July 2018
The Expansion of the Medial Spiriform Nucleus in Parrots is Related to Intelligence
Gutierrez-Ibanez C, Iwaniuk AN, Wylie DR (2018) Expansion of a pretectal telencephalon-cerebellum relay nucleus in parrots mirrors the evolution of an analogous pathway in primates. Scientific Reports 8:9960. doi:10.1038/s41598-018-28301-4.
This paper received a tremendous amount of attention in the press. It picked up by more than 50 news agencies (online and print) in several different languages.
CBC NEWS: Alberta neuroscientists identify what makes parrots not so bird-brained
CBC NEWS: Parrot’s unique brain structure explains why they’re so smart
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC ESPANA: Descubierto el secreto de la inteligencia de los loros
SMITHSONIAN: Unique Brain Circuitry Might Explain Why Parrots Are So Smart
FORBES: What Makes Parrots So Intelligent?
CBC RADIO-CANADA: Le secret de l’intelligence du perroquet expliqué
GIZMODO: This Brain Part Could Explain Why Parrots Are so Much Smarter Than Other Birds
UALBERTA FOLIO: Neuroscientists uncover secret to intelligence in parrots
Cristian was interviewed on the on the radio for CBC’s Quirks and Quarks, CBC’s RadioActive, and the Ryan Jespersen Show (630 CHED)
Jan 2018
The Unique Processing of Optic Flow in the Hummingbird Brain
Gaede AH, Goller B, Lam JPM, Wylie DR, Altshuler DL (2017) Neurons responsive to global visual motion have unique tuning properties in hummingbirds. Current Biology 27:279–285.
This paper was highlighted by several venues in the scientific and popular media.
on CBC Radio; Quirks and Quarks
Unique Visual Processing Allows Hummingbirds to Hover