Sticklebacks show human-like intelligence when searching for food

Nine-spined sticklebacks prove it's not the size of your brain that matters, it's what you do with it They're small in size but big in mind: sticklebacks display a remarkably human-like intelligence when it comes to searching for food, according to scientists in the UK. By comparing their own experiences with the behaviour of their fellow fish, the sticklebacks are able to improve their success rate. The discovery of this sophisticated type of social learning in sticklebacks, known as a "hill-climbing" strategy, suggests that such cognitive tricks might be more common among non-human animals than previously thought. The study also shows that big brains like humans' might not be the only way to produce a cumulative culture within a species. "Small fish may have small brains but they still have some surprising cognitive abilities," said Jeremy Kendal from Durham University's...

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