1
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Healy SD. Adding the neuro to cognition: from food storing to nest building. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:249-260. [PMID: 36482117 PMCID: PMC9876861 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01725-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/24/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Typically, investigations of animal cognition couple careful experimental manipulations with examination of the animal's behavioural responses. Sometimes those questions have included attempts to describe the neural underpinnings of the behavioural outputs. Over the past 25 years, behaviours that involve spatial learning and memory (such as navigation and food storing) has been one context in which such dual or correlated investigations have been both accessible and productive. Here I review some of that work and where it has led. Because of the wealth of data and insights gained from that work and song learning before it, it seems that it might also be useful to try to add some neurobiology to other systems in animal cognition. I finish then, with a description of recent work on the cognition and neurobiology of avian nest building. It is still relatively early days but asking questions about the cognition of nest building has already shown both neural correlates of nest building and that learning and memory play a much greater role in this behaviour than previously considered. While it is not yet clear how putting these components together will be synergistic, the examples of song learning and food storing provide encouragement. Perhaps this might be true for other behaviours too?
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan D Healy
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9TH, UK.
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2
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The impact of environmental factors on the evolution of brain size in carnivorans. Commun Biol 2022; 5:998. [PMID: 36130990 PMCID: PMC9492690 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-022-03748-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
The reasons why some animals have developed larger brains has long been a subject of debate. Yet, it remains unclear which selective pressures may favour the encephalization and how it may act during evolution at different taxonomic scales. Here we studied the patterns and tempo of brain evolution within the order Carnivora and present large-scale comparative analysis of the effect of ecological, environmental, social, and physiological variables on relative brain size in a sample of 174 extant carnivoran species. We found a complex pattern of brain size change between carnivoran families with differences in both the rate and diversity of encephalization. Our findings suggest that during carnivorans’ evolution, a trade-off have occurred between the cognitive advantages of acquiring a relatively large brain allowing to adapt to specific environments, and the metabolic costs of the brain which may constitute a disadvantage when facing the need to colonize new environments. The brain size of carnivores has evolved to balance a trade-off between increased cognitive function and increased metabolic cost.
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3
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Abstract
The reasons why some animals have developed larger brains has long been a subject of debate. Yet, it remains unclear which selective pressures may favour the encephalization and how it may act during evolution at different taxonomic scales. Here we studied the patterns and tempo of brain evolution within the order Carnivora and present large-scale comparative analysis of the effect of ecological, environmental, social, and physiological variables on relative brain size in a sample of 174 extant carnivoran species. We found a complex pattern of brain size change between carnivoran families with differences in both the rate and diversity of encephalization. Our findings suggest that during carnivorans' evolution, a trade-off have occurred between the cognitive advantages of acquiring a relatively large brain allowing to adapt to specific environments, and the metabolic costs of the brain which may constitute a disadvantage when facing the need to colonize new environments.
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4
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Blasiak R, Jouffray JB, Amon DJ, Moberg F, Claudet J, Søgaard Jørgensen P, Pranindita A, Wabnitz CCC, Österblom H. A forgotten element of the blue economy: marine biomimetics and inspiration from the deep sea. PNAS NEXUS 2022; 1:pgac196. [PMID: 36714844 PMCID: PMC9802412 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
The morphology, physiology, and behavior of marine organisms have been a valuable source of inspiration for solving conceptual and design problems. Here, we introduce this rich and rapidly expanding field of marine biomimetics, and identify it as a poorly articulated and often overlooked element of the ocean economy associated with substantial monetary benefits. We showcase innovations across seven broad categories of marine biomimetic design (adhesion, antifouling, armor, buoyancy, movement, sensory, stealth), and use this framing as context for a closer consideration of the increasingly frequent focus on deep-sea life as an inspiration for biomimetic design. We contend that marine biomimetics is not only a "forgotten" sector of the ocean economy, but has the potential to drive appreciation of nonmonetary values, conservation, and stewardship, making it well-aligned with notions of a sustainable blue economy. We note, however, that the highest ambitions for a blue economy are that it not only drives sustainability, but also greater equity and inclusivity, and conclude by articulating challenges and considerations for bringing marine biomimetics onto this trajectory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Blasiak
- To whom correspondence should be addressed: Robert Blasiak, Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | | | - Diva J Amon
- SpeSeas, D'Abadie, Trinidad and Tobago,Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Fredrik Moberg
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Joachim Claudet
- National Center for Scientific Research, PSL Université Paris, CRIOBE, CNRS-EPHE-UPVD, Maison de l'Océan, 195 rue Saint-Jacques, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Peter Søgaard Jørgensen
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden,The Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere Academy Program, Royal Swedish Academy of Science, 104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Agnes Pranindita
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Colette C C Wabnitz
- Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions, Stanford University, 473 Via Ortega, Stanford, CA 94305, USA,Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, The University of British Columbia, 2202 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T1Z4, Canada
| | - Henrik Österblom
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden,Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1, Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan,South American Institute for Resilience and Sustainability Studies, CP 20200 Maldonado, Uruguay
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5
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Cooper JA, Hutchinson JR, Bernvi DC, Cliff G, Wilson RP, Dicken ML, Menzel J, Wroe S, Pirlo J, Pimiento C. The extinct shark Otodus megalodon was a transoceanic superpredator: Inferences from 3D modeling. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabm9424. [PMID: 35977007 PMCID: PMC9385135 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abm9424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Although shark teeth are abundant in the fossil record, their bodies are rarely preserved. Thus, our understanding of the anatomy of the extinct Otodus megalodon remains rudimentary. We used an exceptionally well-preserved fossil to create the first three-dimensional model of the body of this giant shark and used it to infer its movement and feeding ecology. We estimate that an adult O. megalodon could cruise at faster absolute speeds than any shark species today and fully consume prey the size of modern apex predators. A dietary preference for large prey potentially enabled O. megalodon to minimize competition and provided a constant source of energy to fuel prolonged migrations without further feeding. Together, our results suggest that O. megalodon played an important ecological role as a transoceanic superpredator. Hence, its extinction likely had large impacts on global nutrient transfer and trophic food webs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack A. Cooper
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - John R. Hutchinson
- Structure and Motion Laboratory, Department of Comparative Biomedical Sciences, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hatfield, Hertfordshire AL9 7TA, UK
| | - David C. Bernvi
- KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board, Umhlanga Rocks 4320, South Africa
| | - Geremy Cliff
- KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board, Umhlanga Rocks 4320, South Africa
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, KZN, South Africa
| | - Rory P. Wilson
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Matt L. Dicken
- KwaZulu-Natal Sharks Board, Umhlanga Rocks 4320, South Africa
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Jan Menzel
- JanMenzelArt, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
| | - Stephen Wroe
- Function, Evolution, and Anatomy Research Lab, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia
| | - Jeanette Pirlo
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University Stanislaus, Turlock, CA 95382, USA
| | - Catalina Pimiento
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
- Paleontological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich CH-8006, Switzerland
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institution, Balboa, Panama
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6
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Harrison JF, Biewener A, Bernhardt JR, Burger JR, Brown JH, Coto ZN, Duell ME, Lynch M, Moffett ER, Norin T, Pettersen AK, Smith FA, Somjee U, Traniello JFA, Williams TM. White Paper: An Integrated Perspective on the Causes of Hypometric Metabolic Scaling in Animals. Integr Comp Biol 2022; 62:icac136. [PMID: 35933126 PMCID: PMC9724154 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icac136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Larger animals studied during ontogeny, across populations, or across species, usually have lower mass-specific metabolic rates than smaller animals (hypometric scaling). This pattern is usually observed regardless of physiological state (e.g. basal, resting, field, maximally-active). The scaling of metabolism is usually highly correlated with the scaling of many life history traits, behaviors, physiological variables, and cellular/molecular properties, making determination of the causation of this pattern challenging. For across-species comparisons of resting and locomoting animals (but less so for across populations or during ontogeny), the mechanisms at the physiological and cellular level are becoming clear. Lower mass-specific metabolic rates of larger species at rest are due to a) lower contents of expensive tissues (brains, liver, kidneys), and b) slower ion leak across membranes at least partially due to membrane composition, with lower ion pump ATPase activities. Lower mass-specific costs of larger species during locomotion are due to lower costs for lower-frequency muscle activity, with slower myosin and Ca++ ATPase activities, and likely more elastic energy storage. The evolutionary explanation(s) for hypometric scaling remain(s) highly controversial. One subset of evolutionary hypotheses relies on constraints on larger animals due to changes in geometry with size; for example, lower surface-to-volume ratios of exchange surfaces may constrain nutrient or heat exchange, or lower cross-sectional areas of muscles and tendons relative to body mass ratios would make larger animals more fragile without compensation. Another subset of hypotheses suggests that hypometric scaling arises from biotic interactions and correlated selection, with larger animals experiencing less selection for mass-specific growth or neurolocomotor performance. A additional third type of explanation comes from population genetics. Larger animals with their lower effective population sizes and subsequent less effective selection relative to drift may have more deleterious mutations, reducing maximal performance and metabolic rates. Resolving the evolutionary explanation for the hypometric scaling of metabolism and associated variables is a major challenge for organismal and evolutionary biology. To aid progress, we identify some variation in terminology use that has impeded cross-field conversations on scaling. We also suggest that promising directions for the field to move forward include: 1) studies examining the linkages between ontogenetic, population-level, and cross-species allometries, 2) studies linking scaling to ecological or phylogenetic context, 3) studies that consider multiple, possibly interacting hypotheses, and 4) obtaining better field data for metabolic rates and the life history correlates of metabolic rate such as lifespan, growth rate and reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jon F Harrison
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-4501, USA
| | - Andrew Biewener
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Joanna R Bernhardt
- Department of Zoology, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies, New Haven, CT 06520, USA
| | - Joseph R Burger
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
| | - James H Brown
- Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology, The University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Zach N Coto
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA 02215, USA
| | - Meghan E Duell
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, ON N6A 3K7, Canada
| | - Michael Lynch
- Biodesign Center for Mechanisms of Evolution, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Emma R Moffett
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA
| | - Tommy Norin
- DTU Aqua | National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Anker Engelunds Vej 1 Bygning 101A, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Amanda K Pettersen
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Felisa A Smith
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Ummat Somjee
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Panama
| | | | - Terrie M Williams
- Division of Physical and Biological Sciences, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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7
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Bisconti M, Daniello R, Damarco P, Tartarelli G, Pavia M, Carnevale G. High Encephalization in a Fossil Rorqual Illuminates Baleen Whale Brain Evolution. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2021; 96:78-90. [PMID: 34758463 DOI: 10.1159/000519852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Baleen whales are considered underencephalized mammals due to their reduced brain size with respect to their body size (encephalization quotient [EQ] << 1). Despite their low EQ, mysticetes exhibit complex behavioral patterns in terms of motor abilities, vocal repertoire, and cultural learning. Very scarce information is available about the morphological evolution of the brain in this group; this makes it difficult to investigate the historical changes in brain shape and size in order to relate the origin of the complex mysticete behavioral repertoire to the evolution of specific neural substrates. Here, the first description of the virtual endocast of a fossil balaenopterid species, Marzanoptera tersillae from the Italian Pliocene, reveals an EQ of around 3, which is exceptional for baleen whales. The endocast showed a morphologically different organization of the brain in this fossil whale as the cerebral hemispheres are anteroposteriorly shortened, the cerebellum lacks the posteromedial expansion of the cerebellar hemispheres, and the cerebellar vermis is unusually reduced. The comparative reductions of the cerebral and cerebellar hemispheres suggest that the motor behavior of M. tersillae probably was less sophisticated than that exhibited by the extant rorqual and humpback species. The presence of an EQ value in this fossil species that is around 10 times higher than that of extant mysticetes opens new questions about brain evolution and provides new, invaluable information about the evolutionary path of morphological and size change in the brain of baleen whales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelangelo Bisconti
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy.,Paleontology Department, Natural History Museum of San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Riccardo Daniello
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Piero Damarco
- Museo Paleontologico Territoriale dell'Astigiano, Ente di Gestione del Parco Paleontologico Astigiano, Asti, Italy
| | | | - Marco Pavia
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy
| | - Giorgio Carnevale
- Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, Università degli Studi di Torino, Torino, Italy
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