Re: Re2: Behaviour Bias

[Stanley Friesen <sarima@ix.netcom.com>]

At 05:30 PM 3/11/97 -0600, Richard L. Dieterle wrote:
>More in the realm of the latter, on TV I have seen a species of 
>Australian  parrot engage in symbolic behavior that was quite
>impressive. 

Are you sure it wasn't the African gray?? That is the parrot species that
has been induced to produce the most spectacular feats of reasoning.

> Even if we could 
>somehow show that it was a subtle form of rote memory, still its 
>behavior presupposed a large quantity of a relatively sophisticated
>form of memory. 

Some of what the African gray can do is pretty hard to lay entirely to
memory.  It requires, at the very least, a fairly sophisticated form of
conceptual discrimination.

But the African gray is considered about the smartest bird alive today, and
is hardly a good analog for any other archosaur. (And parrots in general
are among the most intelligent of birds).

--------------
May the peace of God be with you                sarima@ix.netcom.com
                                                      swf@elsegundoca.ncr.com