Ravens can plan for the future (1 Viewer)

http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/07/ravens-humans-and-apes-can-plan-future

All of us know how tough it can be to delay gratification. But human civilization was built around our supposedly unique ability to plan—to anticipate future needs and sacrifice now to reap the rewards later. Apes knocked us off our special perch nearly a decade ago when they showed that they, too, can plan for future events. Now, a new study on tool use and bartering in ravens reveals that these clever birds are joining the club—suggesting that the ability to plan for the future must have evolved at least twice.

That is another of many papers which show that corvids (ravens, crows, magpies, jays) mentally match great apes and are above monkeys and dolphins.

It raises a new question: should humans protect corvids more on ethical grounds, because they are so mentally advanced? Average person agrees that monkeys, apes and dolphins need somehow special treatment, because they are more clever than an average animal. For example most people in the West would eat fish and chicken but not eat dolphin or monkey meat. Shouldn't Western hunters or farmers try solving their conflicts with corvids in more ethical way?

I also feel that much of animal psychology or 'theory of mind' is false or limited only to humans and their relatives, because corvids so easily pass multiple steps of it.

jurek said:

That is another of many papers which show that corvids (ravens, crows, magpies, jays) mentally match great apes and are above monkeys and dolphins.

It raises a new question: should humans protect corvids more on ethical grounds, because they are so mentally advanced? Average person agrees that monkeys, apes and dolphins need somehow special treatment, because they are more clever than an average animal. For example most people in the West would eat fish and chicken but not eat dolphin or monkey meat. Shouldn't Western hunters or farmers try solving their conflicts with corvids in more ethical way?

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For me the answer is yes.

I also feel that much of animal psychology or 'theory of mind' is false or limited only to humans and their relatives, because corvids so easily pass multiple steps of it.

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I am not sure what you mean by the above?