Although the brain of a paper wasp is somewhat a millionth
in size to that of human brain still they have developed this strange ability
of distinguishing faces.
A study has been carried out in Michigan University, in which
the biologists reveal that the paper wasps have face-learning ability analogous
to the humans.
It’s the very first time that an insect has developed such
an intelligent activity. The paper wasps can recognize the individuals of other
species by the difference in the face markings. And are more aggressive to
those of unfamiliar species.
Some years earlier the biologists had published a paper
regarding the long term memory exhibited by these paper wasps. And interestingly
their behavior towards other individuals is based on previous interactions.
The biologist carried out the tests by teaching the wasps to
distinguish between two separate images. It was seen in the trials that the
wasps can pick out the differences between the original pictures more quickly
than those that has been edited. Similarly they can figure out the differences between
complicated shapes more readily than the geometric shapes.
The face recognizing ability may have been developed due to
the reason that these wasps live under colonies in which multiple queens raise
the offsprings together.
It appears that they treat the face learning as a different
thing from that of other images or objects. Several tests among other species
were also carried out but they showed no meaningful result.
The biologist was assisted by a research student and the
whole project was funded by the Michigan University and the student was given a
full scholarship for this purpose.
This evolutionary behavior shows that certain that
specialized cognition may result in to complex behavioral tasks over the time.
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