Archerfish can recognize people s faces according to researchers from oxford university their accuracy is more than 80

Archerfish Can Recognize People’s Faces with Over 80% Accuracy

When it comes to the animal kingdom, we often associate facial recognition with primates or highly intelligent creatures like dolphins. However, a recent study conducted by researchers from Oxford University has revealed that archerfish, a species known for their unique hunting techniques, can recognize human faces with remarkable accuracy exceeding 80%.

Archerfish are known for their ability to shoot down insects by spitting water at them with remarkable precision. These incredible creatures have complex visual systems that enable them to accurately aim at their prey by compensating for the water refraction.

Intrigued by their remarkable cognitive abilities, a team of researchers from Oxford University decided to investigate whether archerfish can recognize and differentiate human faces. The study involved training the fish to associate human faces with food rewards.

The archerfish were initially presented with a series of images, including human faces, various objects, and different fish species. The researchers observed that the fish displayed a significantly higher level of interest and attention towards the human face images compared to non-social images. This led the team to conclude that archerfish possess a specialized neural mechanism that enables them to recognize human faces.

During the training phase, the fish were able to quickly associate specific human faces with food rewards, demonstrating their remarkable cognitive abilities. As the training progressed, the researchers found that the archerfish’s accuracy in recognizing human faces exceeded 80%.

These findings are particularly astonishing considering that archerfish are not known for their social interactions. It challenges the conventional belief that facial recognition capabilities are restricted to mammals and other highly intelligent creatures. The researchers suggest that the archerfish’s ability to recognize human faces may have evolved as a survival mechanism to selectively identify potential threats or sources of food.

Although the study sheds light on the fascinating cognitive abilities of archerfish, further research is needed to understand the underlying mechanisms and neural processes involved in their facial recognition skills. The findings open up new avenues of exploration into the cognitive abilities of seemingly ordinary species, highlighting the complexity and diversity of nature.

Sources:

• Bright Side