Cows can use tools, scientists report
The discovery builds on Jane Goodall’s research from the 1960s
What happened
An Austrian cow named Veronika can use different parts of a wooden push broom to scratch herself, in the first verified instance of cattle using tools, cognitive biologists reported Monday in the journal Current Biology. The study adds cows to the “growing list of animals capable of using tools, an ability once thought to be a hallmark of humanity,” The Washington Post said.
Who said what
“Making and using tools” was “thought to be uniquely human” until the 1960s, when primatologist Jane Goodall observed a chimpanzee she named David Graybeard “dip a blade of grass into a termite mound to fish for insects to eat,” the Post said. “Since then, orcas, elephants, octopuses, crows, wolves, fish and ants have taken human beings down a peg or two by apparently wielding tools.”
Cattle “have not traditionally been celebrated for their smarts,” but perhaps they have been “underestimated,” The New York Times said. Unlike Veronika, a 13-year-old family pet, “very few of them get the opportunity to develop or demonstrate their cognitive abilities.” It’s probably not that Veronika is “like, the bovine Einstein,” study co-author Alice Auersperg of the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna told the Times. But “she has the opportunity to interact with her environment and to learn about her environment.”
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
What next?
Other species of cattle have been caught on camera using branches to scratch themselves, so “our conclusion is that Veronika is not special,” said study co-author Antonio Osuna-Mascaró. Humans have been mainly interested in cattle for meat and milk, Auersperg told the Times. “Perhaps the absurd thing was not the absurdity of a cow using tools, but the absurdity of us never thinking that a cow might be intelligent.”
-
Hotel Sacher Wien: Vienna’s grandest hotel is fit for royaltyThe Week Recommends The five-star birthplace of the famous Sachertorte chocolate cake is celebrating its 150th anniversary
-
Where to begin with Portuguese winesThe Week Recommends Indulge in some delicious blends to celebrate the end of Dry January
-
Climate change has reduced US salariesUnder the radar Elevated temperatures are capable of affecting the entire economy
-
Russia’s ‘cyborg’ spy pigeonsUnder the Radar Moscow neurotech company with Kremlin-linked funding claims to implant neural chips in birds’ brains to control their flight, and create ‘bio-drones’
-
How roadkill is a surprising boon to scientific researchUnder the radar We can learn from animals without trapping and capturing them
-
NASA’s lunar rocket is surrounded by safety concernsThe Explainer The agency hopes to launch a new mission to the moon in the coming months
-
The world’s oldest rock art paints a picture of human migrationUnder the Radar The art is believed to be over 67,000 years old
-
Moon dust has earthly elements thanks to a magnetic bridgeUnder the radar The substances could help supply a lunar base
-
Winter storm lashes much of US South, East CoastSpeed Read The storm spread across 2,000 miles of the country
-
The ocean is getting more acidic — and harming sharks’ teethUnder the Radar ‘There is a corrosion effect on sharks’ teeth,’ the study’s author said
-
The Iberian Peninsula is rotating clockwiseUnder the radar We won’t feel it in our lifetime
