Brain activity ‘barcodes’ may be linked to specific memories in birds


Black-capped chickadees bear in mind the areas of stashed meals

Peter Llewellyn RF/Alamy

Distinctive patterns of mind exercise which might be linked to particular recollections have been found in songbirds. These “barcode” patterns could also be associated to reminiscence recall within the birds and may be current in different animals similar to people.

The black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) shops meals similar to seeds in hiding locations and retrieves them later when sustenance is scarce. This makes it a helpful organism to review reminiscence, says Selmaan Chettih at Columbia College in New York.

A pair of buildings in …