RECENT EXPERIMENTS SHOW THAT bumblebees join a select group of animals - mostly primates and birds - capable of passing on new behaviours by cultural transmission.
The study tested buff-tailed bumblebees' ability to learn to open sugar-filled containers, a challenge that had two equally effective possible solutions. Inexperienced bees learned the task faster if they'd watched an experienced individual complete it first. And the solution eventually adopted by the colony was the one demonstrated initially.
This story is from the May 2023 edition of BBC Wildlife.
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This story is from the May 2023 edition of BBC Wildlife.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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