Antarctic penguins pass the mirror test
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Scientists conducted mirror tests with a dozen Adélie penguins living in East Antarctica and found that the birds recognized themselves in two of the three experiments.
Cardboard guides were built for the penguins, which led them to the mirrors at the ends of the enclosure, if the animal reached the goal, a sticker was glued to the mirror.
The mirror test was developed in 1970 by American psychologist Gordon Gallup Jr. to see if animals have the ability to visually self-recognize. And since then, cetaceans, primates, elephants, some birds and fish have proven that they have it.
To perform a mirror test, scientists typically mark a section of the animal’s body while it is under anesthesia. When the animal wakes up, it is given access to the mirror. If the animal touches or examines the tag, this is considered a sign that the animal perceives the reflected image as an image of itself and not another animal.
Three Indian scientists decided to find out if Adélie penguins have such abilities. The team conducted three tests, the first of which used mirrors placed in the path of the penguins to observe their reactions, individually and as a group.
However, the penguins did not react in a way that suggested self-awareness.
The following test was carried out independently on three penguins in two enclosures closed on three sides.
Two glass mirrors were placed on opposite sides of a large enclosure for three test penguins to look at their mirror images inside the section. The penguins were released from their cardboard enclosures as soon as the experiments were completed. In this test, the scientists removed the mirrors when the penguins entered and then placed the mirrors once the animals were inside.
“The subsequent experimental phase consisted of an actual mirror test where two mirrors were placed in an aviary. The test penguins spent varying but relatively longer periods of time in front of mirrors, apparently examining their images,” the study, published in bioRxiv, says.
In the final experiment, there were stickers on the mirrors that prevented the penguin from seeing his own reflection. The team watched as the birds pecked at the sticker, seemed excited.
“We hypothesize that this behavioral response may indicate anxiety when they were later unable to see their faces in the mirror – a potential reflection of their deep self-awareness. We do, however, concede that there may be alternative explanations, such as discomfort caused by the inability to see mirror-image eyes,” the team wrote in the study.
Scientists believe that the results are mixed, but note that their findings indicate the manifestation of some self-awareness.
“We hypothesize that Adélie penguins, given their innate ability to immerse themselves in socially complex networked lives within community rookeries, may have a sense of self-identity and subjective self-awareness,” the study says.
Christina DENYSYUK
Photo: Ministry of Earth Science, Government of India, New Delhi, India.
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