Bumblebees are pretty smart, new study shows

New research suggests there's more to the humble bumblebee than meets the eye. We've missed some really fascinating capabilities found among even tiny invertebrates. They have brains the size of a pinhead, yet they're still able to produce this behavior. If a wise man learns from the mistakes of others, these are some brainy bees. Scientists at Queen Mary University in London trained a bumblebee to push a red tab on a wheel to reach a sugary treat. Other bees watched and quickly copied the skill using the same method 98% of the time. What this created was like a trend, a fashion trend or in animal behavior terms, a tradition.

And researchers now believe there could be even more instinctive insects in the animal kingdom. I think it shows that we're not alone on the planet, that there are kinds of alien civilizations right around us. But at least now we know that for busy bees, it's about working smarter, not harder. Matthew Torres, WUSA 9.

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