Birds, especially parrots have been known to be very intelligent, even capable of understanding symbolic speech as in the African grey parrot.(http://www.impactlab.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=8106&mode=&order=0&thold=0)
So, what about a TL where a sentient parrot evolves? I've had bird pets before so I'm quite fond of them . I don't know that much about zoology but I'll just be wingin' it... (OK... bad pun)
10 million years ago- In the jungles of the indonesian archipelago, a new species of cockatoo makes a remarkable leap - it begins to use language.
It starts off simple enough, as many birds do today, with certain vocal calls that represent concepts such as "Look out, a leopard" or "Hey, there's a mango tree ahead". But this species kicks it up a notch and starts to refine its use of sound to make it more symbolic. This is important since using language begins to let the birds be able to communicate concepts better, forming more complex social structures where individuals become collectivistic and help each other find food and avoid predators. Their brain develops consequently, as evolution favours the better communicators
Eventually, they develop a rich, vibrant language with complex trills, squawks, whistles and chirps. This language becomes incredibly rich in vocabulary, since birds are very visual and also auditory learners. With this, they can now "tell" each other stories and accounts to pass down their experience and wisdom to other generations. They have mastered the first step: culture and language.
The birds are highly detail-oriented beings which would have "words" for things like hundreds of different types of fruits, trees, colours, weather patterns and predators. Also, compared to the numerous sounds made by a bird, our human languages, limited by our voice boxes, seem comparitively small in number of phonemes/sounds/syllables. A new mating ritual develops in the parrots involving females selecting males on how "poetic" they are, with males competing for mates by making innovative songs and dances. This sexual selection contributes as well to greater intelligence and creativity.
Pretty soon, with the use of language, the cockatoos develop a "society" of sorts, albeit a simple one about as advanced as "hunter-gatherer" humans. They are mostly vegetarian, but lean towards omnivory gradually as the parrots use tools such as sticks and stones to help them crack nuts and bird's eggs for protein. They also eat small animals like rodents and snakes.
Now the problem with the parrots is that being as small as 2 pounds or so in weight, they have to deal with many large predators. Predators provide a selection pressure for them to evolve even further. The parrots' main enemies are mammalian carnivores (as leopards, cats, weasels), snakes, and birds of prey. The parrots eventually evolve in social groups of 100-200 and travel together as a band in search of food, with no individual left behind. Once in a while though, if a predator is spotted, the parrots all yell and cry in fear and warn all flock members to band together. But they are not helpless. Cockatoos learned to carry weapons, small lightweight spears tipped with poison. At the sight of a leopard or hawk, these excellent visually gifted parrots aim for the neck and swiftly dispatch their enemy. Another method is a whole "tribe" of parrots will stone a predator like a big cat to death, aiming to bash skulls with rocks dropped from above. Sometimes a captured hawk or leopard will be hacked to death or dismembered for meat (although not that often). The prey turns predator, just like humans in OTL. Also, leopard teeth and claws are used as good luck charms by the birds. The cockatoos eventually develop an animistic/polytheistic religion, praying to their own deities for good luck foraging and defense against predators.
But at night, perched asleep birds are vulnerable. So the sentient parrots start to built large village-like complexes of nests in the trees. About 10-15 nests on a tree. Each one being about 5-6 feet in diameter. Large complex woven nests that serve as "shelters" to sleep in, and as a guard against predators, thorns, spikes and sharpened sticks defend the complex. But eventually a sneaky snake or weasel will slip in to dine on fresh cockatoo meat while the flock is sleeping. The solution? There are birds in the flock that act as "watchmen" or "guards", staying awake beside the nest and guarding their comrades with the poison tipped spear and a pile of sharpened rocks. They take night shifts and with so many birds to take turns, everyone gets enough rest.
1.8- 1.0 Homo erectus arrives in Indonesia as Java man. Java man eventually is found facing conflict with the cockatoos. Man likes to hunt and eat birds. Man starts off the first contact ruthlessly by hunting them in large numbers. But the cockatoos stand their ground. At this point, they are more advanced in terms of language and visual skills and also better coordinated, so they make a comeback. A little arms race develops. Cockatoo spears face off against Java man's but the bird's got better aim. Java man has a hard time hunting them or raiding their well-defended nests, so they give up on hunting birds and move on to other prey. Plus, birds are small and it isn't worth the effort to hunt. However, the birds now see Java man as a threat. The birds treat him as a competitor as well as a possible danger. My experiences with pet bird show that if birds like parrots have a bad experience, they can learn to "hate" certain people such as abusive handlers and never forget the experience, holding a sort of "grudge". So as the first contact between Java man and cockatoo gave bird a bad impression of man, man is villainized in their society as is seen as a sort of "demon" or "monster" to be gotten rid of. Java man is targeted and openly attacked whenever seen. The birds pelt man with stones, toss sharpened spears. Eventually, Java man goes extinct in competition with the birds. However, the birds have obtained something useful from man; they learned his use of fire. The birds cook, but now have to be extra cautious, lest they burn their own nests and trees, accidentally. Later on, homo sapiens anthropologists will wonder why Java man died out.
So, what about a TL where a sentient parrot evolves? I've had bird pets before so I'm quite fond of them . I don't know that much about zoology but I'll just be wingin' it... (OK... bad pun)
10 million years ago- In the jungles of the indonesian archipelago, a new species of cockatoo makes a remarkable leap - it begins to use language.
It starts off simple enough, as many birds do today, with certain vocal calls that represent concepts such as "Look out, a leopard" or "Hey, there's a mango tree ahead". But this species kicks it up a notch and starts to refine its use of sound to make it more symbolic. This is important since using language begins to let the birds be able to communicate concepts better, forming more complex social structures where individuals become collectivistic and help each other find food and avoid predators. Their brain develops consequently, as evolution favours the better communicators
Eventually, they develop a rich, vibrant language with complex trills, squawks, whistles and chirps. This language becomes incredibly rich in vocabulary, since birds are very visual and also auditory learners. With this, they can now "tell" each other stories and accounts to pass down their experience and wisdom to other generations. They have mastered the first step: culture and language.
The birds are highly detail-oriented beings which would have "words" for things like hundreds of different types of fruits, trees, colours, weather patterns and predators. Also, compared to the numerous sounds made by a bird, our human languages, limited by our voice boxes, seem comparitively small in number of phonemes/sounds/syllables. A new mating ritual develops in the parrots involving females selecting males on how "poetic" they are, with males competing for mates by making innovative songs and dances. This sexual selection contributes as well to greater intelligence and creativity.
Pretty soon, with the use of language, the cockatoos develop a "society" of sorts, albeit a simple one about as advanced as "hunter-gatherer" humans. They are mostly vegetarian, but lean towards omnivory gradually as the parrots use tools such as sticks and stones to help them crack nuts and bird's eggs for protein. They also eat small animals like rodents and snakes.
Now the problem with the parrots is that being as small as 2 pounds or so in weight, they have to deal with many large predators. Predators provide a selection pressure for them to evolve even further. The parrots' main enemies are mammalian carnivores (as leopards, cats, weasels), snakes, and birds of prey. The parrots eventually evolve in social groups of 100-200 and travel together as a band in search of food, with no individual left behind. Once in a while though, if a predator is spotted, the parrots all yell and cry in fear and warn all flock members to band together. But they are not helpless. Cockatoos learned to carry weapons, small lightweight spears tipped with poison. At the sight of a leopard or hawk, these excellent visually gifted parrots aim for the neck and swiftly dispatch their enemy. Another method is a whole "tribe" of parrots will stone a predator like a big cat to death, aiming to bash skulls with rocks dropped from above. Sometimes a captured hawk or leopard will be hacked to death or dismembered for meat (although not that often). The prey turns predator, just like humans in OTL. Also, leopard teeth and claws are used as good luck charms by the birds. The cockatoos eventually develop an animistic/polytheistic religion, praying to their own deities for good luck foraging and defense against predators.
But at night, perched asleep birds are vulnerable. So the sentient parrots start to built large village-like complexes of nests in the trees. About 10-15 nests on a tree. Each one being about 5-6 feet in diameter. Large complex woven nests that serve as "shelters" to sleep in, and as a guard against predators, thorns, spikes and sharpened sticks defend the complex. But eventually a sneaky snake or weasel will slip in to dine on fresh cockatoo meat while the flock is sleeping. The solution? There are birds in the flock that act as "watchmen" or "guards", staying awake beside the nest and guarding their comrades with the poison tipped spear and a pile of sharpened rocks. They take night shifts and with so many birds to take turns, everyone gets enough rest.
1.8- 1.0 Homo erectus arrives in Indonesia as Java man. Java man eventually is found facing conflict with the cockatoos. Man likes to hunt and eat birds. Man starts off the first contact ruthlessly by hunting them in large numbers. But the cockatoos stand their ground. At this point, they are more advanced in terms of language and visual skills and also better coordinated, so they make a comeback. A little arms race develops. Cockatoo spears face off against Java man's but the bird's got better aim. Java man has a hard time hunting them or raiding their well-defended nests, so they give up on hunting birds and move on to other prey. Plus, birds are small and it isn't worth the effort to hunt. However, the birds now see Java man as a threat. The birds treat him as a competitor as well as a possible danger. My experiences with pet bird show that if birds like parrots have a bad experience, they can learn to "hate" certain people such as abusive handlers and never forget the experience, holding a sort of "grudge". So as the first contact between Java man and cockatoo gave bird a bad impression of man, man is villainized in their society as is seen as a sort of "demon" or "monster" to be gotten rid of. Java man is targeted and openly attacked whenever seen. The birds pelt man with stones, toss sharpened spears. Eventually, Java man goes extinct in competition with the birds. However, the birds have obtained something useful from man; they learned his use of fire. The birds cook, but now have to be extra cautious, lest they burn their own nests and trees, accidentally. Later on, homo sapiens anthropologists will wonder why Java man died out.