “This connection has been essential,” she says.

“I’m very proud that Papuan researchers contributed to these landmark discoveries, and want to thank the people of the Misool, Maybrat and Tambrouw regions who supported us in the field,”
Dr Aksamina Yohanita of the University of Papua said.

“The Vogelkop is an ancient piece of the Australian continent that has become incorporated into the island of New Guinea. Its forests may shelter yet more hidden relics of a past Australia,”
Tim Flannery

To protect the remaining populations from the illegal wildlife trade, researchers are keeping their exact locations highly classified. Flannery delivered a stark warning to potential poachers regarding the animals’ survival in captivity: “They would be incredibly difficult to keep in captivity. because their diet is so highly specialised. Advanced warning for anyone who’s thinking of keeping one as a pet: it won’t live long,” he says.

While their rediscovery is a triumph, their future is highly uncertain. The proximity of power-hungry corporates intent on razing the rainforest for palm oil and timber casts a dark shadow over the region.

David Lindenmayer, an ecologist at the Australian National University, who was not involved in the study said “I am also hugely concerned about the extent of logging and land clearing happening in New Guinea,” he says. “It also makes me wonder what might have been lost in Australia as a result of all of the land clearing that has taken place here.”

The findings underline strong calls from scientists, environmentalists and indigenous rights advocates for Native Title legal land rights and indigenous-led protections of West Papua and its imperilled Vogelkop rainforest where these delightful marsupials are found.

Further information

Lam, L. (2026, March 6). Tiny possum and glider thought extinct for 6,000 years found in remote West Papua. BBC News. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwyg6p8g6yjo

Morton, A. (2026, March 6). Marsupials previously thought extinct for millennia discovered in New Guinea. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/mar/05/marsupials-discovered-new-guinea

Woodford, J. (2026, March 5). Two marsupials believed extinct for 6000 years found alive. New Scientist. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2518082-two-marsupials-believed-extinct-for-6000-years-found-alive/

ENDS

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