Comments on: Mommy and Daddy fairy-wrens sing "food passwords" to teach their eggs to sing http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/mommy-and-daddy-wrens-sing-f.html Brain candy for Happy Mutants Sat, 25 May 2013 17:47:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.4.1 By: Marya http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/mommy-and-daddy-wrens-sing-f.html#comment-1578921 Marya Sat, 10 Nov 2012 02:23:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=193014#comment-1578921 Didn't I once read that human babies were born preferring the 'accent' of their parents?   If that is true is would imply some kind of in utero learning. Didn’t I once read that human babies were born preferring the ‘accent’ of their parents?   If that is true is would imply some kind of in utero learning.

]]> By: Boris Bartlog http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/mommy-and-daddy-wrens-sing-f.html#comment-1578700 Boris Bartlog Fri, 09 Nov 2012 21:27:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=193014#comment-1578700 Makes sense. I'm guessing that the cuckoos must have other options as well, otherwise it seems like this would really make things difficult for them. Makes sense. I’m guessing that the cuckoos must have other options as well, otherwise it seems like this would really make things difficult for them.

]]> By: Boris Bartlog http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/mommy-and-daddy-wrens-sing-f.html#comment-1578698 Boris Bartlog Fri, 09 Nov 2012 21:26:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=193014#comment-1578698 The initial cost of implementing this defense must have been substantial, that's why. Chicks that didn't have the ability to pass the challenge-response test wouldn't necessarily have been defective in other ways. A lot must have starved that would otherwise have made it to adulthood. The initial cost of implementing this defense must have been substantial, that’s why. Chicks that didn’t have the ability to pass the challenge-response test wouldn’t necessarily have been defective in other ways. A lot must have starved that would otherwise have made it to adulthood.

]]> By: kiwidebz http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/mommy-and-daddy-wrens-sing-f.html#comment-1578137 kiwidebz Fri, 09 Nov 2012 15:31:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=193014#comment-1578137 I've always found the insult "bird-brain" to be incredibly presumptuous. This illustrates that point nicely. I’ve always found the insult “bird-brain” to be incredibly presumptuous. This illustrates that point nicely.

]]> By: sburns54 http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/mommy-and-daddy-wrens-sing-f.html#comment-1577974 sburns54 Fri, 09 Nov 2012 12:05:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=193014#comment-1577974 Now THAT'S intelligent design! Thank you, Evolution! Now THAT’S intelligent design! Thank you, Evolution!

]]> By: gwailo_joe http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/mommy-and-daddy-wrens-sing-f.html#comment-1577863 gwailo_joe Fri, 09 Nov 2012 05:16:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=193014#comment-1577863 Cuckoo Chicanery Cold Cocked!  Cool Chicks Crack Case!   Cuckoo Chicanery Cold Cocked!  Cool Chicks Crack Case!  

]]> By: acerplatanoides http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/mommy-and-daddy-wrens-sing-f.html#comment-1577855 acerplatanoides Fri, 09 Nov 2012 05:03:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=193014#comment-1577855 Why parisitism per se? No point in feeding a half-deaf chick. Especially if the current research about birds navigating by ulta-low frequency environmental sound is accurate. Why parisitism per se? No point in feeding a half-deaf chick. Especially if the current research about birds navigating by ulta-low frequency environmental sound is accurate.

]]> By: semiotix http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/mommy-and-daddy-wrens-sing-f.html#comment-1577802 semiotix Fri, 09 Nov 2012 03:20:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=193014#comment-1577802 They're birds, though, so it's probably something stupid like "password123". They’re birds, though, so it’s probably something stupid like “password123″.

]]> By: jimkirk http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/mommy-and-daddy-wrens-sing-f.html#comment-1577748 jimkirk Fri, 09 Nov 2012 01:53:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=193014#comment-1577748 "The trick allows fairy-wren parents to distinguish between their own offspring and those of the two cuckoo species that frequently invade their nests." “The trick allows fairy-wren parents to distinguish between their own offspring and those of the two cuckoo species that frequently invade their nests.”

]]> By: AlexG55 http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/mommy-and-daddy-wrens-sing-f.html#comment-1577730 AlexG55 Fri, 09 Nov 2012 01:11:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=193014#comment-1577730 Even cooler- while this isn't the first evidence of an unhatched chick being able to hear while it's still in the shell, it may be the first evidence of any animal having memories from when it was an embryo. It reminds me of the dragons in Naomi Novik's <i>Temeraire</i> series, which hatch able to speak the languages they heard from inside the egg. It would be pretty great if something a fantasy writer made up turned out to actually exist... Even cooler- while this isn’t the first evidence of an unhatched chick being able to hear while it’s still in the shell, it may be the first evidence of any animal having memories from when it was an embryo.

It reminds me of the dragons in Naomi Novik’s Temeraire series, which hatch able to speak the languages they heard from inside the egg. It would be pretty great if something a fantasy writer made up turned out to actually exist…

]]> By: Boris Bartlog http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/mommy-and-daddy-wrens-sing-f.html#comment-1577725 Boris Bartlog Fri, 09 Nov 2012 01:05:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=193014#comment-1577725 I assume these birds must have quite a brutal history of brood parasitism by some other species. One wonders whether the culprit species is still around, or whether the fairy wrens' fantastic evolutionary gambit wrote their epitaph. I assume these birds must have quite a brutal history of brood parasitism by some other species. One wonders whether the culprit species is still around, or whether the fairy wrens’ fantastic evolutionary gambit wrote their epitaph.

]]> By: dexitroboper http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/mommy-and-daddy-wrens-sing-f.html#comment-1577692 dexitroboper Fri, 09 Nov 2012 00:10:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=193014#comment-1577692 Some pictures to explain why they're called Superb: http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/science/Evolutionary_Ecology_Research/Ecology_of_Cumberland_Plain_Woodland/woodland_wildlife/vertebrate_animals/malurus_cyaneus Some pictures to explain why they’re called Superb: http://www.rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/science/Evolutionary_Ecology_Research/Ecology_of_Cumberland_Plain_Woodland/woodland_wildlife/vertebrate_animals/malurus_cyaneus

]]> By: fuzzyfuzzyfungus http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/mommy-and-daddy-wrens-sing-f.html#comment-1577639 fuzzyfuzzyfungus Thu, 08 Nov 2012 23:19:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=193014#comment-1577639 Very clever, wrens, very clever.  Tomorrow we learn that avian brood parasites of the wren have mastered MiTM and password replay attacks. The day after that, it turns out that wrens are capable of cryptographic challenge/response authentication... Very clever, wrens, very clever. 

Tomorrow we learn that avian brood parasites of the wren have mastered MiTM and password replay attacks.

The day after that, it turns out that wrens are capable of cryptographic challenge/response authentication…

]]> By: Gnatcatcher http://boingboing.net/2012/11/08/mommy-and-daddy-wrens-sing-f.html#comment-1577632 Gnatcatcher Thu, 08 Nov 2012 23:16:00 +0000 http://boingboing.net/?p=193014#comment-1577632 Fairywrens ≠ wrens. Fairywrens ≠ wrens.

]]>