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Nelson J, Woeste EM, Oba K, Bitterman K, Billings BK, Sacco J, Jacobs B, Sherwood CC, Manger PR, Spocter MA. Neuropil Variation in the Prefrontal, Motor, and Visual Cortex of Six Felids. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2024; 99:25-44. [PMID: 38354714 DOI: 10.1159/000537843] [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: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Felids have evolved a specialized suite of morphological adaptations for obligate carnivory. Although the musculoskeletal anatomy of the Felidae has been studied extensively, the comparative neuroanatomy of felids is relatively unexplored. Little is known about how variation in the cerebral anatomy of felids relates to species-specific differences in sociality, hunting strategy, or activity patterns. METHODS We quantitatively analyzed neuropil variation in the prefrontal, primary motor, and primary visual cortices of six species of Felidae (Panthera leo, Panthera uncia, Panthera tigris, Panthera leopardus, Acinonyx jubatus, Felis sylvestris domesticus) to investigate relationships with brain size, neuronal cell parameters, and select behavioral and ecological factors. Neuropil is the dense, intricate network of axons, dendrites, and synapses in the brain, playing a critical role in information processing and communication between neurons. RESULTS There were significant species and regional differences in neuropil proportions, with African lion, cheetah, and tiger having more neuropil in all three cortical regions in comparison to the other species. Based on regression analyses, we find that the increased neuropil fraction in the prefrontal cortex supports social and behavioral flexibility, while in the primary motor cortex, this facilitates the neural activity needed for hunting movements. Greater neuropil fraction in the primary visual cortex may contribute to visual requirements associated with diel activity patterns. CONCLUSION These results provide a cross-species comparison of neuropil fraction variation in the Felidae, particularly the understudied Panthera, and provide evidence for convergence of the neuroanatomy of Panthera and cheetahs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Nelson
- Department of Anatomy, Des Moines University, West Des Moines, Iowa, USA
| | - Erin M Woeste
- Department of Anatomy, Des Moines University, West Des Moines, Iowa, USA
| | - Ken Oba
- Department of Anatomy, Des Moines University, West Des Moines, Iowa, USA
| | - Kathleen Bitterman
- Department of Anatomy, Des Moines University, West Des Moines, Iowa, USA
| | - Brendon K Billings
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - James Sacco
- Ellis Pharmacogenomics Laboratory, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, USA
| | - Bob Jacobs
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Neuroscience Program, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Paul R Manger
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Muhammad A Spocter
- Department of Anatomy, Des Moines University, West Des Moines, Iowa, USA
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
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Fisher DN, Cheney BJ. Dolphin social phenotypes vary in response to food availability but not the North Atlantic Oscillation index. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231187. [PMID: 37817593 PMCID: PMC10565371 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Social behaviours can allow individuals to flexibly respond to environmental change, potentially buffering adverse effects. However, individuals may respond differently to the same environmental stimulus, complicating predictions for population-level response to environmental change. Here, we show that bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) alter their social behaviour at yearly and monthly scales in response to a proxy for food availability (salmon abundance) but do not respond to variation in a proxy for climate (the North Atlantic Oscillation index). There was also individual variation in plasticity for gregariousness and connectedness to distant parts of the social network, although these traits showed limited repeatability. By contrast, individuals showed consistent differences in clustering with their immediate social environment at the yearly scale but no individual variation in plasticity for this trait at either timescale. These results indicate that social behaviour in free-ranging cetaceans can be highly resource dependent with individuals increasing their connectedness over short timescales but possibly reducing their wider range of connection at longer timescales. Some social traits showed more individual variation in plasticity or mean behaviour than others, highlighting how predictions for the responses of populations to environmental variation must consider the type of individual variation present in the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- David N. Fisher
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, King's College, Aberdeen AB24 3FX, UK
| | - Barbara J. Cheney
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Lighthouse Field Station, George Street, Cromarty IV11 8YL, UK
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Aspesi D, Bass N, Kavaliers M, Choleris E. The role of androgens and estrogens in social interactions and social cognition. Neuroscience 2023:S0306-4522(23)00151-3. [PMID: 37080448 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2023.03.028] [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: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
Gonadal hormones are becoming increasingly recognized for their effects on cognition. Estrogens, in particular, have received attention for their effects on learning and memory that rely upon the functioning of various brain regions. However, the impacts of androgens on cognition are relatively under investigated. Testosterone, as well as estrogens, have been shown to play a role in the modulation of different aspects of social cognition. This review explores the impact of testosterone and other androgens on various facets of social cognition including social recognition, social learning, social approach/avoidance, and aggression. We highlight the relevance of considering not only the actions of the most commonly studied steroids (i.e., testosterone, 17β-estradiol, and dihydrotestosterone), but also that of their metabolites and precursors, which interact with a plethora of different receptors and signalling molecules, ultimately modulating behaviour. We point out that it is also essential to investigate the effects of androgens, their precursors and metabolites in females, as prior studies have mostly focused on males. Overall, a comprehensive analysis of the impact of steroids such as androgens on behaviour is fundamental for a full understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying social cognition, including that of humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Aspesi
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph
| | - Noah Bass
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph
| | - Martin Kavaliers
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph; Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Western Ontario, London, Canada
| | - Elena Choleris
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, University of Guelph.
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Multi-view Tracking, Re-ID, and Social Network Analysis of a Flock of Visually Similar Birds in an Outdoor Aviary. Int J Comput Vis 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s11263-023-01768-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2023]
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5
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Lemonnier C, Bize P, Boonstra R, Dobson FS, Criscuolo F, Viblanc VA. Effects of the social environment on vertebrate fitness and health in nature: Moving beyond the stress axis. Horm Behav 2022; 145:105232. [PMID: 35853411 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2022.105232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Revised: 06/04/2022] [Accepted: 06/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Social interactions are a ubiquitous feature of the lives of vertebrate species. These may be cooperative or competitive, and shape the dynamics of social systems, with profound effects on individual behavior, physiology, fitness, and health. On one hand, a wealth of studies on humans, laboratory animal models, and captive species have focused on understanding the relationships between social interactions and individual health within the context of disease and pathology. On the other, ecological studies are attempting an understanding of how social interactions shape individual phenotypes in the wild, and the consequences this entails in terms of adaptation. Whereas numerous studies in wild vertebrates have focused on the relationships between social environments and the stress axis, much remains to be done in understanding how socially-related activation of the stress axis coordinates other key physiological functions related to health. Here, we review the state of our current knowledge on the effects that social interactions may have on other markers of vertebrate fitness and health. Building upon complementary findings from the biomedical and ecological fields, we identify 6 key physiological functions (cellular metabolism, oxidative stress, cellular senescence, immunity, brain function, and the regulation of biological rhythms) which are intimately related to the stress axis, and likely directly affected by social interactions. Our goal is a holistic understanding of how social environments affect vertebrate fitness and health in the wild. Whereas both social interactions and social environments are recognized as important sources of phenotypic variation, their consequences on vertebrate fitness, and the adaptive nature of social-stress-induced phenotypes, remain unclear. Social flexibility, or the ability of an animal to change its social behavior with resulting changes in social systems in response to fluctuating environments, has emerged as a critical underlying factor that may buffer the beneficial and detrimental effects of social environments on vertebrate fitness and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Lemonnier
- Ecole Normale Supérieur de Lyon, 69342 Lyon, France; Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France.
| | - Pierre Bize
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK; Swiss Institute of Ornithology, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Rudy Boonstra
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Canada
| | - F Stephen Dobson
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France; Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | | | - Vincent A Viblanc
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
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Turner JW, Robitaille AL, Bills PS, Holekamp KE. Early-life relationships matter: Social position during early life predicts fitness among female spotted hyenas. J Anim Ecol 2020; 90:183-196. [PMID: 32578217 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13282] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
How social development in early-life affects fitness remains poorly understood. Though there is growing evidence that early-life relationships can affect fitness, little research has investigated how social positions develop or whether there are particularly important periods for social position development in an animal's life history. In long-lived species in particular, understanding the lasting consequences of early-life social environments requires detailed, long-term datasets. Here we used a 25-year dataset to test whether social positions held during early development predicted adult fitness. Specifically, we quantified social position using three social network metrics: degree, strength and betweenness. We determined the social position of each individual in three types of networks during each of three stages of ontogeny to test whether they predict annual reproductive success (ARS) or longevity among adult female spotted hyenas Crocuta crocuta. The social positions occupied by juvenile hyenas did predict their fitness, but the effects of social position on fitness measures differed between stages of early development. Network metrics when individuals were young adults better predicted ARS, but network metrics for younger animals, particularly when youngsters were confined to the communal den, better predicted longevity than did metrics assessed during other stages of development. Our study shows how multiple types of social bonds formed during multiple stages of social development predict lifetime fitness outcomes. We suggest that social bonds formed during specific phases of development may be more important than others when considering fitness outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie W Turner
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Alec L Robitaille
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NL, Canada
| | - Patrick S Bills
- Institute for Cyber-Enabled Research, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Kay E Holekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, East Lansing, MI, USA
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Wascher CAF, Kulahci IG, Langley EJG, Shaw RC. How does cognition shape social relationships? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0293. [PMID: 30104437 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/01/2018] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The requirements of living in social groups, and forming and maintaining social relationships are hypothesized to be one of the major drivers behind the evolution of cognitive abilities. Most empirical studies investigating the relationships between sociality and cognition compare cognitive performance between species living in systems that differ in social complexity. In this review, we ask whether and how individuals benefit from cognitive skills in their social interactions. Cognitive abilities, such as perception, attention, learning, memory, and inhibitory control, aid in forming and maintaining social relationships. We investigate whether there is evidence that individual variation in these abilities influences individual variation in social relationships. We then consider the evolutionary consequences of the interaction between sociality and cognitive ability to address whether bi-directional relationships exist between the two, such that cognition can both shape and be shaped by social interactions and the social environment. In doing so, we suggest that social network analysis is emerging as a powerful tool that can be used to test for directional causal relationships between sociality and cognition. Overall, our review highlights the importance of investigating individual variation in cognition to understand how it shapes the patterns of social relationships.This article is part of the theme issue 'Causes and consequences of individual differences in cognitive abilities'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia A F Wascher
- Department of Biology, Anglia Ruskin University, East Road, Cambridge, CB1 1PT, UK
| | - Ipek G Kulahci
- Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Distillery Fields, North Mall Campus, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | | | - Rachael C Shaw
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
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Dunn JC, Smaers JB. Neural Correlates of Vocal Repertoire in Primates. Front Neurosci 2018; 12:534. [PMID: 30140202 PMCID: PMC6095195 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the nature of the relationship between vocal complexity and brain architecture across non-human primates may help elucidate some of the key elements underlying the evolution of human speech. Here, we report a positive correlation between vocal repertoire size and the relative size of cortical association areas (governing voluntary control over behavioural output) in non-human primates. We further demonstrate that a hominid grade shift in the relative volume of cortical association areas coincides with a similar grade shift in the hypoglossal nucleus (which is associated with the cranial nerve that innervates the muscles of the tongue). Our results support a qualitative continuity in the neural correlates of vocal repertoire, but a quantitative discontinuity in the extent to which the neural system supporting speech is innervated by cortical association areas in great apes and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob C Dunn
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Biological Anthropology, Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Jeroen B Smaers
- Department of Anthropology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, NY, United States
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9
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Fisher DN, McAdam AG. Social traits, social networks and evolutionary biology. J Evol Biol 2017; 30:2088-2103. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2017] [Revised: 10/08/2017] [Accepted: 10/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- D. N. Fisher
- Department for Integrative Biology; University of Guelph; Guelph Ontario Canada
| | - A. G. McAdam
- Department for Integrative Biology; University of Guelph; Guelph Ontario Canada
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10
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Kohn GM. Friends give benefits: autumn social familiarity preferences predict reproductive output. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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11
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Ronald KL, Zeng R, White DJ, Fernández-Juricic E, Lucas JR. What makes a multimodal signal attractive? A preference function approach. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
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12
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Snijders L, Naguib M. Communication in Animal Social Networks. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.asb.2017.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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14
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Abstract
Despite considerable interest in the forces shaping the relationship between brain size and cognitive abilities, it remains controversial whether larger-brained animals are, indeed, better problem-solvers. Recently, several comparative studies have revealed correlations between brain size and traits thought to require advanced cognitive abilities, such as innovation, behavioral flexibility, invasion success, and self-control. However, the general assumption that animals with larger brains have superior cognitive abilities has been heavily criticized, primarily because of the lack of experimental support for it. Here, we designed an experiment to inquire whether specific neuroanatomical or socioecological measures predict success at solving a novel technical problem among species in the mammalian order Carnivora. We presented puzzle boxes, baited with food and scaled to accommodate body size, to members of 39 carnivore species from nine families housed in multiple North American zoos. We found that species with larger brains relative to their body mass were more successful at opening the boxes. In a subset of species, we also used virtual brain endocasts to measure volumes of four gross brain regions and show that some of these regions improve model prediction of success at opening the boxes when included with total brain size and body mass. Socioecological variables, including measures of social complexity and manual dexterity, failed to predict success at opening the boxes. Our results, thus, fail to support the social brain hypothesis but provide important empirical support for the relationship between relative brain size and the ability to solve this novel technical problem.
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Ronald KL, Skillman T, Lin A, Li Q, Fernandez‐Juricic E, Lucas JR. Watch Your Tone: Social Conditions Modulate Singing Strategies. Ethology 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Andy Lin
- Purdue University West Lafayette IN USA
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Solomon-Lane TK, Pradhan DS, Willis MC, Grober MS. Agonistic reciprocity is associated with reduced male reproductive success within haremic social networks. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 282:20150914. [PMID: 26156769 PMCID: PMC4528554 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2015] [Accepted: 06/05/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
While individual variation in social behaviour is ubiquitous and causes social groups to differ in structure, how these structural differences affect fitness remains largely unknown. We used social network analysis of replicate bluebanded goby (Lythrypnus dalli) harems to identify the reproductive correlates of social network structure. In stable groups, we quantified agonistic behaviour, reproduction and steroid hormones, which can both affect and respond to social/reproductive cues. We identified distinct, optimal social structures associated with different reproductive measures. Male hatching success (HS) was negatively associated with agonistic reciprocity, a network structure that describes whether subordinates 'reciprocated' agonism received from dominants. Egg laying was associated with the individual network positions of the male and dominant female. Thus, males face a trade-off between promoting structures that facilitate egg laying versus HS. Whether this reproductive conflict is avoidable remains to be determined. We also identified different social and/or reproductive roles for 11-ketotestosterone, 17β-oestradiol and cortisol, suggesting that specific neuroendocrine mechanisms may underlie connections between network structure and fitness. This is one of the first investigations of the reproductive and neuroendocrine correlates of social behaviour and network structure in replicate, naturalistic social groups and supports network structure as an important target for natural selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tessa K Solomon-Lane
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712, USA
| | - Devaleena S Pradhan
- Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Madelyne C Willis
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
| | - Matthew S Grober
- Department of Biology, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA
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Wey TW, Chang AT, Fogarty S, Sih A. Personalities and presence of hyperaggressive males influence male mating exclusivity and effective mating in stream water striders. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1814-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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18
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Chang AT, Sih A. Multilevel selection and effects of keystone hyperaggressive males on mating success and behavior in stream water striders. Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Kohn GM, King AP, Pott U, West MJ. Robust Fall Social Displays Predict Spring Reproductive Behavior in Brown-Headed Cowbirds ( Molothrus ater ater). Ethology 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gregory M. Kohn
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Indiana University; Bloomington; IN; USA
| | - Andrew P. King
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Indiana University; Bloomington; IN; USA
| | - Uwe Pott
- Human Biology; University of Wisconsin-Green Bay; Green Bay; WI; USA
| | - Meredith J. West
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences; Indiana University; Bloomington; IN; USA
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Automated cognitive testing of monkeys in social groups yields results comparable to individual laboratory-based testing. Anim Cogn 2012; 16:445-58. [PMID: 23263675 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-012-0585-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2012] [Revised: 11/26/2012] [Accepted: 11/30/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive abilities likely evolved in response to specific environmental and social challenges and are therefore expected to be specialized for the life history of each species. Specialized cognitive abilities may be most readily engaged under conditions that approximate the natural environment of the species being studied. While naturalistic environments might therefore have advantages over laboratory settings for cognitive research, it is difficult to conduct certain types of cognitive tests in these settings. We implemented methods for automated cognitive testing of monkeys (Macaca mulatta) in large social groups (Field station) and compared the performance to that of laboratory-housed monkeys (Laboratory). The Field station animals shared access to four touch-screen computers in a large naturalistic social group. Each Field station subject had an RFID chip implanted in each arm for computerized identification and individualized assignment of cognitive tests. The Laboratory group was housed and tested in a typical laboratory setting, with individual access to testing computers in their home cages. Monkeys in both groups voluntarily participated at their own pace for food rewards. We evaluated performance in two visual psychophysics tests, a perceptual classification test, a transitive inference test, and a delayed matching-to-sample memory test. Despite the differences in housing, social environment, age, and sex, monkeys in the two groups performed similarly in all tests. Semi-free ranging monkeys living in complex social environments are therefore viable subjects for cognitive testing designed to take advantage of the unique affordances of naturalistic testing environments.
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Freeberg TM, Ord TJ, Dunbar RIM. The social network and communicative complexity: preface to theme issue. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2012; 367:1782-4. [PMID: 22641817 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2011.0294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The complex social worlds of many animal species may be linked to complex communicative systems in those species. We now have evidence in diverse taxa and in different communicative modalities suggesting that complexity in social groups can drive complexity in signalling systems. The aim of this theme issue is to develop the theory behind this link between social complexity and communicative complexity, and to provide an overview of the lines of research testing this link.
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Affiliation(s)
- Todd M Freeberg
- Department of Psychology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA.
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