VOA慢速英语2016--某些鸟类像猿一样聪明

Some Birds as Smart as Apes 某些鸟类像猿一样聪明

Using the term “bird brain” is one way to insult another person’s intelligence. That is because a bird’s brain is small. So, anyone with such a bird-sized brain was thought to be not that intelligent.

But calling someone a bird brain might not be as insulting as it once was.

That finding comes from a study of the mental abilities of birds.

Two European scientists reported that at least two kinds of birds -- crows and parrots -- can think logically. A crow or parrot can recognize itself when the bird sees its image in a mirror.

The scientists say crows and parrots also can feel empathy. In other words, they are able to understand and share the experiences and emotions of other birds.

According to researchers, these abilities are “as sophisticated and diverse as those of apes."

However, the brains of birds and those of apes are different. The brain of a bird does not have a neocortex. The neocortex controls thinking and remembering -- one’s cognitive¹ skills. A bird brain is also much smaller than the brain of a monkey or other ape.

So how can birds perform as well as mammals in some activities?

Researchers in Germany suggest that different methods of complex thinking developed independently in birds and mammals.

The researchers found that the brains of birds and mammals do have different structures. But there are also similarities in the brain architecture.

The brains of both creatures have what is called a pre-frontal structure that controls similar high-level functions. The researchers propose a separate path of development for the similarities. The reason: both species faced the same challenges for survival.

The researchers noted² that neither a multilayered cortex nor a big brain is required for complex mental skills. They reported their findings in the journal Trends in Cognitive Sciences.

Words in This Story

logically – adv.  of or relating to the formal processes used in thinking and reasoning

mirror – n. a piece of glass that reflects images

empathy – n. the feeling that you understand and share another person's experiences and emotions : the ability to share someone else's feelings

sophisticated – adj. highly developed and complex

diverse – adj. made up of people or things that are different from each other

neocortex – n. the large 6-layered dorsal³ region of the cerebral⁴ cortex that is unique to mammals; broadly :  the mammalian cerebral cortex

cognitive – adj. of, relating to, or involving conscious mental activities (such as thinking, understanding, learning, and remembering)

architecture – n. formation or construction resulting from or as if from a conscious act

challenge – n. a difficult task or problem : something that is hard to do

multilayered – adj. having or involving three or more layers or levels

1 cognitive   

adj.认知的，认识的，有感知的

参考例句：

• As children grow older,their cognitive processes become sharper.孩子们越长越大，他们的认知过程变得更为敏锐。
• The cognitive psychologist is like the tinker who wants to know how a clock works.认知心理学者倒很像一个需要通晓钟表如何运转的钟表修理匠。

2 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

3 dorsal   

adj.背部的，背脊的

参考例句：

• His dorsal fin was down and his huge pectorals were spread wide.它的脊鳍朝下耷拉着，巨大的胸鳍大张着。
• The shark's dorsal fin was cut off by the fisherman.鲨鱼的背鳍被渔夫割了下来。

4 cerebral   

adj.脑的，大脑的；有智力的，理智型的

参考例句：

• Your left cerebral hemisphere controls the right-hand side of your body.你的左半脑控制身体的右半身。
• He is a precise,methodical,cerebral man who carefully chooses his words.他是一个一丝不苟、有条理和理智的人，措辞谨慎。