Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

Cognitive science

Rank inferred by reason

Pinyon jays seem to work out how to behave towards an unfamiliar jay by watching it in encounters with members of their own flock. The findings provide clues about how cognition evolved in social animals.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

W. WEISSER/ARDEA.COM

References

  1. Shettleworth, S. J. Cognition, Evolution, and Behavior (Oxford Univ. Press, 1998).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Paz-y-Miño, C. G., Bond, A. B., Kamil, A. C. & Balda, R. P. Nature 430, 778–781 (2004).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Vignal, C., Mathevon, N. & Mottin, S. Nature 430, 448–451 (2004).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Jolly, A. Science 153, 501–506 (1966).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Kamil, A. C. Trends Cogn. Sci. 8, 195–197 (2004).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. de Waal, F. B. M. & Tyack, P. L. (eds) Animal Social Complexity (Harvard Univ. Press, Cambridge, 2003).

  7. McGonigle, B. O. & Chalmers, M. Nature 267, 694–696 (1977).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Bond, A. B., Kamil, A. C. & Balda, R. P. Anim. Behav. 65, 479–487 (2003).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Weir, A. A. S., Chappell, J. & Kacelnik, A. Science 297, 981 (2002).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Clayton, N. S. & Dickinson, A. Nature 395, 272–274 (1998).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Shettleworth, S. Rank inferred by reason. Nature 430, 732–733 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/430732b

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/430732b

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing