In the first experiment linking cognitive ability to reproductive success, researchers found that the male bowerbirds with the best problem-solving capabilities also mated the most often, according to a study published in the journal Animal Behaviour. The Australian bowerbird is known for its elaborate courtship behavior. During
breeding season, males build a special platform, or bower, on the forest floor to lure females, and they decorate it with rare objects such as blue feathers and shiny bits of glass. They accompany this with varied vocalizations, hopping, and tail-bobbing [ScienceNOW Daily News]. To evaluate which males had the best problem-solving abilities, scientists placed a red object in the birds' bowers--a color the birds disdain. In one experiment, three red objects were placed in the bower and covered by clear plastic that the bird had to take off in order to remove the noxious items. In the next, the red object was ...
