I read an article online that I personally don't think is right but I wonder what others opinions of this is?
I read that crows had such wonderful memories they could pass that fear on to the offspring genetically!
I maybe wrong but that seems more like a pile of road apples to me.
Corvids are VERY intelligent. They therefore could pass that intelligence on to their offspring. "Intelligence" includes fear of danger, which, by extension would be "passing on fear".
Paul
Reminds me of 'crows can count - sort of' The trick was three men to enter the woods and two to exit for a bit of crow bashing, apparently they are snookered after two....
I know for a fact crows are very intelligent and crafty but I always wondered why they keep coming in to a crow in distress call even after you shoot a few? ......Many things are passed to later generations thru genes. I note that a family with a history of heart disease or cancer among other things, also produces offspring with the same problems. Also note that horses & other animals produce offspring with their traits. This is one reason there is so many good race horses. ......Paul H
Actually, the number that crows can remember/count is 7. It's among the highest in vertebrates, including humans. In fact, it was this particular event - trying to 'fool' ravens and not being able to use only 3 people - that lead to the scientific interest in the corvid's problem-solving abilities. Crows in Japan have learned to use cars to crack a hard tree nut by driving over it. They place the nut in the crosswalk and the cars run over them, and crows retrieve the meat. Thats interesting, but what is remarkable, is that they have learned the "red light/green light" cycle, and only place and retrieve the nuts when it is the proper light /safe to do it. Later, when I am not on my phone, I'll relate some very interesting experiments we performed at the University of Kansas with bluegills and other fish.
Paul
Interesting you fellows think they can pass emotion on genetically!
Have a look at this: https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/cross-check/scientific-heretic-rupert-sheldrake-on-morphic-fields-psychic-dogs-and-other-mysteries/
Paul
And crows hold grudges too it seems,...
https://www.livescience.com/23090-crows-grudges-brains.html