Trust That Bird? A bit of future-think lets jays cooperate
By Susan Milius
A blue jay will cooperate with a buddy for mutual gain in food despite opportunities to betray the partnership, according to a new laboratory study.
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Such cooperation among animals had remained elusive and controversial during decades of scientific studies, explains David W. Stephens of the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. Now, he says, he has demonstrated why. The earlier work hadn’t taken into consideration the timing of the benefit for cooperation, he and his colleagues contend in the Dec. 13 Science. The partner’s reciprocity also influences a bird’s choice to cooperate, they find.