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From: sjk@hpfcdj.HP.COM (Steve Kommrusch)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Animal planning
Message-ID: <17580001@hpfcdj.HP.COM>
Date: 22 May 91 23:15:22 GMT
Organization: Hewlett Packard -- Fort Collins, CO
Lines: 58


Howdy netland,

Some friends of mine and I were wondering about the particulars of
planning in animals.  The only examples of animal planning which we
are aware of involve actions taken in response to a current desire.
And we were wondering if there are examples of animals planning for
a future desire that is clearly NOT instinctive.

For example, I have heard of an experiment where a banana was hung
high above the floor and a monkey (chimp?) had to arrange boxes
so as to reach the banana.  This is a good example of planning for
a current desire (the monkey wanted the banana).

Several good natural examples of planning for a current desire also exist.
There is a primate (an ape or gorilla I think) which will go under tree
branches and arrange them to form a canopy when it begins raining.
(Had the primate built this canopy before any indications of rainfall
existed, this would be a good example of planning for future desires).

Additionally, the simple act of heading towards a stream when an animal
is thirsty could be considered planning for a current desire.

Some examples in nature which appear to be planning for future desires
but are instinctive would be: nest building in birds, collecting nuts
in squirrels, dam building in beavers, tigers cacheing leftovers, etc. etc.

A natural example which might convince me that the animal was planning
for future desires would be habitat building in species which do not
always build habitats.  For example, I do not know if ALL wolves dig
dens (thus implying it is instinctive), but if wolves in certain climates
did not build them because they were not needed, then the wolves which do
dig dens (in Alaska wolves dig dens) could be said to be planning for the
future desire of being dry and warm.

The clearest proof of planning for future desires would be a controlled
experiment.  Consider a captive chimp held in a room in which artificial
hail falls every 48-72 hours.  This chimp has been provided with the
materials she needs to build a complex shelter (3 or 4 minutes for the
chimp to build the shelter).  For this experiment, it is not important if
she figured out how to build the shelter herself, so lets say we taught
her.  So, when it starts hailing, our intrepid chimp builds the shelter
in the storm and hangs out until the hail stops (a half-hour later, say).
After 2-24 hours, we go in and dismantle the shelter.  After a sufficient
number of hailstorms, will the chimp realize she should build the
shelter soon after we dismantle it, or will she always build it AFTER
the hail begins falling?

Are there good examples of animals planning for future desires?

			    Inquiring minds want to know.
			    Steve Kommrusch
			    sjk@hpfcsjk@hplabs.hp.com

Disclaimer: After putting up with the inquisitive biologists, the
	    chimp in the hailstorm experiment was flown to a Carribean
	    island where she lived happily ever after on bananas and
	    cream pies for the rest of her natural life.