Newborn ducklings learn the concepts of ‘same’ and ‘different’

Scientists from the University of Oxford have shown that newly hatched ducklings can readily acquire notions of ‘same’ and ‘different’ – an ability previously known only in highly intelligent animals such as apes, crows and parrots. Ducklings and other young animals normally learn to identify and follow their mother through a type of learning called ’imprinting’, which can occur in as little as 15 minutes after hatching. In this new study, published in the journal Science, ducklings demonstrated that th