GabyA team of Indian scientists has unveiled a groundbreaking study on the behavior of wild Adélie penguins. Their primary finding suggests that these birds may possess a certain degree of self-awareness. Researchers Prabir Ghosh Dasthidar, Azisuddin Khan, and Anindya Sinha published their findings on the bioRxiv preprint server. Previous studies by various research groups have shown that self-awareness is a rare trait in the animal kingdom, with signs of it identified only in a handful of mammals, birds, and fish. Moreover, testing for self-awareness in animals is significantly more challenging than in humans. Researchers often employ a method known as the mirror test, where animals see themselves in a mirror while scientists observe their reactions, as reported by Phys.org. Typically, participants in the experiment are marked with a colored sticker. When an animal (or bird, in this case) attempts to remove the sticker, scientists infer that the subjects recognize themselves in the reflection. Thus, certain behavioral manifestations indicate the presence of self-awareness. Subjects notice something in the mirror that relates to them and respond accordingly.
” alt=”Adélie penguins” />
In their new study, the scientists sought to answer the question: Do wild Adélie penguins possess self-awareness? To find out, the team traveled to Swinner Island in eastern Antarctica, where they observed the birds’ behavior, particularly how they interacted with their reflections in mirrors. In the first phase of the experiment, the researchers simply placed several mirrors on the ground near the Adélie penguins and watched how the birds reacted to their reflections. During the second phase, the team constructed a cardboard enclosure that directed the birds toward the mirrors. The third phase involved placing small stickers depicting penguins on the mirrors. Finally, in the fourth phase, the scientists fitted the birds looking at themselves in the mirror with vests. Researchers did not observe any particularly emotional behavior from the penguins during the first phase. It’s worth noting that many animals do not pass this test; they often believe they are seeing another creature of their species in the mirror. However, during the second part of the experiment, the penguins became more active. They behaved as if they were studying themselves and showed signs of agitation when looking at the mirrors with stickers, even attempting to remove them. Yet, the penguins showed no reaction to their reflections while wearing the vests. The researchers suggest that these results are somewhat ambiguous. Nevertheless, collectively, their observations indicate that the penguins exhibit certain signs of self-awareness. To delve deeper into this issue, the team plans to continue their research soon.
The study involved researchers from the Ministry of Earth Sciences of the Government of India, the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, and the Indian National Institute of Advanced Studies. The Adélie penguin (Pygoscelis adeliae) is a species found along the entire coast of Antarctica and on Antarctic islands. It is one of the southernmost species of seabirds and one of the most common types of penguins. The species is named after the wife of French explorer Jules Dumont d’Urville—Adélie. These birds do not fly, reach lengths of about 70 cm, and weigh around 6 kg. They primarily feed on krill and fish. Polar explorers affectionately refer to the penguins as “adelies.” In 2018, satellites discovered the largest colony of Adélie penguins in the northern Antarctic Peninsula, which numbered around 1.5 million birds.
