[extropy-chat] Re: EVOLUTION: Birds learning cell ring-tones

[Mike Lorrey]

--- mail at harveynewstrom.com wrote:

> Mike Lorrey writes: 
> 
> > Birds imitate mobile phone ring tones   
> > DPA  
> 
> Interesting story! 
> 
> > Many of the more common ring tones are themselves imitations of
> bird
> > calls, so the birds are in some instances mimicking another
> species.
> 
> Do birds imitate other species in the wild?  If not, why would a bird
> imitate another species heard via a cellphone but not heard directly?

I believe the theory is that the birds regard the ring tones as human
calls, and adopt them as a means of keeping away predators who would
not prey on humans, a sort of Wizard of Oz, "pay no attention to the
man behind the curtain" routine.

Mike Lorrey
Vice-Chair, 2nd District, Libertarian Party of NH
"Necessity is the plea for every infringement of human freedom.
It is the argument of tyrants; it is the creed of slaves."
                                      -William Pitt (1759-1806) 
Blog: http://intlib.blogspot.com


		
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