Not just a tuxedo: African penguins identify mates by their polka dots

African penguins, as well as members of two closely related species, sport individually unique patterns of black dots on their white chest feathers. In a study published last week in Animal Behaviour , researchers have discovered the birds use these dots like name tags to help identify their mates , perhaps to recognize them amid throngs of similar-looking penguins. “It is an original study with a remarkable finding,” says animal physiologist Andreas Nieder, who directs the Institute of Neurobiology at the University of Tübingen and was not involved in the new research. Many experts in animal behavior consider the ability to identify individuals within a local group a mark of advanced social awareness; some believe this talent may have contributed to the evolution of cooperation. This type of recognition has long been established in primates, but it can also be seen in a variety of social animals, including insects. Paper wasps recognize the faces of certain other wasps. Some parrots not only distinguish their offspring, but appear to give them the squawking equivalent of individual names. With birds, the talent has appeared to be almost exclusively based on audio rather than visual cues. That makes sense for creatures that hide in trees and bushes, hearing one another more often than catching glimpses. Although some birds, such as Beswick swans, can recognize individuals by sight, it’s not clear—to the human eye—how they tell one an...
Source: ScienceNOW - Category: Science Source Type: news