Is it just me or do we not regularly talk about bee cognition with as much awe as we should? In case you missed it this week, a new study from Lars Chittka and team shows how a certain bumble bee (our old friend, Bombus terrestris audax) appears to perform well at a concept-based visual discrimination task (finding the shape that’s “larger than” or “small than” the others being presented) while also switching strategies part way through the testing series. Specifically, the buff-tails in the experiment appeared to switch from initially using a more cognitively complex strategy to find the right answer and get rewarded, to a simpler, more efficient strategy to achieve the same outcome. The details of the experiment are a tad wonky but well worth the read.
I really enjoy The Bee Report. I have shared it with my son and family in Finland. Thy, too, enjoy the information and visuals. Thanks! Colleen Brackett
Excellent! I'm really glad you enjoy the Bee Report. Thanks for being a reader and thanks for sharing it! Just curious: how did you get connected with the Bee Report?
I really enjoy The Bee Report. I have shared it with my son and family in Finland. Thy, too, enjoy the information and visuals. Thanks! Colleen Brackett
Excellent! I'm really glad you enjoy the Bee Report. Thanks for being a reader and thanks for sharing it! Just curious: how did you get connected with the Bee Report?