A team of researchers detected an unexpected behavior in the bicolor starling, a bird species that inhabits the African continent.
The data suggest that some birds develop complex social networks, similar to those of humans.
Bicolor Starlings and lasting relationships beyond kinship
The study, led by Earl, collected information between 2002 and 2021, combining field observations with genetic analysis.
The results show that bicolor starlings:
- Help their relatives, reinforcing genetic transmission.
- Establish cooperative bonds with unrelated individuals, forming lasting relationships.
- Maintain these interactions for years, even when they could have collaborated with close relatives.
Professor Dustin Rubenstein, a co-author of the study, explained that these birds function as mixed communities of related and unrelated individuals, resembling the social dynamics of humans.
Reciprocity is not exclusive to humans
This finding challenges the idea that only humans and species with complex brains can form stable bonds.
Researchers believe that this behavior could exist in other species, but has not yet been detected due to a lack of long-term studies.
Rubenstein’s laboratory has documented similar interactions in:
- Shrimp.
- Wasps and beetles.
- Mice and lizards.
However, it is the first time that it has been confirmed in birds, which reinforces the hypothesis that bicolor starlings might resemble humans more than previously thought.
A milestone in social bonds research
This study, covering 40 breeding seasons, represents an advance in the understanding of social relationships in the animal kingdom.
As research delves deeper, more species with complex social structures could be found, challenging the traditional view on intelligence and cooperation among animals.
