Can Wasps Get Used to You?
WouterSeveral species of wasps have been found to have the ability to recognize individual faces. These findings add to the list of amazing social insect abilities.
Researchers conducted a study using the golden paper wasp, a species known for its social lives. This species was placed in a box with pictures of different faces. The wasps were then trained to identify bad faces. This process was similar to the human facial recognition test.
The paper wasp’s brain is much smaller than the human’s, but it has evolved special brain mechanisms for processing faces. This allows the insect to recognize faces for up to a week.
This study reveals how humans underestimated insects’ learning abilities. Before this study, it was thought that insects weren’t capable of learning to recognize individual faces. However, the findings provide insight into how animals become good at specialized tasks. The researchers say the study provides evidence that holistic processing is the key to the evolution of social animals.
These findings add to the debate about whether we can learn to recognize individual faces. Researchers say the study provides evidence of holistic face processing, which is similar to human facial recognition. It is also the first evidence of insects identifying one another.
The researchers believe that both groups’ need to distinguish faces drove their evolution. They think the wasps may have already mastered the task of recognizing faces in the wild. The wasps also acted more aggressively when placed with a new individual.
