On the pbs channel (in the usa) last night there was a "Nature"
documentary about animal intelligence. In the documentary a study from
Cardiff University in Wales was cited, in which pigeons were shown to
be able to recognize the difference between the painting styles of
Picasso and Monet. Interestingly, when shown a Matisse, they guessed
that it was a Picasso!
Also, it was shown that the pigeons could differentiate between
varying types of pictorial imagery. For example, they could tell the
difference between a picture of a fern and one of a tree.
I'd be curious if anyone saw the program or has any thoughts about the
study. Also, I'd appreciate any further citations because they would
be greatly useful for a journal review that I've been asked to write.
For what it's worth, I've done my own home-brewed experiments with my
cats, and I have no doubt whatsoever that they have the ability to
recognize pictorial representations such as television. If you've
ever seen a group of cats in front of a tv image (with no sound) of a
squirrel, you'd know what a hilarious sight it is. I've read studies
that prove this ability in cats, but I can't recall the specifics, so
I'd appreciate any citations.
There is a website for the program, but unfortunately, it doesn't have
info about the pigeon study:
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/animalmind/
Best wishes, Glenn English
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