51
|
Dore A, Pasquaretta C, Henry D, Ricard E, Bompa JF, Bonneau M, Boissy A, Hazard D, Lihoreau M, Aubert H. A Non-Invasive Millimetre-Wave Radar Sensor for Automated Behavioural Tracking in Precision Farming-Application to Sheep Husbandry. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21238140. [PMID: 34884145 PMCID: PMC8662461 DOI: 10.3390/s21238140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/20/2021] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The automated quantification of the behaviour of freely moving animals is increasingly needed in applied ethology. State-of-the-art approaches often require tags to identify animals, high computational power for data collection and processing, and are sensitive to environmental conditions, which limits their large-scale utilization, for instance in genetic selection programs of animal breeding. Here we introduce a new automated tracking system based on millimetre-wave radars for real time robust and high precision monitoring of untagged animals. In contrast to conventional video tracking systems, radar tracking requires low processing power, is independent on light variations and has more accurate estimations of animal positions due to a lower misdetection rate. To validate our approach, we monitored the movements of 58 sheep in a standard indoor behavioural test used for assessing social motivation. We derived new estimators from the radar data that can be used to improve the behavioural phenotyping of the sheep. We then showed how radars can be used for movement tracking at larger spatial scales, in the field, by adjusting operating frequency and radiated electromagnetic power. Millimetre-wave radars thus hold considerable promises precision farming through high-throughput recording of the behaviour of untagged animals in different types of environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre Dore
- Laboratory for Analysis and Architecture of Systems, Toulouse University, CNRS, INPT, 31400 Toulouse, France; (D.H.); (H.A.)
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, University Paul Sabatier-Toulouse III, 31400 Toulouse, France; (C.P.); (M.L.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Cristian Pasquaretta
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, University Paul Sabatier-Toulouse III, 31400 Toulouse, France; (C.P.); (M.L.)
| | - Dominique Henry
- Laboratory for Analysis and Architecture of Systems, Toulouse University, CNRS, INPT, 31400 Toulouse, France; (D.H.); (H.A.)
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, University Paul Sabatier-Toulouse III, 31400 Toulouse, France; (C.P.); (M.L.)
| | - Edmond Ricard
- GenPhySE, Toulouse University, INRAE, ENVT, 31326 Castanet Tolosan, France; (E.R.); (J.-F.B.); (D.H.)
| | - Jean-François Bompa
- GenPhySE, Toulouse University, INRAE, ENVT, 31326 Castanet Tolosan, France; (E.R.); (J.-F.B.); (D.H.)
| | | | - Alain Boissy
- UMR Herbivores, Clermont University, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, 63122 Saint-Genès Champanelle, France;
| | - Dominique Hazard
- GenPhySE, Toulouse University, INRAE, ENVT, 31326 Castanet Tolosan, France; (E.R.); (J.-F.B.); (D.H.)
| | - Mathieu Lihoreau
- Research Center on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Center for Integrative Biology (CBI), CNRS, University Paul Sabatier-Toulouse III, 31400 Toulouse, France; (C.P.); (M.L.)
| | - Hervé Aubert
- Laboratory for Analysis and Architecture of Systems, Toulouse University, CNRS, INPT, 31400 Toulouse, France; (D.H.); (H.A.)
| |
Collapse
|
52
|
Ruiz-Raya F. Ecophysiology of egg rejection in hosts of avian brood parasites: new insights and perspectives. Curr Zool 2021; 67:631-638. [PMID: 34805540 PMCID: PMC8599070 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Egg rejection is the most effective and widespread defense used by host species to counteract the extreme fitness costs frequently imposed by obligate avian brood parasites. Yet, the proximate mechanisms underlying between- and within-individual variation in host responses remain poorly explored. Emerging evidence suggests that egg rejection is dependent on individual physiological states, and draws attention to the role of hormones as mediators of flexible antiparasitic responses. In this perspective article, I outline recent advances in our understanding of the proximate factors that mediate egg rejection. I also point out some areas where knowledge remains still lacking, especially those related to the development and maintenance of effective cognitive functions, the potential role of oxidative stress, immunological state, and developmental stressors. I propose new hypotheses that stimulate future research on behavioral host responses toward brood parasitism.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Francisco Ruiz-Raya
- Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, GEA, Vigo 36310, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
53
|
Vernouillet A. On the importance of accounting for alternative foraging tactics when assessing cognitive performance in wild animals. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2474-2477. [PMID: 34734419 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Research Highlight: Reichert, S., Morand-Ferron, J., Kulahci, I. G., Firth, J. A., Davidson, G. L., Crofts, S. J., & Quinn, J. L. (2021) Cognition and covariance in the producer-scrounger game. Journal of Animal Ecology, https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13551. When foraging in groups, individuals can either acquire their own resources, as producers, or profit from the work of other individuals, as scroungers. Individuals vary in how much they rely on one foraging tactic over the other. Yet, each of these foraging tactics presents unique cognitive challenges. Using a field experiment with a mixed-species flock of birds, Reichert et al. (2021) investigated how production learning (i.e. successfully feeding from their assigned rewarded feeder) and scrounging propensity (i.e. collecting food from a non-assigned feeders by following another individual) are related at an individual level, as well as the repeatability of both production learning and scrounging propensity. The authors show that overall, (a) individuals learned to scrounge, (b) individuals who rely more on scrounging took longer to learn their assigned feeder and (c) variation in each cognitive trait was mostly explained by individual behavioural flexibility rather than by consistent differences between individuals. Since learning was negatively correlated with the use of an alternative foraging tactic (i.e. scrounging), results of this study also suggest that individual choice of foraging tactics should be considered when evaluating cognitive abilities in wild animals.
Collapse
|
54
|
Nieberding CM, Marcantonio M, Voda R, Enriquez T, Visser B. The Evolutionary Relevance of Social Learning and Transmission in Non-Social Arthropods with a Focus on Oviposition-Related Behaviors. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12101466. [PMID: 34680861 PMCID: PMC8536077 DOI: 10.3390/genes12101466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on social learning has centered around vertebrates, but evidence is accumulating that small-brained, non-social arthropods also learn from others. Social learning can lead to social inheritance when socially acquired behaviors are transmitted to subsequent generations. Using oviposition site selection, a critical behavior for most arthropods, as an example, we first highlight the complementarities between social and classical genetic inheritance. We then discuss the relevance of studying social learning and transmission in non-social arthropods and document known cases in the literature, including examples of social learning from con- and hetero-specifics. We further highlight under which conditions social learning can be adaptive or not. We conclude that non-social arthropods and the study of oviposition behavior offer unparalleled opportunities to unravel the importance of social learning and inheritance for animal evolution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M. Nieberding
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (M.M.); (R.V.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Matteo Marcantonio
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (M.M.); (R.V.)
| | - Raluca Voda
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (M.M.); (R.V.)
| | - Thomas Enriquez
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (T.E.); (B.V.)
| | - Bertanne Visser
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (T.E.); (B.V.)
| |
Collapse
|
55
|
Kashetsky T, Avgar T, Dukas R. The Cognitive Ecology of Animal Movement: Evidence From Birds and Mammals. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.724887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognition, defined as the processes concerned with the acquisition, retention and use of information, underlies animals’ abilities to navigate their local surroundings, embark on long-distance seasonal migrations, and socially learn information relevant to movement. Hence, in order to fully understand and predict animal movement, researchers must know the cognitive mechanisms that generate such movement. Work on a few model systems indicates that most animals possess excellent spatial learning and memory abilities, meaning that they can acquire and later recall information about distances and directions among relevant objects. Similarly, field work on several species has revealed some of the mechanisms that enable them to navigate over distances of up to several thousand kilometers. Key behaviors related to movement such as the choice of nest location, home range location and migration route are often affected by parents and other conspecifics. In some species, such social influence leads to the formation of aggregations, which in turn may lead to further social learning about food locations or other resources. Throughout the review, we note a variety of topics at the interface of cognition and movement that invite further investigation. These include the use of social information embedded in trails, the likely important roles of soundscapes and smellscapes, the mechanisms that large mammals rely on for long-distance migration, and the effects of expertise acquired over extended periods.
Collapse
|
56
|
Álvarez-Quintero N, Velando A, Kim SY. Smart mating: the cognitive ability of females influences their preference for male cognitive ability. Behav Ecol 2021; 32:803-813. [PMID: 34690544 PMCID: PMC8528552 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 05/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive abilities may be crucial for individuals to respond appropriately to their social and natural environment, thereby increasing fitness. However, the role of cognitive traits in sexual selection has received relatively little attention. Here, we studied 1) whether male secondary sexual traits (colour, courtship, and nest) reflect their cognitive ability, 2) whether females choose mates based on males' and their own cognitive abilities, and 3) how the interplay between secondary sexual traits and cognitive ability determines male attractiveness in the three-spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculetaus). For this, we first evaluated the cognitive ability of sexually mature males and females in a detour-reaching task. Then, female preference was repeatedly assessed in a dichotomous-choice test, where the female was exposed to two males with contrasting performances (relatively good and bad) in the detour-reaching task. Female preference for better performing males was affected by the female's own cognitive ability. Females with relatively medium-low cognitive ability preferred males with high ability, whereas females with high ability showed no preference. We also found that males with higher cognitive abilities built more elaborated nests, but showed weaker red nuptial colouration. To our knowledge, this is among the first results that illustrate how cognitive traits of both sexes influence female mate preference, which has implications for the strength and direction of sexual selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Náyade Álvarez-Quintero
- Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Grupo Ecoloxía Animal, Torre CACTI, Campus de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - Alberto Velando
- Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Grupo Ecoloxía Animal, Torre CACTI, Campus de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - Sin-Yeon Kim
- Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Grupo Ecoloxía Animal, Torre CACTI, Campus de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
57
|
Task-dependent reversal learning dynamics challenge the reversal paradigm of measuring cognitive flexibility. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.07.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
|
58
|
Muth F. Intra-specific differences in cognition: bumblebee queens learn better than workers. Biol Lett 2021; 17:20210280. [PMID: 34376073 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Species' cognitive traits are shaped by their ecology, and even within a species, cognition can reflect the behavioural requirements of individuals with different roles. Social insects have a number of discrete roles (castes) within a colony and thus offer a useful system to determine how ecological requirements shape cognition. Bumblebee queens are a critical point in the lifecycle of their colony, since its future success is reliant on a single individual's ability to learn about floral stimuli while finding a suitable nest site; thus, one might expect particularly adept learning capabilities at this stage. I compared wild Bombus vosnesenskii queens and workers on their ability to learn a colour association and found that queens performed better than workers. In addition, queens of another species, B. insularis, a cuckoo species with a different lifecycle but similar requirements at this stage, performed equally well as the non-parasitic queens. To control for differences in foraging experience, I then repeated this comparison with laboratory-based B. impatiens and found that unmated queens performed better than workers. These results add to the body of work on how ecology shapes cognition and opens the door to further research in comparative cognition using wild bees.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Felicity Muth
- Departmnet of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, TX, USA
| |
Collapse
|
59
|
Barascou L, Brunet JL, Belzunces L, Decourtye A, Henry M, Fourrier J, Le Conte Y, Alaux C. Pesticide risk assessment in honeybees: Toward the use of behavioral and reproductive performances as assessment endpoints. CHEMOSPHERE 2021; 276:130134. [PMID: 33690036 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.130134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The growing gap between new evidence of pesticide toxicity in honeybees and conventional toxicological assays recommended by regulatory test guidelines emphasizes the need to complement current lethal endpoints with sublethal endpoints. In this context, behavioral and reproductive performances have received growing interest since the 2000s, likely due to their ecological relevance and/or the emergence of new technologies. We review the biological interests and methodological measurements of these predominantly studied endpoints and discuss their possible use in the pesticide risk assessment procedure based on their standardization level, simplicity and ecological relevance. It appears that homing flights and reproduction have great potential for pesticide risk assessment, mainly due to their ecological relevance. If exploratory research studies in ecotoxicology have paved the way toward a better understanding of pesticide toxicity in honeybees, the next objective will then be to translate the most relevant behavioral and reproductive endpoints into regulatory test methods. This will require more comparative studies and improving their ecological relevance. This latter goal may be facilitated by the use of population dynamics models for scaling up the consequences of adverse behavioral and reproductive effects from individuals to colonies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lena Barascou
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France; UMT PrADE, Avignon, France.
| | - Jean-Luc Brunet
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France; UMT PrADE, Avignon, France
| | - Luc Belzunces
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France; UMT PrADE, Avignon, France
| | - Axel Decourtye
- UMT PrADE, Avignon, France; ITSAP-Institut de L'abeille, Avignon, France
| | - Mickael Henry
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France; UMT PrADE, Avignon, France
| | - Julie Fourrier
- UMT PrADE, Avignon, France; ITSAP-Institut de L'abeille, Avignon, France
| | - Yves Le Conte
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France; UMT PrADE, Avignon, France
| | - Cedric Alaux
- INRAE, Abeilles et Environnement, Avignon, France; UMT PrADE, Avignon, France.
| |
Collapse
|
60
|
Hernández-Montero JR, Adam M, Kerth G. Are Echo-Reflective Cues Effective to Attract Bats to Newly Placed Artificial Roosts? ACTA CHIROPTEROLOGICA 2021. [DOI: 10.3161/15081109acc2021.23.1.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesús R. Hernández-Montero
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Applied Zoology and Nature Conservation, Greifswald University, Loitzer Straße 26, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Michelle Adam
- Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, Am Hubland, 97074 Würzburg, Germany
| | - Gerald Kerth
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Applied Zoology and Nature Conservation, Greifswald University, Loitzer Straße 26, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
61
|
Triki Z, Bshary R. Sex differences in the cognitive abilities of a sex-changing fish species Labroides dimidiatus. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210239. [PMID: 34295522 PMCID: PMC8278049 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Males and females of the same species are known to differ at least in some cognitive domains, but such differences are not systematic across species. As a consequence, it remains unclear whether reported differences generally reflect adaptive adjustments to diverging selective pressures, or whether differences are mere side products of physiological differences necessary for reproduction. Here, we show that sex differences in cognition occur even in a sex-changing species, a protogynous hermaphroditic species where all males have previously been females. We tested male and female cleaner fish Labroides dimidiatus in four cognitive tasks to evaluate their learning and inhibitory control abilities first in an abstract presentation of the tasks, then in more ecologically relevant contexts. The results showed that males were better learners than females in the two learning tasks (i.e. reversal learning as an abstract task and a food quantity assessment task as an ecologically relevant task). Conversely, females showed enhanced abilities compared with males in the abstract inhibitory control task (i.e. detour task); but both sexes performed equally in the ecologically relevant inhibitory control task (i.e. 'audience effect' task). Hence, sex-changing species may offer unique opportunities to study proximate and/or ultimate causes underlying sex differences in cognitive abilities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Zegni Triki
- Institute of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm 106 91, Sweden
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Redouan Bshary
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Emile-Argand 11, 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| |
Collapse
|
62
|
Reichert MS, Morand-Ferron J, Kulahci IG, Firth JA, Davidson GL, Crofts SJ, Quinn JL. Cognition and covariance in the producer-scrounger game. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:2497-2509. [PMID: 34091901 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13551] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The producer-scrounger game is a key element of foraging ecology in many systems. Producing and scrounging typically covary negatively, but partitioning this covariance into contributions of individual plasticity and consistent between individual differences is key to understanding population-level consequences of foraging strategies. Furthermore, little is known about the role cognition plays in the producer-scrounger game. We investigated the role of cognition in these alternative foraging tactics in wild mixed-species flocks of great tits and blue tits, using a production learning task in which we measured individuals' speed of learning to visit the single feeder in an array that would provide them with a food reward. We also quantified the proportion of individuals' feeds that were scrounges ('proportion scrounged'); scrounging was possible if individuals visited immediately after a previous rewarded visitor. Three learning experiments-initial and two reversal learning-enabled us to estimate the repeatability and covariance of each foraging behaviour. First, we examined whether individuals learned to improve their scrounging success (i.e. whether they obtained food by scrounging when there was an opportunity to do so). Second, we quantified the repeatability of proportion scrounged, and asked whether proportion scrounged affected production learning speed among individuals. Third, we used multivariate analyses to partition within- and among-individual components of covariance between proportion scrounged and production learning speed. Individuals improved their scrounging success over time. Birds with a greater proportion scrounged took longer to learn their own rewarding feeder. Although multivariate analyses showed that covariance between proportion scrounged and learning speed was driven primarily by within-individual variation, that is, by behavioural plasticity, among-individual differences also played a role for blue tits. This is the first demonstration of a cognitive trait influencing producing and scrounging in the same wild system, highlighting the importance of cognition in the use of alternative resource acquisition tactics. The results of our covariance analyses suggest the potential for genetic differences in allocation to alternative foraging tactics, which are likely species- and system-dependent. They also point to the need to control for different foraging tactics when studying individual cognition in the wild.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael S Reichert
- School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
| | | | - Ipek G Kulahci
- School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Josh A Firth
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Merton College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Gabrielle L Davidson
- School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Sam J Crofts
- Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - John L Quinn
- School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
63
|
Janmaat KRL, de Guinea M, Collet J, Byrne RW, Robira B, van Loon E, Jang H, Biro D, Ramos-Fernández G, Ross C, Presotto A, Allritz M, Alavi S, Van Belle S. Using natural travel paths to infer and compare primate cognition in the wild. iScience 2021; 24:102343. [PMID: 33997670 PMCID: PMC8101046 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Within comparative psychology, the evolution of animal cognition is typically studied either by comparing indirect measures of cognitive abilities (e.g., relative brain size) across many species or by conducting batteries of decision-making experiments among (typically) a few captive species. Here, we propose a third, complementary approach: inferring and comparing cognitive abilities through observational field records of natural information gradients and the associated variation in decision-making outcomes, using the ranging behavior of wild animals. To demonstrate the feasibility of our proposal, we present the results of a global survey assessing the availability of long-term ranging data sets from wild primates and the willingness of primatologists to share such data. We explore three ways in which such ranging data, with or without the associated behavioral and ecological data often collected by primatologists, might be used to infer and compare spatial cognition. Finally, we suggest how ecological complexity may be best incorporated into comparative analyses. Comparing animal ranging decisions in natural habitats has untapped potential How decisions vary with natural information gradients reveals wild animal cognition Ranging data on at least 164 populations of 105 wild primate species are available We present three thought analyses to compare cognition and explain its evolution
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Karline R L Janmaat
- Evolutionary and Population Biology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands.,Department of Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, Leiden University, Leiden, the Netherlands.,ARTIS Amsterdam Royal zoo, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Miguel de Guinea
- Department of Social Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK
| | - Julien Collet
- Oxford Navigation Group, Department of Zoology, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - Richard W Byrne
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrew, UK.,Scottish Primate Research Group, Scotland, UK
| | - Benjamin Robira
- Centre d'Écologie Fonctionnelle et Évolutive, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France.,Eco-anthropologie, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Emiel van Loon
- Theoretical and Computational Ecology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Haneul Jang
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Dora Biro
- Oxford Navigation Group, Department of Zoology, Oxford University, Oxford, UK.,Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, USA
| | - Gabriel Ramos-Fernández
- Department of Mathematical Modelling of Social Systems, Institute for Research on Applied Mathematics and Systems, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico.,Center for Complexity Sciences, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Cody Ross
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Andrea Presotto
- Department of Geography and Geosciences, Salisbury University, Salisbury, MA, USA
| | - Matthias Allritz
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK
| | - Shauhin Alavi
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, Konstanz, Germany.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.,Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Sarie Van Belle
- Department of Anthropology, University of Austin at Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| |
Collapse
|
64
|
Cooke AC, Davidson GL, van Oers K, Quinn JL. Motivation, accuracy and positive feedback through experience explain innovative problem solving and its repeatability. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.01.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
|
65
|
Muth F, Tripodi AD, Bonilla R, Strange JP, Leonard AS. No sex differences in learning in wild bumblebees. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Females and males often face different sources of selection, resulting in dimorphism in morphological, physiological, and even cognitive traits. Sex differences are often studied in respect to spatial cognition, yet the different ecological roles of males and females might shape cognition in multiple ways. For example, in dietary generalist bumblebees (Bombus), the ability to learn associations is critical to female workers, who face informationally rich foraging scenarios as they collect nectar and pollen from thousands of flowers over a period of weeks to months to feed the colony. While male bumblebees likely need to learn associations as well, they only forage for themselves while searching for potential mates. It is thus less clear whether foraging males would benefit from the same associative learning performance as foraging females. In this system, as in others, cognitive performance is typically studied in lab-reared animals under captive conditions, which may not be representative of patterns in the wild. In the first test of sex and species differences in cognition using wild bumblebees, we compared the performance of Bombus vancouverensis nearcticus (formerly bifarius) and Bombus vosnesenskii of both sexes on an associative learning task at Sierra Nevada (CA) field sites. Across both species, we found that males and females did not differ in their ability to learn, although males were slower to respond to the sucrose reward. These results offer the first evidence from natural populations that male bumblebees may be equally as able to learn associations as females, supporting findings from captive colonies of commercial bees. The observed interspecific variation in learning ability opens the door to using the Bombus system to test hypotheses about comparative cognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Felicity Muth
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, 2415 Speedway, Austin, TX, USA
| | | | - Rene Bonilla
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| | | | - Anne S Leonard
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV, USA
| |
Collapse
|
66
|
Johnson-Ulrich L, Yirga G, Strong RL, Holekamp KE. The effect of urbanization on innovation in spotted hyenas. Anim Cogn 2021; 24:1027-1038. [PMID: 33687598 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01494-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization represents a dramatic form of evolutionary novelty in the landscapes inhabited by many extant animals. The Cognitive Buffer Hypothesis suggests that innovation, the process by which animals solve novel problems or use novel behaviors, may be key for many animals when adapting to novel environments. If innovation is especially beneficial in urban environments, then we would expect urban animals to be more innovative than their non-urban counterparts. However, studies comparing innovative problem-solving between urban and rural habitats have produced mixed results. Here, we hypothesized that these findings result from comparing only two levels of urbanization when related research suggests that the stage of invasion of urban habitats likely has a strong effect on demand for innovation, with demand being highest during early establishment in a novel environment. To test this hypothesis, we assessed innovation in three locations where spotted hyenas experienced varying degrees of urbanization. Spotted hyenas are relatively innovative compared to other carnivores and, although many large carnivores in Africa are endangered, spotted hyenas remain abundant both inside and outside protected areas. We measured innovation with a multi-access puzzle box with four different doors through which hyenas could obtain a food reward. We predicted that hyenas in a transitional, rapidly urbanizing habitat would be more innovative, measured by the number of unique doors opened, than those in rural or fully urban habitats. Contrary to our predictions, hyenas in the rural habitat were the most innovative. These results challenge the idea that the evolutionary novelty associated with urbanization favors greater innovativeness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lily Johnson-Ulrich
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, 288 Farm Lane, Rm 203, Natural Sciences Bldg, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA. .,Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, & Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA. .,Mara Hyena Project, Michigan State University, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Talek, Kenya.
| | - Gidey Yirga
- Department of Biology, Mekelle University, P.O. Box 231, Mek'ele, Ethiopia.,Theoretical and Applied Biodiversity Research, Ruhr Universität Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Robyn L Strong
- Mara Hyena Project, Michigan State University, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Talek, Kenya
| | - Kay E Holekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, 288 Farm Lane, Rm 203, Natural Sciences Bldg, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA.,Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, & Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.,Mara Hyena Project, Michigan State University, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Talek, Kenya
| |
Collapse
|
67
|
Danner RM, Coomes CM, Derryberry EP. Simulated heat waves reduce cognitive and motor performance of an endotherm. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:2261-2272. [PMID: 33717453 PMCID: PMC7920763 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2020] [Revised: 12/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Heat waves cause mass mortality of animals, including humans, across the globe annually, which has drawn new attention to how animals cope with high air temperatures. Recent field research has explored behavioral responses to high air temperatures, which can influence reproductive success and mortality.Less well studied are the effects of high air temperatures on cognition, which may underlie behavioral changes. Specifically, it is poorly known if cognitive declines occur at high temperatures, and if cognitive and motor components of behavior are similarly affected.We tested how well zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata castanotis), a model for cognition research, performed two learned foraging tasks (color association and detour-reaching) at mild (22°C) and high (43 and 44°C) air temperatures that occur naturally in their range. We habituated birds to the trial conditions and temperatures on days preceding the test trials and at the trial temperature for 30 min immediately prior to each test trial. Trials lasted less than 10 min. At high air temperatures, zebra finches exhibited heat dissipation behaviors during most tasks, suggesting thermoregulatory challenge.Cognitive performance declined at high air temperatures in two of three measures: Color association was unaffected, but birds missed more food rewards, and did more unproductive behaviors. Motor performance declined at high temperatures on the color association task, including longer times to complete the task, move between food rewards, and process individual seeds. Performance declines varied among components of behavior and among individuals.We combined our behavioral data with existing climate data and predicted that in the austral summer of 2018-2019, zebra finches experienced air temperatures that caused cognitive and motor declines in our captive birds in 34% and 45% of their Australian range, respectively.This study provides novel experimental evidence that high air temperatures cause cognitive and motor performance decline in birds. Further, our results provide insights to how those declines might affect bird ecology and evolution. First, differences in declines among behavioral components may allow identification of behaviors that are most susceptible to decline in the wild. Second, variation in performance declines and heat dissipation behaviors among individuals suggests variability in heat tolerance, which could lead to differential fitness in the wild. Last, these results suggest that high air temperatures cause cognitive declines in the wild and that understanding cognition could help refine predictive models of population persistence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Raymond M. Danner
- Department of Biology and Marine BiologyUniversity of North Carolina WilmingtonWilmingtonNCUSA
| | - Casey M. Coomes
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyTulane UniversityNew OrleansLAUSA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTNUSA
| | - Elizabeth P. Derryberry
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyTulane UniversityNew OrleansLAUSA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTNUSA
| |
Collapse
|
68
|
Prosociality, social tolerance and partner choice facilitate mutually beneficial cooperation in common marmosets, Callithrix jacchus. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
|
69
|
Leveraging Social Learning to Enhance Captive Animal Care and Welfare. JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGICAL AND BOTANICAL GARDENS 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/jzbg2010003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
From ants to zebras, animals are influenced by the behavior of others. At the simplest level, social support can reduce neophobia, increasing animals’ exploration of novel spaces, foods, and other environmental stimuli. Animals can also learn new skills more quickly and more readily after observing others perform them. How then can we apply animals’ proclivity to socially learn to enhance their care and welfare in captive settings? Here, I review the ways in which animals (selectively) use social information, and propose tactics for leveraging that to refine the behavioral management of captive animals: to enhance socialization techniques, enrichment strategies, and training outcomes. It is also important to consider, however, that social learning does not always promote the uniform expression of new behaviors. There are differences in animals’ likelihood to seek out or use socially provided information, driven by characteristics such as species, rank, age, and personality. Additionally, social learning can result in inexact transmission or the transmission of undesirable behaviors. Thus, understanding when, how, and why animals use social information is key to developing effective strategies to improve how we care for animals across settings and, ultimately, enhance captive animal welfare.
Collapse
|
70
|
Individual behavioural traits not social context affects learning about novel objects in archerfish. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-02996-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Learning can enable rapid behavioural responses to changing conditions but can depend on the social context and behavioural phenotype of the individual. Learning rates have been linked to consistent individual differences in behavioural traits, especially in situations which require engaging with novelty, but the social environment can also play an important role. The presence of others can modulate the effects of individual behavioural traits and afford access to social information that can reduce the need for ‘risky’ asocial learning. Most studies of social effects on learning are focused on more social species; however, such factors can be important even for less-social animals, including non-grouping or facultatively social species which may still derive benefit from social conditions. Using archerfish, Toxotes chatareus, which exhibit high levels of intra-specific competition and do not show a strong preference for grouping, we explored the effect of social contexts on learning. Individually housed fish were assayed in an ‘open-field’ test and then trained to criterion in a task where fish learnt to shoot a novel cue for a food reward—with a conspecific neighbour visible either during training, outside of training or never (full, partial or no visible presence). Time to learn to shoot the novel cue differed across individuals but not across social context. This suggests that social context does not have a strong effect on learning in this non-obligatory social species; instead, it further highlights the importance that inter-individual variation in behavioural traits can have on learning.
Significance statement
Some individuals learn faster than others. Many factors can affect an animal’s learning rate—for example, its behavioural phenotype may make it more or less likely to engage with novel objects. The social environment can play a big role too—affecting learning directly and modifying the effects of an individual’s traits. Effects of social context on learning mostly come from highly social species, but recent research has focused on less-social animals. Archerfish display high intra-specific competition, and our study suggests that social context has no strong effect on their learning to shoot novel objects for rewards. Our results may have some relevance for social enrichment and welfare of this increasingly studied species, suggesting there are no negative effects of short- to medium-term isolation of this species—at least with regards to behavioural performance and learning tasks.
Collapse
|
71
|
Hinde K, Amorim CEG, Brokaw AF, Burt N, Casillas MC, Chen A, Chestnut T, Connors PK, Dasari M, Ditelberg CF, Dietrick J, Drew J, Durgavich L, Easterling B, Henning C, Hilborn A, Karlsson EK, Kissel M, Kobylecky J, Krell J, Lee DN, Lesciotto KM, Lewton KL, Light JE, Martin J, Murphy A, Nickley W, Núñez-de la Mora A, Pellicer O, Pellicer V, Perry AM, Schuttler SG, Stone AC, Tanis B, Weber J, Wilson M, Willcocks E, Anderson CN. March Mammal Madness and the power of narrative in science outreach. eLife 2021; 10:e65066. [PMID: 33616530 PMCID: PMC7899649 DOI: 10.7554/elife.65066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
March Mammal Madness is a science outreach project that, over the course of several weeks in March, reaches hundreds of thousands of people in the United States every year. We combine four approaches to science outreach - gamification, social media platforms, community event(s), and creative products - to run a simulated tournament in which 64 animals compete to become the tournament champion. While the encounters between the animals are hypothetical, the outcomes rely on empirical evidence from the scientific literature. Players select their favored combatants beforehand, and during the tournament scientists translate the academic literature into gripping "play-by-play" narration on social media. To date ~1100 scholarly works, covering almost 400 taxa, have been transformed into science stories. March Mammal Madness is most typically used by high-school educators teaching life sciences, and we estimate that our materials reached ~1% of high-school students in the United States in 2019. Here we document the intentional design, public engagement, and magnitude of reach of the project. We further explain how human psychological and cognitive adaptations for shared experiences, social learning, narrative, and imagery contribute to the widespread use of March Mammal Madness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katie Hinde
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, the Center for Evolution and Medicine, and the School of Sustainability, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
| | - Carlos Eduardo G Amorim
- Department of Biology, California State University NorthridgeNorthridgeUnited States
- Department of Computational Biology, University of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Alyson F Brokaw
- Interdisciplinary Program in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Biology, Texas A&M UniversityCollege StationUnited States
| | - Nicole Burt
- Department of Human Health and Evolutionary Medicine, Cleveland Museum of Natural HistoryClevelandUnited States
| | | | - Albert Chen
- Milner Centre for Evolution, University of BathBathUnited Kingdom
- Department of Earth Sciences, University of CambridgeCambridgeUnited Kingdom
| | - Tara Chestnut
- National Park ServiceMount Rainier National ParkUnited States
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State UniversityCorvallisUnited States
| | - Patrice K Connors
- Department of Biological Sciences, Colorado Mesa UniversityGrand JunctionUnited States
| | - Mauna Dasari
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre DameNotre DameUnited States
| | | | | | - Josh Drew
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia UniversityNew YorkUnited States
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, American Museum of Natural HistorySyracuseUnited States
- Department of Environmental and Forest Biology, SUNY College of Environmental Science and ForestrySyracuseUnited States
| | - Lara Durgavich
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Anthropology, Boston UniversityBostonUnited States
- Department of Anthropology, Tufts UniversityMedfordUnited States
| | | | | | - Anne Hilborn
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, University of California RiversideRiversideUnited States
| | - Elinor K Karlsson
- Program in Bioinformatics and Integrative Biology, University of Massachusetts Medical SchoolWorcesterUnited States
- Broad Institute of MIT and HarvardCambridgeUnited States
| | - Marc Kissel
- Department of Anthropology, Appalachian State UniversityBooneUnited States
- Department of Anthropology, University of Notre DameNotre DameUnited States
| | | | - Jason Krell
- Center for Science and Imagination, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Danielle N Lee
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University EdwardsvilleEdwardsvilleUnited States
| | - Kate M Lesciotto
- Department of Clinical Anatomy, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Sam Houston State UniversityHuntsvilleUnited States
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State UniversityState CollegeUnited States
| | - Kristi L Lewton
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard UniversityCambridgeUnited States
- Department of Integrative Anatomical Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern CaliforniaLos AngelesUnited States
- Department of Mammalogy, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles CountyLos AngelesUnited States
- Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University School of MedicineBostonUnited States
| | - Jessica E Light
- Department of Ecology and Conservation Biology, the Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections, and the Interdisciplinary Program in Ecology and Evolution, Texas A&M UniversityCollege StationUnited States
| | - Jessica Martin
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Asia Murphy
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Huck Institutes of the Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State UniversityUniversity ParkUnited States
| | - William Nickley
- Department of Design, The Ohio State UniversityColumbusUnited States
| | | | | | | | - Anali Maughan Perry
- Engagement & Learning Services, ASU Library, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | | | - Anne C Stone
- Human Evolution and Social Change, the Center for Evolution, and Medicine, and the Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Brian Tanis
- Department of Biology, Oregon State University-CascadesBendUnited States
| | - Jesse Weber
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Wisconsin-MadisonMadisonUnited States
| | - Melissa Wilson
- School of Life Sciences and the Center for Evolution and Medicine, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Emma Willcocks
- Department of Biology, Brown UniversityProvidenceUnited States
| | | |
Collapse
|
72
|
Seitz BM, McCune K, MacPherson M, Bergeron L, Blaisdell AP, Logan CJ. Using touchscreen equipped operant chambers to study animal cognition. Benefits, limitations, and advice. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0246446. [PMID: 33606723 PMCID: PMC7894864 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0246446] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Operant chambers are small enclosures used to test animal behavior and cognition. While traditionally reliant on simple technologies for presenting stimuli (e.g., lights and sounds) and recording responses made to basic manipulanda (e.g., levers and buttons), an increasing number of researchers are beginning to use Touchscreen-equipped Operant Chambers (TOCs). These TOCs have obvious advantages, namely by allowing researchers to present a near infinite number of visual stimuli as well as increased flexibility in the types of responses that can be made and recorded. We trained wild-caught adult and juvenile great-tailed grackles (Quiscalus mexicanus) to complete experiments using a TOC. We learned much from these efforts, and outline the advantages and disadvantages of our protocols. Our training data are summarized to quantify the variables that might influence participation and success, and we discuss important modifications to facilitate animal engagement and participation in various tasks. Finally, we provide a “training guide” for creating experiments using PsychoPy, a free and open-source software that was incredibly useful during these endeavors. This article, therefore, should serve as a resource to those interested in switching to or maintaining a TOC, or who similarly wish to use a TOC to test the cognitive abilities of non-model species or wild-caught individuals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin M. Seitz
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (BMS); (CJL)
| | - Kelsey McCune
- University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Maggie MacPherson
- University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Luisa Bergeron
- University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California, United States of America
| | - Aaron P. Blaisdell
- University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, United States of America
| | - Corina J. Logan
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- * E-mail: (BMS); (CJL)
| |
Collapse
|
73
|
Osbrink A, Meatte MA, Tran A, Herranen KK, Meek L, Murakami-Smith M, Ito J, Bhadra S, Nunnenkamp C, Templeton CN. Traffic noise inhibits cognitive performance in a songbird. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20202851. [PMID: 33529564 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2851] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Noise pollution is commonly associated with human environments and mounting evidence indicates that noise has a variety of negative effects on wildlife. Noise has also been linked to cognitive impairment in humans and because many animals use cognitively intensive processes to overcome environmental challenges, noise pollution has the potential to interfere with cognitive function in animals living in urban areas or near roads. We experimentally examined how road traffic noise impacts avian cognitive performance by testing adult zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) on a battery of foraging tasks in the presence or absence of traffic noise playback. Here, we show that traffic noise reduces cognitive performance, including inhibitory control, motor learning, spatial memory and social learning, but not associative colour learning. This study demonstrates a novel mechanism through which anthropogenic noise can impact animals, namely through cognitive interference, and suggests that noise pollution may have previously unconsidered consequences for animals.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alison Osbrink
- Department of Biology, Pacific University, 2043 College Way, Forest Grove, OR 97116, USA
| | - Megan A Meatte
- Department of Biology, Pacific University, 2043 College Way, Forest Grove, OR 97116, USA
| | - Alan Tran
- Department of Biology, Pacific University, 2043 College Way, Forest Grove, OR 97116, USA
| | - Katri K Herranen
- Department of Biology, Pacific University, 2043 College Way, Forest Grove, OR 97116, USA
| | - Lilliann Meek
- Department of Biology, Pacific University, 2043 College Way, Forest Grove, OR 97116, USA
| | - May Murakami-Smith
- Department of Biology, Pacific University, 2043 College Way, Forest Grove, OR 97116, USA
| | - Jacelyn Ito
- Department of Biology, Pacific University, 2043 College Way, Forest Grove, OR 97116, USA
| | - Some Bhadra
- Department of Biology, Pacific University, 2043 College Way, Forest Grove, OR 97116, USA
| | - Carrie Nunnenkamp
- Department of Biology, Pacific University, 2043 College Way, Forest Grove, OR 97116, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
74
|
Harvey DP, Black JM. Problem-solving performance in wild Steller’s jays using a string-pulling task. BEHAVIOUR 2021. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-bja10057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Animals that exploit resources from human-modified environments may encounter unique problems when searching for food. Pulling a string tied to a food reward (string-pulling task) is one of the most widespread methods of testing a species’ problem-solving performance in non-human animals. Performance in problem-solving tasks may be influenced by an individual’s characteristics and social interactions, especially in its natural habitat. We examined problem solving by free-ranging Steller’s jays (Cyanocitta stelleri) when extracting food from a string-pulling task presented in their natural habitat. During the study, seven of 50 jays successfully solved the task on their first to eighteenth experimental opportunity; solvers differed from nonsolvers by showing higher levels of persistence by pulling the string in more trials. Of the successful jays, five birds solved without observing others, while two birds were present during successful trials and subsequently completed the task. All seven jays demonstrated improvement in the task by using less string pulls over additional successful trials. Nineteen other jays in the population interacted with the apparatus and pulled the string, but not enough to acquire the food. These 19 jays were significantly bolder (shorter latencies to approach), more explorative (contacted more parts of the apparatus), and had observed solvers more than the 24 individuals that did not pull the string. These results indicate a broad spectrum of individual differences in propensity for solving novel tasks in our population of Steller’s jays.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Derek P. Harvey
- Department of Wildlife, Humboldt State University, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521, USA
| | - Jeffrey M. Black
- Department of Wildlife, Humboldt State University, 1 Harpst Street, Arcata, CA 95521, USA
| |
Collapse
|
75
|
Rasolofoniaina B, Kappeler PM, Fichtel C. Wild narrow‐striped mongooses use social information to enhance behavioural flexibility. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bako Rasolofoniaina
- Dept. Sociobiology/Anthropology Johann‐Friedrich‐Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany
| | - Peter M. Kappeler
- Dept. Sociobiology/Anthropology Johann‐Friedrich‐Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology University of Göttingen Göttingen Germany
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit German Primate Center Leibniz Institute for Primate Research Göttingen Germany
| | - Claudia Fichtel
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit German Primate Center Leibniz Institute for Primate Research Göttingen Germany
| |
Collapse
|
76
|
Buatois A, Gerlai R. Elemental and Configural Associative Learning in Spatial Tasks: Could Zebrafish be Used to Advance Our Knowledge? Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 14:570704. [PMID: 33390911 PMCID: PMC7773606 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2020.570704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spatial learning and memory have been studied for several decades. Analyses of these processes pose fundamental scientific questions but are also relevant from a biomedical perspective. The cellular, synaptic and molecular mechanisms underlying spatial learning have been intensively investigated, yet the behavioral mechanisms/strategies in a spatial task still pose unanswered questions. Spatial learning relies upon configural information about cues in the environment. However, each of these cues can also independently form part of an elemental association with the specific spatial position, and thus spatial tasks may be solved using elemental (single CS and US association) learning. Here, we first briefly review what we know about configural learning from studies with rodents. Subsequently, we discuss the pros and cons of employing a relatively novel laboratory organism, the zebrafish in such studies, providing some examples of methods with which both elemental and configural learning may be explored with this species. Last, we speculate about future research directions focusing on how zebrafish may advance our knowledge. We argue that zebrafish strikes a reasonable compromise between system complexity and practical simplicity and that adding this species to the studies with laboratory rodents will allow us to gain a better understanding of both the evolution of and the mechanisms underlying spatial learning. We conclude that zebrafish research will enhance the translational relevance of our findings.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Buatois
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, Mississauga, ON, Canada
- Department of Cell and Systems Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
77
|
Linking ecology and cognition: does ecological specialisation predict cognitive test performance? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02923-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
AbstractVariation in cognitive abilities is thought to be linked to variation in brain size, which varies across species with either social factors (Social Intelligence Hypothesis) or ecological challenges (Ecological Intelligence Hypothesis). However, the nature of the ecological processes invoked by the Ecological Intelligence Hypothesis, like adaptations to certain habitat characteristics or dietary requirements, remains relatively poorly known. Here, we review comparative studies that experimentally investigated interspecific variation in cognitive performance in relation to a species’ degree of ecological specialisation. Overall, the relevant literature was biased towards studies of mammals and birds as well as studies focusing on ecological challenges related to diet. We separated ecological challenges into those related to searching for food, accessing a food item and memorising food locations. We found interspecific variation in cognitive performance that can be explained by adaptations to different foraging styles. Species-specific adaptations to certain ecological conditions, like food patch distribution, characteristics of food items or seasonality also broadly predicted variation in cognitive abilities. A species’ innovative problem-solving and spatial processing ability, for example, could be explained by its use of specific foraging techniques or search strategies, respectively. Further, habitat generalists were more likely to outperform habitat specialists. Hence, we found evidence that ecological adaptations and cognitive performance are linked and that the classification concept of ecological specialisation can explain variation in cognitive performance only with regard to habitat, but not dietary specialisation.
Collapse
|
78
|
Davidson GL, Wiley N, Cooke AC, Johnson CN, Fouhy F, Reichert MS, de la Hera I, Crane JMS, Kulahci IG, Ross RP, Stanton C, Quinn JL. Diet induces parallel changes to the gut microbiota and problem solving performance in a wild bird. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20783. [PMID: 33247162 PMCID: PMC7699645 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77256-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 10/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The microbial community in the gut is influenced by environmental factors, especially diet, which can moderate host behaviour through the microbiome-gut-brain axis. However, the ecological relevance of microbiome-mediated behavioural plasticity in wild animals is unknown. We presented wild-caught great tits (Parus major) with a problem-solving task and showed that performance was weakly associated with variation in the gut microbiome. We then manipulated the gut microbiome by feeding birds one of two diets that differed in their relative levels of fat, protein and fibre content: an insect diet (low content), or a seed diet (high content). Microbial communities were less diverse among individuals given the insect compared to those on the seed diet. Individuals were less likely to problem-solve after being given the insect diet, and the same microbiota metrics that were altered as a consequence of diet were also those that correlated with variation in problem solving performance. Although the effect on problem-solving behaviour could have been caused by motivational or nutritional differences between our treatments, our results nevertheless raise the possibility that dietary induced changes in the gut microbiota could be an important mechanism underlying individual behavioural plasticity in wild populations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Gabrielle L Davidson
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland.
- Department of Psychology, Downing Street, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.
| | - Niamh Wiley
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Ireland
| | - Amy C Cooke
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
| | - Crystal N Johnson
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Ireland
| | - Fiona Fouhy
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Ireland
| | - Michael S Reichert
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, USA
| | - Iván de la Hera
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, USA
| | - Jodie M S Crane
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
- Kākāpō Recovery Programme, Department of Conservation, 7th Floor, 33 Don Street, Invercargill, 9810, New Zealand
| | - Ipek G Kulahci
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, 100 Galvin Life Science Center, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - R Paul Ross
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Ireland
| | - Catherine Stanton
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Ireland
| | - John L Quinn
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Distillery Fields, North Mall, Cork, Ireland.
- Environmental Research Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.
| |
Collapse
|
79
|
Stanton LA, Bridge ES, Huizinga J, Johnson SR, Young JK, Benson-Amram S. Variation in reversal learning by three generalist mesocarnivores. Anim Cogn 2020; 24:555-568. [PMID: 33231749 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-020-01438-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2020] [Revised: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization imposes novel challenges for wildlife, but also provides new opportunities for exploitation. Generalist species are commonly found in urban habitats, but the cognitive mechanisms facilitating their successful behavioral adaptations and exploitations are largely under-investigated. Cognitive flexibility is thought to enable generalists to be more plastic in their behavior, thereby increasing their adaptability to a variety of environments, including urban habitats. Yet direct measures of cognitive flexibility across urban wildlife are lacking. We used a classic reversal-learning paradigm to investigate the cognitive flexibility of three generalist mesocarnivores commonly found in urban habitats: striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis), raccoons (Procyon lotor), and coyotes (Canis latrans). We developed an automated device and testing protocol that allowed us to administer tests of reversal learning in captivity without extensive training or experimenter involvement. Although most subjects were able to rapidly form and reverse learned associations, we found moderate variation in performance and behavior during trials. Most notably, we observed heightened neophobia and a lack of habituation expressed by coyotes. We discuss the implications of such differences among generalists with regard to urban adaptation and we identify goals for future research. This study is an important step in investigating the relationships between cognition, generalism, and urban adaptation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A Stanton
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.
- Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA.
| | - Eli S Bridge
- Oklahoma Biological Survey, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA
| | | | - Shylo R Johnson
- USDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Julie K Young
- USDA/APHIS/WS National Wildlife Research Center - Predator Research Facility, Millville, UT, USA
| | - Sarah Benson-Amram
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
- Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| |
Collapse
|
80
|
Toledo S, Shohami D, Schiffner I, Lourie E, Orchan Y, Bartan Y, Nathan R. Cognitive map-based navigation in wild bats revealed by a new high-throughput tracking system. Science 2020; 369:188-193. [PMID: 32647000 DOI: 10.1126/science.aax6904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2019] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Seven decades of research on the "cognitive map," the allocentric representation of space, have yielded key neurobiological insights, yet field evidence from free-ranging wild animals is still lacking. Using a system capable of tracking dozens of animals simultaneously at high accuracy and resolution, we assembled a large dataset of 172 foraging Egyptian fruit bats comprising >18 million localizations collected over 3449 bat-nights across 4 years. Detailed track analysis, combined with translocation experiments and exhaustive mapping of fruit trees, revealed that wild bats seldom exhibit random search but instead repeatedly forage in goal-directed, long, and straight flights that include frequent shortcuts. Alternative, non-map-based strategies were ruled out by simulations, time-lag embedding, and other trajectory analyses. Our results are consistent with expectations from cognitive map-like navigation and support previous neurobiological evidence from captive bats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sivan Toledo
- Blavatnik School of Computer Science, Tel-Aviv University, Israel.
| | - David Shohami
- Movement Ecology Lab, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
| | - Ingo Schiffner
- Movement Ecology Lab, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Emmanuel Lourie
- Movement Ecology Lab, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yotam Orchan
- Movement Ecology Lab, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Yoav Bartan
- Movement Ecology Lab, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel
| | - Ran Nathan
- Movement Ecology Lab, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel.
| |
Collapse
|
81
|
Malanchini M, Rimfeld K, Shakeshaft NG, McMillan A, Schofield KL, Rodic M, Rossi V, Kovas Y, Dale PS, Tucker-Drob EM, Plomin R. Evidence for a unitary structure of spatial cognition beyond general intelligence. NPJ SCIENCE OF LEARNING 2020; 5:9. [PMID: 32655883 PMCID: PMC7331750 DOI: 10.1038/s41539-020-0067-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2019] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Performance in everyday spatial orientation tasks (e.g., map reading and navigation) has been considered functionally separate from performance on more abstract object-based spatial abilities (e.g., mental rotation and visualization). However, few studies have examined the link between spatial orientation and object-based spatial skills, and even fewer have done so including a wide range of spatial tests. To examine this issue and more generally to test the structure of spatial ability, we used a novel gamified battery to assess six tests of spatial orientation in a virtual environment and examined their association with ten object-based spatial tests, as well as their links to general cognitive ability (g). We further estimated the role of genetic and environmental factors in underlying variation and covariation in these spatial tests. Participants (N = 2660; aged 19-22) were part of the Twins Early Development Study. The six tests of spatial orientation clustered into a single 'Navigation' factor that was 64% heritable. Examining the structure of spatial ability across all 16 tests, three, substantially correlated, factors emerged: Navigation, Object Manipulation, and Visualization. These, in turn, loaded strongly onto a general factor of Spatial Ability, which was highly heritable (84%). A large portion (45%) of this high heritability was independent of g. The results point towards the existence of a common genetic network that supports all spatial abilities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Margherita Malanchini
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, Queen Mary university of London, London, UK
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
- Population Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA
| | - Kaili Rimfeld
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Nicholas G. Shakeshaft
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Andrew McMillan
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Kerry L. Schofield
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| | - Maja Rodic
- InLab, Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths University of London, London, UK
| | | | - Yulia Kovas
- InLab, Department of Psychology, Goldsmiths University of London, London, UK
- Laboratory for Cognitive Investigations and Behavioural Genetics, Tomsk, Russia
| | - Philip S. Dale
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, USA
| | - Elliot M. Tucker-Drob
- Population Research Center, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA
- Department of Psychology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA
| | - Robert Plomin
- Social, Genetic and Developmental Psychiatry Centre, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King’s College London, London, UK
| |
Collapse
|
82
|
Chen J, Zou Y, Sun YH, ten Cate C. On problem solving and the evolution of cognitive abilities by mate choice: a reply to Camacho-Alpízar et al. (2020). Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
|
83
|
Gentry KE, Lewis RN, Glanz H, Simões PI, Nyári ÁS, Reichert MS. Bioacoustics in cognitive research: Applications, considerations, and recommendations. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2020; 11:e1538. [PMID: 32548958 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1538] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2019] [Revised: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The multifaceted ability to produce, transmit, receive, and respond to acoustic signals is widespread in animals and forms the basis of the interdisciplinary science of bioacoustics. Bioacoustics research methods, including sound recording and playback experiments, are applicable in cognitive research that centers around the processing of information from the acoustic environment. We provide an overview of bioacoustics techniques in the context of cognitive studies and make the case for the importance of bioacoustics in the study of cognition by outlining some of the major cognitive processes in which acoustic signals are involved. We also describe key considerations associated with the recording of sound and its use in cognitive applications. Based on these considerations, we provide a set of recommendations for best practices in the recording and use of acoustic signals in cognitive studies. Our aim is to demonstrate that acoustic recordings and stimuli are valuable tools for cognitive researchers when used appropriately. In doing so, we hope to stimulate opportunities for innovative cognitive research that incorporates robust recording protocols. This article is categorized under: Neuroscience > Cognition Psychology > Theory and Methods Neuroscience > Behavior Neuroscience > Cognition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katherine E Gentry
- Division of Habitat and Species Conservation, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Tallahassee, Florida, USA
| | - Rebecca N Lewis
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, The University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.,Chester Zoo, Chester, UK
| | - Hunter Glanz
- Statistics Department, California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, California, USA
| | - Pedro I Simões
- Departmento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil
| | - Árpád S Nyári
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
| | - Michael S Reichert
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA
| |
Collapse
|
84
|
Jiao J, Riotte-Lambert L, Pilyugin SS, Gil MA, Osenberg CW. Mobility and its sensitivity to fitness differences determine consumer-resource distributions. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:200247. [PMID: 32742692 PMCID: PMC7353973 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.200247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
An animal's movement rate (mobility) and its ability to perceive fitness gradients (fitness sensitivity) determine how well it can exploit resources. Previous models have examined mobility and fitness sensitivity separately and found that mobility, modelled as random movement, prevents animals from staying in high-quality patches, leading to a departure from an ideal free distribution (IFD). However, empirical work shows that animals with higher mobility can more effectively collect environmental information and better sense patch quality, especially when the environment is frequently changed by human activities. Here, we model, for the first time, this positive correlation between mobility and fitness sensitivity and measure its consequences for the populations of a consumer and its resource. In the absence of consumer demography, mobility alone had no effect on system equilibria, but a positive correlation between mobility and fitness sensitivity could produce an IFD. In the presence of consumer demography, lower levels of mobility prevented the system from approaching an IFD due to the mixing of consumers between patches. However, when positively correlated with fitness sensitivity, high mobility led to an IFD. Our study demonstrates that the expected covariation of animal movement attributes can drive broadly theorized consumer-resource patterns across space and time and could underlie the role of consumers in driving spatial heterogeneity in resource abundance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jing Jiao
- NIMBioS, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Louise Riotte-Lambert
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | | | - Michael A. Gil
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California, NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
85
|
Cauchoix M, Chaine AS, Barragan-Jason G. Cognition in Context: Plasticity in Cognitive Performance in Response to Ongoing Environmental Variables. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
|
86
|
Ducatez S, Lefebvre L, Sayol F, Audet JN, Sol D. Host Cognition and Parasitism in Birds: A Review of the Main Mechanisms. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
|
87
|
Hernández‐Montero JR, Schöner CR, Kerth G. No evidence for memory retention of a learned association between a cue and roost quality after hibernation in free‐ranging bats. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesús R. Hernández‐Montero
- Zoological Institute and MuseumApplied Zoology and Nature ConservationUniversity of Greifswald Greifswald Germany
| | - Caroline R. Schöner
- Zoological Institute and MuseumApplied Zoology and Nature ConservationUniversity of Greifswald Greifswald Germany
| | - Gerald Kerth
- Zoological Institute and MuseumApplied Zoology and Nature ConservationUniversity of Greifswald Greifswald Germany
| |
Collapse
|
88
|
Martina C, Cowlishaw G, Carter AJ. Exploring individual variation in associative learning abilities through an operant conditioning task in wild baboons. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0230810. [PMID: 32251443 PMCID: PMC7135308 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0230810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 03/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive abilities underpin many of the behavioural decisions of animals. However, we still have very little understanding of how and why cognitive abilities vary between individuals of the same species in wild populations. In this study, we assessed the associative learning abilities of wild chacma baboons (Papio ursinus) across two troops in Namibia with a simple operant conditioning task. We evaluated the ability of individuals to correctly associate a particular colour of corn kernels with a distasteful flavour through repeated presentations of two small piles of corn dyed different colours, one of which had been treated with a non-toxic bitter substance. We also assessed whether individual variation in learning ability was associated with particular phenotypic traits (sex, social rank and neophilia) and states (age and prior vigilance). We found no evidence of learning the association either within each trial or across trials, nor any variation based on individuals' phenotypes. This appeared to be due to a high tolerance for bitter foods leading to similar acceptance of both palatable and unpalatable kernels. Earlier avoidance of the bitter kernels during pilot trials suggests this higher tolerance may have been largely driven by a drought during the experiments. Overall, our findings highlight the potential influence of current environmental challenges associated with conducting cognitive tests of animals in the wild.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Martina
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, England, United Kingdom
- The Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, England, United Kingdom
| | - Guy Cowlishaw
- The Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, England, United Kingdom
| | - Alecia J. Carter
- Department of Anthropology, University College London, London, England, United Kingdom
- The Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, England, United Kingdom
- ISEM, Université de Montpellier, Montpellier, France
| |
Collapse
|
89
|
Hernández-Montero JR, Reusch C, Simon R, Schöner CR, Kerth G. Free-ranging bats combine three different cognitive processes for roost localization. Oecologia 2020; 192:979-988. [PMID: 32236689 PMCID: PMC7165157 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04634-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2019] [Accepted: 03/12/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Animals have evolved different cognitive processes to localize crucial resources that are difficult to find. Relevant cognitive processes such as associative learning and spatial memory have commonly been studied in a foraging related context under controlled laboratory conditions. However, in natural environments, animals can use multiple cognitive processes to localize resources. In this field study, we used a pairwise choice experiment and automatic roost monitoring to assess how individually marked, free-ranging Bechstein’s bats belonging to two different colonies use associative learning, spatial memory and social information when localizing suitable day roosts. To our knowledge, this study tests for the first time how associative learning, spatial memory and social information are used in the process of roost localization in bats under the natural conditions. We show that, when searching for new roosts, bats used associative learning to discriminate between suitable and unsuitable roosts. For re-localizing previously occupied roosts, bats used spatial memory rather than associative learning. Moreover, bats significantly improved the localization of suitable unfamiliar roosts and tended to increase their accuracy to re-localize previously occupied day roosts using social information. Our field experiments suggest that Bechstein’s bats make hierarchical use of different cognitive processes when localizing day roosts. More generally, our study underlines that evaluating different cues under natural conditions is fundamental to understanding how natural selection has shaped the cognitive processes used for localizing resources.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jesús R Hernández-Montero
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Applied Zoology and Nature Conservation, Greifswald University, Loitzerstraße 26, 17489, Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Christine Reusch
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Applied Zoology and Nature Conservation, Greifswald University, Loitzerstraße 26, 17489, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Ralph Simon
- Department of Ecological Science/Animal Ecology, Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Caroline Regina Schöner
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Applied Zoology and Nature Conservation, Greifswald University, Loitzerstraße 26, 17489, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Gerald Kerth
- Zoological Institute and Museum, Applied Zoology and Nature Conservation, Greifswald University, Loitzerstraße 26, 17489, Greifswald, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
90
|
Reichert MS, Crofts SJ, Davidson GL, Firth JA, Kulahci IG, Quinn JL. Multiple factors affect discrimination learning performance, but not between-individual variation, in wild mixed-species flocks of birds. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2020; 7:192107. [PMID: 32431886 PMCID: PMC7211855 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.192107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Accepted: 03/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Cognition arguably drives most behaviours in animals, but whether and why individuals in the wild vary consistently in their cognitive performance is scarcely known, especially under mixed-species scenarios. One reason for this is that quantifying the relative importance of individual, contextual, ecological and social factors remains a major challenge. We examined how many of these factors, and sources of bias, affected participation and performance, in an initial discrimination learning experiment and two reversal learning experiments during self-administered trials in a population of great tits and blue tits. Individuals were randomly allocated to different rewarding feeders within an array. Participation was high and only weakly affected by age and species. In the initial learning experiment, great tits learned faster than blue tits. Great tits also showed greater consistency in performance across two reversal learning experiments. Individuals assigned to the feeders on the edge of the array learned faster. More errors were made on feeders neighbouring the rewarded feeder and on feeders that had been rewarded in the previous experiment. Our estimates of learning consistency were unaffected by multiple factors, suggesting that, even though there was some influence of these factors on performance, we obtained a robust measure of discrimination learning in the wild.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michael S. Reichert
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, USA
- School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Sam J. Crofts
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Gabrielle L. Davidson
- School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Josh A. Firth
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Merton College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ipek G. Kulahci
- School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - John L. Quinn
- School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| |
Collapse
|
91
|
Wat KK, Banks PB, McArthur C. Linking animal personality to problem-solving performance in urban common brushtail possums. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
|
92
|
Benedict LM, Pitera AM, Branch CL, Kozlovsky DY, Sonnenberg BR, Bridge ES, Pravosudov VV. Elevation-related differences in annual survival of adult food-caching mountain chickadees are consistent with natural selection on spatial cognition. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-2817-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
93
|
Abayarathna T, Webb JK. Effects of incubation temperatures on learning abilities of hatchling velvet geckos. Anim Cogn 2020; 23:613-620. [DOI: 10.1007/s10071-020-01365-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Revised: 02/12/2020] [Accepted: 02/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
94
|
Bega D, Samocha Y, Yitzhak N, Saar M, Subach A, Scharf I. Non-spatial information on the presence of food elevates search intensity in ant workers, leading to faster maze solving in a process parallel to spatial learning. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0229709. [PMID: 32109253 PMCID: PMC7048290 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0229709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Experience can lead to faster exploitation of food patches through spatial learning or other parallel processes. Past studies have indicated that hungry animals either search more intensively for food or learn better how to detect it. However, fewer studies have examined the contribution of non-spatial information on the presence of food nearby to maze solving, as a parallel process to spatial learning. We exposed Cataglyphis niger ant workers to a food reward and then let them search for food in a maze. The information that food existed nearby, even without spatial information, led to faster maze solving compared to a control group that was not exposed to the food prior to the experiment. Faster solving is probably achieved by a higher number of workers entering the maze, following the information that food is present nearby. In a second experiment, we allowed the ants to make successive searches in the maze, followed by removing them after they had returned to the nest and interacted with their naïve nestmates. This procedure led to a maze-solving time in-between that displayed when removing the workers immediately after they had reached the food and preventing their return to the colony, and that of no removal. The workers that interacted upon returning to the nest might have transferred to naïve workers information, unrelated to spatial learning, that food existed nearby, and driven them to commence searching. Spatial learning, or an increase in the correct movements leading to the food reward relative to those leading to dead-ends, was only evident when the same workers were allowed to search again in the same maze. However, both non-spatial information on the presence of food that elevated search intensity and spatial learning led to faster maze solving.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Darar Bega
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Yehonatan Samocha
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Nitzan Yitzhak
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Maya Saar
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Aziz Subach
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Inon Scharf
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| |
Collapse
|
95
|
Cognitive Ecology in Humans: The Role of Intelligence in Reproductive Ecology. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-019-00228-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
|
96
|
Spatial learning in captive and wild-born lizards: heritability and environmental effects. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-2805-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
|
97
|
Soha JA, Peters S, Anderson RC, Searcy WA, Nowicki S. Performance on tests of cognitive ability is not repeatable across years in a songbird. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.09.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
|
98
|
Massen JJ, Behrens F, Martin JS, Stocker M, Brosnan SF. A comparative approach to affect and cooperation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2019; 107:370-387. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2019.09.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Revised: 09/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
|
99
|
Johnson-Ulrich L, Benson-Amram S, Holekamp KE. Fitness Consequences of Innovation in Spotted Hyenas. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00443] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
|
100
|
|