Crows make visual decisions in an average of 235 milliseconds, operating twice as fast as humans and monkeys according to research published in the journal Science.
In experiments conducted at the University of Tübingen, two carrion crows evaluated moving dots on a touchscreen to determine travel direction. The birds pecked a corresponding target on the screen to register their choice.
Researchers Philipp Schmidbauer and Professor Andreas Nieder at the University of Tübingen’s Institute of Neurobiology led the study. The findings offer new insight into how avian brains process information.
Brain Cell Activity at 70 Milliseconds
Neural recordings revealed that the crows’ brains began distinguishing between possible movement directions within 70 milliseconds of the dots appearing on screen. Neurons associated with distinct choices showed divergent activity patterns before the birds moved physically.
“Even when the patterns of motion were hard to recognize, the crows’ decisions were still better than random choices, and with clear signals, they achieved an accuracy of nearly 100 percent,” Philipp Schmidbauer reports.
Neural activity in the nidopallium caudolaterale steadily increased until reaching a threshold tied to decision-making. This brain region functions similarly to the mammalian prefrontal cortex during cognitive tasks.
Crows Evaluate Visual Evidence Faster than Primates
Birds lack a layered cerebral cortex, yet their brains follow comparable principles for evaluating evidence. The crows completed the visual task in half the time required by primates.
“These findings show that neuronal dynamics in the avian brain are consistent with established models of decision-making in humans and non-human primates,” said Andreas Nieder.
Researchers connect this speed advantage to evolutionary pressures. Flying and foraging require rapid visual interpretation and precise beak control.
Researchers Seek Biological Mechanisms for Avian Speed
The exact biological mechanisms granting crows this speed advantage remain unidentified. Further studies will be needed to determine how avian brain structures achieve such rapid visual evaluations compared to primates.
