parrot
Explanation
The Joke
The comic shows two parrots on a branch. One parrot is holding up a photograph of itself in an attractive pose, showing it to the other parrot. The caption reads: "With training, the parrots were able to demonstrate a rudimentary form of online dating."
The joke draws a parallel between the way parrots can be trained to perform simple human-like behaviors and the mechanics of online dating. In online dating, people present carefully curated photos of themselves to potential partners. Here, a parrot is doing essentially the same thing -- showing a flattering selfie to another parrot -- which the comic frames as a breakthrough in animal cognition research.
The Humor
The humor works on multiple levels. First, there is the absurdity of parrots engaging in online dating. Second, there is the implicit dig at online dating itself: if parrots can be trained to do it, perhaps it is not the sophisticated human social ritual we think it is, but rather a fairly basic behavior of showing off a good photo. The framing as a scientific observation (the dry, academic caption) adds to the comedy by treating this ridiculous scenario with total seriousness. The photo the parrot holds is also notably glamorous compared to the parrot's actual appearance, poking fun at how people choose flattering photos for their dating profiles.