Assumptions on the neural basis of cognition usually focus on cortical mechanisms. Birds
have no cortex, but recent studies in parrots and corvids show that their cognitive skills are …

Cognitive functions are similar in birds and mammals. So, are therefore pallial cellular
circuits and neuronal computations also alike? In search of answers, we move in from bird's …

Corvids possess cognitive skills, matching those of nonhuman primates. However, how
these species with their small brains achieve such feats remains elusive. Recent studies …

Highlights•Birds have small brains but much more neurons per pallial mass than
primates.•Corvids have 6 times less pallial neurons than chimps but 6-17 times more than …

The planning and execution of head-beak movements are vital components of bird behavior.
They require integration of sensory input and internal processes with goal-directed motor …

Reward prediction errors (RPEs) have been suggested to drive associative learning
processes, but their precise temporal dynamics at the single-neuron level remain elusive …

We are surrounded by an endless variation of objects. The ability to categorize these objects
represents a core cognitive competence of humans and possibly all vertebrates. Research …

Amniotes feature two principal visual processing systems: the tectofugal and thalamofugal
pathways. In most mammals, the thalamofugal pathway predominates, routing retinal …

Categorization is an essential cognitive process useful for transferring knowledge from
previous experience to novel situations. The mechanisms by which trained categorization …

Extinction learning provides the ability to flexibly adapt to new contingencies by learning to
inhibit previously acquired associations in a context-dependent manner. The neural …