Intelligence

After learning that eating sainfoin, but not fescue, was followed by a stomachache, the lambs knew to pick cocksfoot over alfalfa when given the choice in the future. Have no idea what this means? In non-lamb terms, if a pasture legume caused indigestion (thanks to lithium chloride added by the researchers) but a grass found in pastures did not, the lambs, when facing a later choice between a different legume and a different grass, opted for the grass over the legume. In other words, the lambs demonstrated an ability to form a generalization about the relative digestibility of families of plants. (Lest sheep let these findings go to their heads, note that recent research found that some plants communicate with each other to raise defenses against herbivores.*)

Think You’re Smarter Than Animals? Maybe Not  Alexandra Horowitz and Ammon Shea, NYT August 20, 2011

*What self-respecting lettuce wants to end up splayed on a plate in a vegetarian restaurant being devoured by a talkative but well-intentioned herbivore.