Mirror stimulation in Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius)
Mirror exposure elicits a wide range of behavioral responses, some of which have been considered as part of possible evidence of mirror self-recognition (MSR). These responses can range from social behaviors, indicating that an animal considers its own reflection as a conspecific, to mirror-guided a...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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PeerJ Inc.
2023-02-01
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| Series: | PeerJ |
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| Online Access: | https://peerj.com/articles/14729.pdf |
| _version_ | 1827610819182985216 |
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| author | Luigi Baciadonna Francesca M. Cornero Nicola S. Clayton Nathan J. Emery |
| author_facet | Luigi Baciadonna Francesca M. Cornero Nicola S. Clayton Nathan J. Emery |
| author_sort | Luigi Baciadonna |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Mirror exposure elicits a wide range of behavioral responses, some of which have been considered as part of possible evidence of mirror self-recognition (MSR). These responses can range from social behaviors, indicating that an animal considers its own reflection as a conspecific, to mirror-guided and self-directed actions. Evidence of MSR has been found categorically in only a few species, such as in magpies, chimpanzees, horses, and elephants. Evidence in corvids is currently debated due to inconsistent findings. In this study, we investigated the reaction of Eurasian jays when presenting them with three mirror-stimulation tasks. Based on the overall behavioral patterns across these three tasks, conclusions about birds’ understanding of a reflective surface, and their perception of the reflection as either themselves or as a conspecific, appear premature. We highlight how the high neophobia of corvids and other methodological constraints might have hindered the likelihood to approach and explore a mirror, preventing the emergence of behaviors typically associated with MSR. Furthermore, we discuss how motivational factors, methodological constraints and species differences should be considered when interpreting behavioral responses to mirrors. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:56:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-1732daaf0fd14f388d923637d49f8fb6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2167-8359 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T07:56:19Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | PeerJ Inc. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PeerJ |
| spelling | doaj.art-1732daaf0fd14f388d923637d49f8fb62023-12-03T00:57:22ZengPeerJ Inc.PeerJ2167-83592023-02-0111e1472910.7717/peerj.14729Mirror stimulation in Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius)Luigi Baciadonna0Francesca M. Cornero1Nicola S. Clayton2Nathan J. Emery3Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United KingdomDepartment of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United KingdomDepartment of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United KingdomBiological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United KingdomMirror exposure elicits a wide range of behavioral responses, some of which have been considered as part of possible evidence of mirror self-recognition (MSR). These responses can range from social behaviors, indicating that an animal considers its own reflection as a conspecific, to mirror-guided and self-directed actions. Evidence of MSR has been found categorically in only a few species, such as in magpies, chimpanzees, horses, and elephants. Evidence in corvids is currently debated due to inconsistent findings. In this study, we investigated the reaction of Eurasian jays when presenting them with three mirror-stimulation tasks. Based on the overall behavioral patterns across these three tasks, conclusions about birds’ understanding of a reflective surface, and their perception of the reflection as either themselves or as a conspecific, appear premature. We highlight how the high neophobia of corvids and other methodological constraints might have hindered the likelihood to approach and explore a mirror, preventing the emergence of behaviors typically associated with MSR. Furthermore, we discuss how motivational factors, methodological constraints and species differences should be considered when interpreting behavioral responses to mirrors.https://peerj.com/articles/14729.pdfAvian cognitionNeophobiaCorvidsSelf-awareness |
| spellingShingle | Luigi Baciadonna Francesca M. Cornero Nicola S. Clayton Nathan J. Emery Mirror stimulation in Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius) PeerJ Avian cognition Neophobia Corvids Self-awareness |
| title | Mirror stimulation in Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius) |
| title_full | Mirror stimulation in Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius) |
| title_fullStr | Mirror stimulation in Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Mirror stimulation in Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius) |
| title_short | Mirror stimulation in Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius) |
| title_sort | mirror stimulation in eurasian jays garrulus glandarius |
| topic | Avian cognition Neophobia Corvids Self-awareness |
| url | https://peerj.com/articles/14729.pdf |
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