This part of the brain might explain why parrots are so much smarter than other birds

Parrots are known for their intelligence, but why they should be so much smarter than other birds is not entirely clear. New research suggests that parrots have an expanded brain circuit responsible for higher order thinking – a brain circuit with features surprisingly similar to those of mammals.

With all due respect to the indisputable brilliance of corvids, parrots are probably the most intelligent birds in the world.

Parrots, a group that includes macaws, keas, African gray parrot and badatoo, exhibit amazing cognitive abilities, such as the ability to construct tools, recognize themselves in a mirror (a potential sign of self-awareness ), understand the object permanently, present a theory of the mind (ie that they understand that others have their own thoughts), and are able to to learn and express vocally.

In birds and mammals, these abilities are traditionally badociated with brain size. the size or specific parts of the brain, such as the prefrontal cortex in humans and an badociated area in the brain of birds known as pallium.

But when it comes to intelligence and the presence of multiple complex cognitive abilities, it's not just one brain structure that matters, but rather the characteristics that flow from neural systems distributed and how these systems circulate information around the brain.

New research published today in Scientific Reports identifies a particular circuit in the parrot brain that could contribute to their remarkable intelligence. A team of scientists led by psychologist Cristián Gutiérrez-Ibáñez of the University of Alberta says that this brain zone, called the Medial Spiral Core (MSP), plays a role similar to that of a circuit in primates called pontine nuclei.

This is a striking example of convergent evolution between birds and mammals, in which similar traits appeared independently in different species.

"A region of the brain that plays a major role in the intelligence of primates called the Pontic nuclei" explained Gutiérrez-Ibáñez in a statement.

"This structure transfers information between the two largest areas of the brain, cortex and cerebellum, allowing higher order processing and more sophisticated behavior." In humans and primates , the pontine nuclei are large compared to other mammals.This makes sense given our cognitive abilities. "

Like mammals, birds also have a pontine kernel, but it is really small. The SpM, which is located in a different part of the brain, performs a similar function, which is to convey information between the cortex – the part of the brain responsible for thinking and processing information – and the cerebellum – the responsible party for learning and motor control, coordination and balance.

This is the information loop between these two brain regions that allows the planning and execution of sophisticated behaviors in humans.

In birds, the SpM performs essentially the same function, which may explain why their intelligence is so human (to be fair, however, the birds are older than millions of years, so maybe is it is more accurate to say human intelligence looks like a bird! Of course, the intelligence of birds and humans has evolved on very different paths).

For the study, Gutiérrez-Ibáñez and his team examined brain samples of nearly 100 birds, including chickens, songbirds, waterfowl, owls and parrots. The researchers compared the relative size of the SpM with the rest of the brain, finding that the SpM in parrots is significantly larger compared to other birds.

"SpM is very large in parrots, and is two to five times larger in parrots than other birds, like chickens," said Gutiérrez-Ibáñez.

"Independently, parrots have evolved into an enlarged area that connects the cortex and cerebellum, similar to primates, and this is another fascinating example of convergence between parrots and primates, beginning with sophisticated behaviors such as 39, the use of tools and self-awareness, and can also be seen in the brain.The more we look at the brains, the more we see similarities. "

This is a fascinating conclusion, but it There are some reservations to consider.

First, scientists have yet to explain why corvids (ravens, crows) exhibit many of the same cognitive abilities and behaviors as parrots, do not seem to have such an exaggerated medial spiriform nucleus. The intelligence, as previously stated, stems from a number of cognitive factors, so the SpM, although probably important, can only be partially responsible for the intelligence of the birds.

Indeed, there is much more avian intelligence than the size of the SpM.

Previous research has shown that birds introduce more neurons into their small brains than mammals, including primates, and that they are equipped with a ventricular dorsal ridge, of which the l? Human equivalent is the neocortex – the responsible part functioning as conscious thought, sensory perception, spatial reasoning and language.

Another major limitation to the study is that scientists do not yet have a full understanding of how the MPS actually works.

To this end, the researchers plan to study this part of the brain in more detail in the hope of being able to better characterize its function and to understand the types of information it has. treats and why.

Exciting, this research could deepen our appreciation of human cognition, and how our pontine nuclei contribute to intelligence.

It is ironic to think that the study of the brains of birds could tell us something profound about human intelligence, but hey, that is science.

[Scientific Reports]