Smart Bugs 🐛 tiny Brains 🧠Genius performance

Smart Bugs - Tiny Brains, Genius Performance

Recent research shows that humans have long underestimated the intelligence of insects. Bumblebees, for example, pass behavioral tests that even clever crows pass: they use their tools to get at liquid sugar in an artificial flower Behavioral biologist Elizabeth Tibbetts was amazed at how well paper wasps can learn and understand so many things. “They may not be as brilliant as artists, but they’re good at what they do,” says the University of Michigan researcher. They can memorize faces, analyze fights between opponents, and think strategically. They’re also mastering mind games that even young children can’t do. Bumblebees and their relatives, the bees and paper wasps, are just three of the nearly 1 million insect species worldwide. But when it comes to these species, scientists agree that the old image of these creatures as unintelligent and living only to eat, be eaten, or reproduce is outdated. There are tiny animals living around us that are capable of learning and acting intelligently, and that can store images, shapes, colors, and experiences in their brains. For a long time, it was widely believed that intelligent behavior in insects was unnecessary because most of them only live a few weeks on average. It has become known that earworm babies, whose average lifespan is about one year, also learn from their mothers how to properly care for their eggs. What’s even more surprising is that these insects are capable of developing different personality traits. Some radish beetles, for example, are braver than their peers. “Paper wasps are like the Game of Thrones characters,” says evolutionary biologist Elizabeth Tibbetts. The animals conspire, betray their mates, and fight to the death for the role of queen. There seems to be a reason why the insect world is so complex: species that are more diverse can better adapt to environmental changes—an evolutionary advantage for the survival of the species

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