1
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Demmel Ferreira MM, Degrange FJ, Tirao GA. Brain surface morphology and ecological and macroevolutionary inferences of avian New World suboscines (Aves, Passeriformes, Tyrannides). J Comp Neurol 2024; 532:e25617. [PMID: 38629472 DOI: 10.1002/cne.25617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024]
Abstract
The New World suboscines (Passeriformes and Tyrannides) are one of the biggest endemic vertebrate radiations in South America, including the families Furnariidae and Tyrannidae. Avian brain morphology is a reliable proxy to study their evolution. The aim of this work is to elucidate whether the brains of these families reflect the ecological differences (e.g., feeding behavior) and to clarify macroevolutionary aspects of their neuroanatomy. Our hypotheses are as follows: Brain size is similar between both families and with other Passeriformes; brain morphology in Tyrannides is the result of the pressure of ecological factors; and brain disparity is low since they share ecological traits. Skulls of Furnariidae and Tyrannidae were micro-computed tomography-scanned, and three-dimensional models of the endocast were generated. Regression analyses were performed between brain volume and body mass. Linear and surface measurements were used to build phylomorphospaces and to calculate the amount of phylogenetic signal. Tyrannidae showed a larger brain disparity than Furnariidae, although it is not shaped by phylogeny in the Tyrannides. Furnariidae present enlarged Wulsts (eminentiae sagittales) but smaller optic lobes, while in Tyrannidae, it is the opposite. This could indicate that in Tyrannides there is a trade-off between the size of these two visual-related brain structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Manuela Demmel Ferreira
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra (CICTERRA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales (FCEFyN), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Federico Javier Degrange
- Centro de Investigaciones en Ciencias de la Tierra (CICTERRA), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales (FCEFyN), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Germán Alfredo Tirao
- Instituto de Física Enrique Gaviola (IFEG), Facultad de Matemática, Astronomía y Física (FaMAF), Universidad Nacional de Córdoba (UNC), Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Córdoba, Argentina
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2
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Hunt ESE, Felice RN, Tobias JA, Goswami A. Ecological and life-history drivers of avian skull evolution. Evolution 2023; 77:1720-1729. [PMID: 37105944 DOI: 10.1093/evolut/qpad079] [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: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 04/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023]
Abstract
One of the most famous examples of adaptive radiation is that of the Galápagos finches, where skull morphology, particularly the beak, varies with feeding ecology. Yet increasingly studies are questioning the strength of this correlation between feeding ecology and morphology in relation to the entire neornithine radiation, suggesting that other factors also significantly affect skull evolution. Here, we broaden this debate to assess the influence of a range of ecological and life-history factors, specifically habitat density, migration, and developmental mode, in shaping avian skull evolution. Using 3D geometric morphometric data to robustly quantify skull shape for 354 extant species spanning avian diversity, we fitted flexible phylogenetic regressions and estimated evolutionary rates for each of these factors across the full data set. The results support a highly significant relationship between skull shape and both habitat density and migration, but not developmental mode. We further found heterogenous rates of evolution between different character states within habitat density, migration, and developmental mode, with rapid skull evolution in species that occupy dense habitats, are migratory, or are precocial. These patterns demonstrate that diverse factors affect the tempo and mode of avian phenotypic evolution and that skull evolution in birds is not simply a reflection of feeding ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eloise S E Hunt
- Department of Life Sciences and Grantham Institute, Imperial College London, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ryan N Felice
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- Centre for Integrative Anatomy, Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph A Tobias
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Ascot, United Kingdom
| | - Anjali Goswami
- Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, United Kingdom
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, and Environment, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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3
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Nengovhela A, Ivy CM, Scott GR, Denys C, Taylor PJ. Counter-gradient variation and the expensive tissue hypothesis explain parallel brain size reductions at high elevation in cricetid and murid rodents. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5617. [PMID: 37024565 PMCID: PMC10079977 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32498-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2023] [Indexed: 04/08/2023] Open
Abstract
To better understand functional morphological adaptations to high elevation (> 3000 m above sea level) life in both North American and African mountain-associated rodents, we used microCT scanning to acquire 3D images and a 3D morphometric approach to calculate endocranial volumes and skull lengths. This was done on 113 crania of low-elevation and high-elevation populations in species of North American cricetid mice (two Peromyscus species, n = 53), and African murid rodents of two tribes, Otomyini (five species, n = 49) and Praomyini (four species, n = 11). We tested two distinct hypotheses for how endocranial volume might vary in high-elevation populations: the expensive tissue hypothesis, which predicts that brain and endocranial volumes will be reduced to lessen the costs of growing and maintaining a large brain; and the brain-swelling hypothesis, which predicts that endocranial volumes will be increased either as a direct phenotypic effect or as an adaptation to accommodate brain swelling and thus minimize pathological symptoms of altitude sickness. After correcting for general allometric variation in cranial size, we found that in both North American Peromyscus mice and African laminate-toothed (Otomys) rats, highland rodents had smaller endocranial volumes than lower-elevation rodents, consistent with the expensive tissue hypothesis. In the former group, Peromyscus mice, crania were obtained not just from wild-caught mice from high and low elevations but also from those bred in common-garden laboratory conditions from parents caught from either high or low elevations. Our results in these mice showed that brain size responses to elevation might have a strong genetic basis, which counters an opposite but weaker environmental effect on brain volume. These results potentially suggest that selection may act to reduce brain volume across small mammals at high elevations but further experiments are needed to assess the generality of this conclusion and the nature of underlying mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aluwani Nengovhela
- Department of Mammalogy, National Museum, Bloemfontein, 9300, South Africa.
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa.
| | - Catherine M Ivy
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Graham R Scott
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Christiane Denys
- Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, CNRS, Sorbonne Université, EPHE, Université des Antilles, CP51, 57 Rue Cuvier, 75005, Paris, France
| | - Peter J Taylor
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, University of Venda, Thohoyandou, South Africa
- Afromontane Unit, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of the Free State, Phuthaditjhaba, South Africa
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4
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Constanti Crosby L, Sayol F, Horswill C. Relative brain size is associated with natal dispersal rate and species' vulnerability to climate change in seabirds. OIKOS 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
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5
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Abstract
Extra-pair paternity (EPP) benefits to improve the reproductive success via extra-pair fertilizations without the costs of parental care in males and through improved offspring quality with additional food and parental care in females among species of birds. Variations in the EPP appear to link to behavioral and ecological factors and sexual selection. According to the "relationship intelligence hypothesis", the cognitive abilities of the birds play an important role in maintaining long-term relationships. Here, we undertook the first comparative test of the relationships between extra-pair paternity and brain size, testis size, and life histories among 315 species of birds using phylogenetically controlled comparative analyses and path analysis. After controlling for the effects of shared ancestry and body mass, the frequency of EPP was negatively correlated with relative brain size, but positively with testis size across species of birds. However, the frequency of EPP was not linked to life-history traits (e.g. incubation period, fledging period, clutch size, egg mass, and longevity). Our findings suggest that large-brained birds associated with enhanced cognitive abilities are more inclined to maintain long-term stable relationships with their mates and to mutualism with them than to increase the frequency of EPP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yating Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China.,Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China
| | - Zhengjun Wu
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection, Ministry of Education, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China.,Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, China
| | - Wenbo Liao
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong, China
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6
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Abstract
Large brains provide adaptive cognitive benefits but require unusually high, near-constant energy inputs and become fully functional well after their growth is completed. Consequently, young of most larger-brained endotherms should not be able to independently support the growth and development of their own brains. This paradox is solved if the evolution of extended parental provisioning facilitated brain size evolution. Comparative studies indeed show that extended parental provisioning coevolved with brain size and that it may improve immature survival. The major role of extended parental provisioning supports the idea that the ability to sustain the costs of brains limited brain size evolution.
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7
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Padamsey Z, Rochefort NL. Paying the brain's energy bill. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2023; 78:102668. [PMID: 36571958 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2022.102668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
How have animals managed to maintain metabolically expensive brains given the volatile and fleeting availability of calories in the natural world? Here we review studies in support of three strategies that involve: 1) a reallocation of energy from peripheral tissues and functions to cover the costs of the brain, 2) an implementation of energy-efficient neural coding, enabling the brain to operate at reduced energy costs, and 3) efficient use of costly neural resources during food scarcity. Collectively, these studies reveal a heterogeneous set of energy-saving mechanisms that make energy-costly brains fit for survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zahid Padamsey
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
| | - Nathalie L Rochefort
- Centre for Discovery Brain Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, Edinburgh, United Kingdom; Simons Initiative for the Developing Brain, University of Edinburgh, EH8 9XD, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.
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8
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De Meester G, Van Linden L, Torfs J, Pafilis P, Šunje E, Steenssens D, Zulčić T, Sassalos A, Van Damme R. Learning with lacertids: Studying the link between ecology and cognition within a comparative framework. Evolution 2022; 76:2531-2552. [PMID: 36111365 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14618] [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: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Cognition is an essential tool for animals to deal with environmental challenges. Nonetheless, the ecological forces driving the evolution of cognition throughout the animal kingdom remain enigmatic. Large-scale comparative studies on multiple species and cognitive traits have been advanced as the best way to facilitate our understanding of cognitive evolution, but such studies are rare. Here, we tested 13 species of lacertid lizards (Reptilia: Lacertidae) using a battery of cognitive tests measuring inhibitory control, problem-solving, and spatial and reversal learning. Next, we tested the relationship between species' performance and (a) resource availability (temperature and precipitation), habitat complexity (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), and habitat variability (seasonality) in their natural habitat and (b) their life history (size at hatching and maturity, clutch size, and frequency). Although species differed markedly in their cognitive abilities, such variation was mostly unrelated to their ecology and life history. Yet, species living in more variable environments exhibited lower behavioral flexibility, likely due to energetic constrains in such habitats. Our standardized protocols provide opportunities for collaborative research, allowing increased sample sizes and replication, essential for moving forward in the field of comparative cognition. Follow-up studies could include more detailed measures of habitat structure and look at other potential selective drivers such as predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles De Meester
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium.,Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, 157 84, Greece
| | - Lisa Van Linden
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium
| | - Jonas Torfs
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium
| | - Panayiotis Pafilis
- Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, 157 84, Greece
| | - Emina Šunje
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina.,Herpetological Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina: BHHU: ATRA, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Dries Steenssens
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium
| | - Tea Zulčić
- Herpetological Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina: BHHU: ATRA, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Athanasios Sassalos
- Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, 157 84, Greece
| | - Raoul Van Damme
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium
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9
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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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10
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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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11
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Saxena S, Hosken DJ, Dutta T. Digest: Brain or brawn: Trade-offs between brain size and flight mode in birds. Evolution 2022; 76:1916-1918. [PMID: 35767581 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Brain size is extremely variable across species, and its evolution depends upon the calorific trade-offs between it and other organs and activities. Shiomi investigated potential brain size trade-offs with different flight modes in birds. Flight can be energetically expensive, and costs are especially high with powered flight. This comparative study indicated that migratory birds employing less energetic modes of flight had relatively larger brains than migratory birds using powered flight, suggesting that brain size is impacted by the energetic costs of flight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swati Saxena
- Department of Zoology, University of Lucknow, Lucknow, 226007, India
| | - David J Hosken
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom
| | - Tusheema Dutta
- Vanasiri Evolutionary Ecology Lab, School of Biology, IISER, Thiruvananthapuram, 695551, India
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12
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Hooper R, Brett B, Thornton A. Problems with using comparative analyses of avian brain size to test hypotheses of cognitive evolution. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0270771. [PMID: 35867640 PMCID: PMC9307164 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
There are multiple hypotheses for the evolution of cognition. The most prominent hypotheses are the Social Intelligence Hypothesis (SIH) and the Ecological Intelligence Hypothesis (EIH), which are often pitted against one another. These hypotheses tend to be tested using broad-scale comparative studies of brain size, where brain size is used as a proxy of cognitive ability, and various social and/or ecological variables are included as predictors. Here, we test how robust conclusions drawn from such analyses may be. First, we investigate variation in brain and body size measurements across >1000 bird species. We demonstrate that there is substantial variation in brain and body size estimates across datasets, indicating that conclusions drawn from comparative brain size models are likely to differ depending on the source of the data. Following this, we subset our data to the Corvides infraorder and interrogate how modelling decisions impact results. We show that model results change substantially depending on variable inclusion, source and classification. Indeed, we could have drawn multiple contradictory conclusions about the principal drivers of brain size evolution. These results reflect concerns from a growing number of researchers that conclusions drawn from comparative brain size studies may not be robust. We suggest that to interrogate hypotheses of cognitive evolution, a fruitful way forward is to focus on testing cognitive performance within and between closely related taxa, with an emphasis on understanding the relationship between informational uncertainty and cognitive evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Hooper
- University of Exeter, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, United Kingdom
- University of Exeter, Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Streatham Campus, Exeter, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (RH); (AT)
| | - Becky Brett
- University of Exeter, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Alex Thornton
- University of Exeter, Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Penryn Campus, Cornwall, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (RH); (AT)
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13
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Heldstab SA, Isler K, Graber SM, Schuppli C, van Schaik CP. The economics of brain size evolution in vertebrates. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R697-R708. [PMID: 35728555 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.04.096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Across the animal kingdom, we see remarkable variation in brain size. This variation has even increased over evolutionary time. Traditionally, studies aiming to explain brain size evolution have looked at the fitness benefits of increased brain size in relation to its increased cognitive performance in the social and/or ecological domain. However, brains are among the most energetically expensive tissues in the body and also require an uninterrupted energy supply. If not compensated, these energetic demands inevitably lead to a reduction in energy allocation to other vital functions. In this review, we summarize how an increasing number of studies show that to fully comprehend brain size evolution and the large variation in brain size across lineages, it is important to look at the economics of brains, including the different pathways through which the high energetic costs of brains can be offset. We further show how numerous studies converge on the conclusion that cognitive abilities can only drive brain size evolution in vertebrate lineages where they result in an improved energy balance through favourable ecological preconditions. Cognitive benefits that do not directly improve the organism's energy balance can only be selectively favoured when they produce such large improvements in reproduction or survival that they outweigh the negative energetic effects of the large brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra A Heldstab
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Development and Evolution of Cognition Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Bücklestrasse 5a, 78467 Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Karin Isler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sereina M Graber
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Caroline Schuppli
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Development and Evolution of Cognition Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Bücklestrasse 5a, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Carel P van Schaik
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Comparative Socioecology Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Bücklestrasse 5a, 78467 Konstanz, Germany; Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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14
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Auteri GG. A conceptual framework to integrate cold-survival strategies: torpor, resistance and seasonal migration. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220050. [PMID: 35506240 PMCID: PMC9065958 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Freezing temperatures are inherently challenging for life, which is water based. How species cope with these conditions fundamentally shapes ecological and evolutionary processes. Despite this, there is no comprehensive conceptual framework for cold-survival strategies-seasonal migration, cold resistance and torpor. Here, I propose a framework with four components for conceptualizing and quantifying cold-survival strategies. Cold-survival strategies are (i) collectively encompassed by the proposed framework, and that this full breadth of strategies should be considered in focal species or systems (comprehensive consideration). These strategies also (ii) exist on a spectrum, such that species can exhibit partial use of strategies, (iii) are non-exclusive, such that some species use multiple strategies concurrently (combined use) and (iv) should collectively vary inversely and proportionally with one another when controlling for the external environment (e.g. when considering species that occur in sympatry in their summer range), such that use of one strategy reduces, collectively, the use of others (proportional use). This framework is relevant to understanding fundamental patterns and processes in evolution, ecology, physiology and conservation biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giorgia G Auteri
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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15
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Gavriilidi I, De Meester G, Van Damme R, Baeckens S. How to behave when marooned: the behavioural component of the island syndrome remains underexplored. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220030. [PMID: 35440235 PMCID: PMC9039784 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals on islands typically depart from their mainland relatives in assorted aspects of their biology. Because they seem to occur in concert, and to some extent evolve convergently in disparate taxa, these changes are referred to as the ‘island syndrome’. While morphological, physiological and life-history components of the island syndrome have received considerable attention, much less is known about how insularity affects behaviour. In this paper, we argue why changes in personality traits and cognitive abilities can be expected to form part of the island syndrome. We provide an overview of studies that have compared personality traits and cognitive abilities between island and mainland populations, or among islands. Overall, the pickings are remarkably slim. There is evidence that animals on islands tend to be bolder than on the mainland, but effects on other personality traits go either way. The evidence for effects of insularity on cognitive abilities or style is highly circumstantial and very mixed. Finally, we consider the ecological drivers that may induce such changes, and the mechanisms through which they might occur. We conclude that our knowledge of the behavioural and cognitive responses to island environments remains limited, and we encourage behavioural biologists to make more use of these ‘natural laboratories for evolution’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ioanna Gavriilidi
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.,Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Greece
| | - Gilles De Meester
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Raoul Van Damme
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Simon Baeckens
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, Belgium.,Evolution and Optics of Nanostructures Lab, Department of Biology, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
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16
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Shiomi K. Possible link between brain size and flight mode in birds: Does soaring ease the energetic limitation of the brain? Evolution 2022; 76:649-657. [PMID: 34989401 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Revised: 11/17/2021] [Accepted: 11/26/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Elucidating determinants of interspecies variation in brain size has been a long-standing challenge in cognitive and evolutionary ecology. As the brain is an energetically expensive organ, energetic tradeoffs among organs are considered to play a key role in brain size evolution. This study examined the tradeoff between the brain and locomotion in birds by testing the relationship between brain size, flight modes with different energetic costs (flapping and soaring), and migratory behavior, using published data on the whole-brain mass of 2242 species. According to comparative analyses considering phylogeny and body mass, soarers, who can gain kinetic energy from wind shear or thermals and consequently save flight costs, have larger brains than flappers among migratory birds. Meanwhile, the brain size difference was not consistent in residents, and the size variation appeared much larger than that in migrants. In addition, the brain size of migratory birds was smaller than that of resident birds among flappers, whereas this property was not significant in soarers. Although further research is needed to draw a definitive conclusion, these findings provide further support for the energetic tradeoff of the brain with flight and migratory movements in birds and advance the idea that a locomotion mode with lower energetic cost could be a driver of encephalization during the evolution of the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kozue Shiomi
- Frontier Research Institute for Interdisciplinary Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578, Japan.,Department of Ecological Developmental Adaptability Life Sciences, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8578, Japan
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17
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Baldwin JW, Garcia-Porta J, Botero CA. Phenotypic responses to climate change are significantly dampened in big-brained birds. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:939-947. [PMID: 35142006 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Revised: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic climate change is rapidly altering local environments and threatening biodiversity throughout the world. Although many wildlife responses to this phenomenon appear largely idiosyncratic, a wealth of basic research on this topic is enabling the identification of general patterns across taxa. Here, we expand those efforts by investigating how avian responses to climate change are affected by the ability to cope with ecological variation through behavioural flexibility (as measured by relative brain size). After accounting for the effects of phylogenetic uncertainty and interspecific variation in adaptive potential, we confirm that although climate warming is generally correlated with major body size reductions in North American migrants, these responses are significantly weaker in species with larger relative brain sizes. Our findings suggest that cognition can play an important role in organismal responses to global change by actively buffering individuals from the environmental effects of warming temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Justin W Baldwin
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Joan Garcia-Porta
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
| | - Carlos A Botero
- Department of Biology, Washington University, St. Louis, Missouri, USA
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18
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Lamarre J, Wilson DR. Waterbird solves the string-pull test. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:211343. [PMID: 34966556 PMCID: PMC8633784 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
String-pulling is among the most widespread cognitive tasks used to test problem-solving skills in mammals and birds. The task requires animals to comprehend that pulling on a non-valuable string moves an otherwise inaccessible food reward to within their reach. Although at least 90 avian species have been administered the string-pull test, all but five of them were perching birds (passeriformes) or parrots (psittaciformes). Waterbirds (Aequorlitornithes) are poorly represented in the cognitive literature, yet are known to engage in complex foraging behaviours. In this study, we tested whether free-living ring-billed gulls (Larus delawarensis), a species known for their behavioural flexibility and foraging innovativeness, could solve a horizontal string-pull test. Here, we show that 25% (26/104) of the ring-billed gulls that attempted to solve the test at least once over a maximum of three trials were successful, and that 21% of them (22/104) succeeded during their first attempt. Ring-billed gulls are thus the first waterbird known to solve a horizontal single-string-rewarded string-pull test. Since innovation rate and problem-solving are associated with species' ability to endure environmental alterations, we suggest that testing the problem-solving skills of other species facing environmental challenges will inform us of their vulnerability in a rapidly changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessika Lamarre
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, Canada
| | - David R. Wilson
- Department of Psychology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St John's, Canada
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19
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Pap PL, Osváth G, Daubner T, Nord A, Vincze O. Down feather morphology reflects adaptation to habitat and thermal conditions across the avian phylogeny. Evolution 2020; 74:2365-2376. [PMID: 32748406 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/26/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Down feathers are the first feather types that appear in both the phylogenetic and the ontogenetic history of birds. Although it is widely acknowledged that the primary function of downy elements is insulation, little is known about the interspecific variability in the structural morphology of these feathers, and the environmental factors that have influenced their evolution. Here, we collected samples of down and afterfeathers from 156 bird species and measured key morphological characters that define the insulatory properties of the downy layer. We then tested if habitat and climatic conditions could explain the observed between-species variation in down feather structure. We show that habitat has a very strong and clearly defined effect on down feather morphology. Feather size, barbule length and nodus density all decreased from terrestrial toward aquatic birds, with riparian species exhibiting intermediate characters. Wintering climate, expressed as windchill (a combined measure of the ambient temperature and wind speed) had limited effects on down morphology, colder climate only being associated with higher nodus density in dorsal down feathers. Overall, an aquatic lifestyle selects for a denser plumulaceous layer, while the effect of harsh wintering conditions on downy structures appear limited. These results provide key evidence of adaptations to habitat at the level of the downy layer, both on the scale of macro- and micro-elements of the plumage. Moreover, they reveal characters of convergent evolution in the avian plumage and mammalian fur, that match the varying needs of insulation in terrestrial and aquatic modes of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Péter L Pap
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Clinicilor Street 5-7, Cluj Napoca, RO-400006, Romania.,Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Debrecen, H-4032, Hungary
| | - Gergely Osváth
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Clinicilor Street 5-7, Cluj Napoca, RO-400006, Romania.,Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Egyetem tér 1, Debrecen, H-4032, Hungary.,Museum of Zoology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Clinicilor Street, 5-7, Cluj Napoca, RO-400006, Romania
| | - Timea Daubner
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Clinicilor Street 5-7, Cluj Napoca, RO-400006, Romania
| | - Andreas Nord
- Department of Biology, Section for Evolutionary Ecology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, Lund, SE-22362, Sweden
| | - Orsolya Vincze
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Clinicilor Street 5-7, Cluj Napoca, RO-400006, Romania.,Department of Tisza Research, MTA Centre for Ecological Research, Debrecen, Hungary
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20
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Wagnon GS, Brown CR. Smaller brained cliff swallows are more likely to die during harsh weather. Biol Lett 2020; 16:20200264. [PMID: 32673545 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2020.0264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The cognitive-buffer hypothesis proposes that more harsh and unpredictable environments favour animals with larger brains and resulting greater cognitive skills. Comparisons across taxa have supported the hypothesis, but it has rarely been tested within a species. We measured brain size, as inferred from head dimensions, for 1141 cliff swallow specimens collected in western Nebraska, 1982-2018. Cliff swallows starving to death during unusual late-spring cold snaps had significantly smaller brains than those dying from other causes, suggesting that brain size in this species can affect foraging success and that greater cognitive ability may confer advantages when conditions exceed normal environmental extremes. Brain size declined significantly with the size of the breeding colony from which a specimen came. Larger brains may be favoured in smaller colonies that represent more unpredictable and more challenging social environments where there is less public information on food sources and less collective vigilance against predators, even in relatively normal conditions. Our results provide intraspecific support for the cognitive-buffer hypothesis and emphasize the potential evolutionary impact of rare climatic events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gigi S Wagnon
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tulsa, 800 S. Tucker Dr., Tulsa 74104, OK, USA
| | - Charles R Brown
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tulsa, 800 S. Tucker Dr., Tulsa 74104, OK, USA
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21
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Sayol F, Sol D, Pigot AL. Brain Size and Life History Interact to Predict Urban Tolerance in Birds. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
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22
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Minias P, Janiszewski T. Evolution of a conspicuous melanin-based ornament in gulls Laridae. J Evol Biol 2020; 33:682-693. [PMID: 32050039 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2019] [Revised: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 02/05/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Melanin- and carotenoid-based ornaments often signal different aspects of individual quality or similar components of quality under different environmental conditions and, thus, they may become evolutionarily integrated into a composite sexual trait. On the other hand, functionally and developmentally different characters (e.g. coloration characters of different developmental origin) are more likely to evolve independently from each other than more similar traits. Here, we examined evolutionary correlations between the occurrence of a conspicuous melanin-based ornament (hood) and carotenoid-based bare-part ornaments within gull family. We also aimed to identify major ecological, life-history and biogeographical predictors of hood occurrence and reconstruct evolutionary history of this ornament. We found that hood occurrence was associated with red or dark coloration of unfeathered traits (bill and legs), whereas combinations of hood with yellow carotenoid-based coloration of integument were evolutionarily avoided. Also, hood occurrence correlated negatively with the occurrence of other melanin-based plumage character (mantle). Breeding latitude and habitat were identified as major predictors of hood occurrence in gulls, as hoods were recorded more frequently in low-latitude and inland (rather than marine) species. Finally, our analysis provided support for evolutionary lability in hood occurrence, with a dominance of transitions towards hood loss in the evolutionary history of gulls. The results of our study provide one of the first evidence for a correlated evolution of melanin- and carotenoid-based ornaments in an avian lineage, which supports evolutionary modularity of developmentally and functionally different coloration traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Minias
- Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland
| | - Tomasz Janiszewski
- Department of Biodiversity Studies and Bioeducation, Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection, University of Łódź, Łódź, Poland
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23
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Frogs with denser group-spawning mature later and live longer. Sci Rep 2019; 9:13776. [PMID: 31551505 PMCID: PMC6760165 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-50368-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
The understanding of the intrinsic and extrinsic causes of longevity variation has deservedly received much attention in evolutionary ecologist. Here we tested the association between longevity and spawning-site groups across 38 species of Chinese anurans. As indicators of group-spawning we used spawning-site group size and spawning-site density, which we measured at 152 spawning sites in the field. We found that both spawning-site density and group size were positively associated with longevity. Male group-spawning (e.g., male spawning-site density and male spawning-site group size) was also positively correlated with longevity. A phylogenetic path analysis further revealed that longevity seems directly associated with spawning-site density and group size, and that the association in part depend on the 'groups-spawning-age at first reproduction' association. Our findings suggest that the increased group-spawning are likely to benefit in declining extrinsic mortality rates and living longer through improving total anti-predator behaviour under predation pressure.
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24
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Austin MW, Dunlap AS. Intraspecific Variation in Worker Body Size Makes North American Bumble Bees (Bombus spp.) Less Susceptible to Decline. Am Nat 2019; 194:381-394. [DOI: 10.1086/704280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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25
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Fristoe TS, Botero CA. Alternative ecological strategies lead to avian brain size bimodality in variable habitats. Nat Commun 2019; 10:3818. [PMID: 31444351 PMCID: PMC6707158 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-11757-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
The ecological contexts that promote larger brains have received considerable attention, but those that result in smaller-than-expected brains have been largely overlooked. Here, we use a global sample of 2062 species to provide evidence that metabolic and life history tradeoffs govern the evolution of brain size in birds and play an important role in defining the ecological strategies capable of persisting in Earth's most thermally variable and unpredictable habitats. While some birds cope with extreme winter conditions by investing in large brains (e.g., greater capacity for planning, innovation, and behavioral flexibility), others have small brains and invest instead in traits that allow them to withstand or recover from potentially deadly events. Specifically, these species are restricted to large body sizes, diets consisting of difficult-to-digest but readily available foods, and high reproductive output. Overall, our findings highlight the importance of considering strategic tradeoffs when investigating potential drivers of brain size evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Trevor S Fristoe
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464, Konstanz, Germany.
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, Campus Box 1137, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63130-4899, USA.
| | - Carlos A Botero
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, Campus Box 1137, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO, 63130-4899, USA
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26
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Minias P. Evolution of heterophil/lymphocyte ratios in response to ecological and life‐history traits: A comparative analysis across the avian tree of life. J Anim Ecol 2019; 88:554-565. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Minias
- Department of Biodiversity Studies and BioeducationFaculty of Biology and Environmental ProtectionUniversity of Łódź Łódź Poland
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27
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An Updated Theoretical Framework for Human Sexual Selection: from Ecology, Genetics, and Life History to Extended Phenotypes. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-018-0103-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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28
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Guzman LM, Germain RM, Forbes C, Straus S, O'Connor MI, Gravel D, Srivastava DS, Thompson PL. Towards a multi-trophic extension of metacommunity ecology. Ecol Lett 2018; 22:19-33. [PMID: 30370702 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Revised: 07/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Metacommunity theory provides an understanding of how spatial processes determine the structure and function of communities at local and regional scales. Although metacommunity theory has considered trophic dynamics in the past, it has been performed idiosyncratically with a wide selection of possible dynamics. Trophic metacommunity theory needs a synthesis of a few influential axis to simplify future predictions and tests. We propose an extension of metacommunity ecology that addresses these shortcomings by incorporating variability among trophic levels in 'spatial use properties'. We define 'spatial use properties' as a set of traits (dispersal, migration, foraging and spatial information processing) that set the spatial and temporal scales of organismal movement, and thus scales of interspecific interactions. Progress towards a synthetic predictive framework can be made by (1) documenting patterns of spatial use properties in natural food webs and (2) using theory and experiments to test how trophic structure in spatial use properties affects metacommunity dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Melissa Guzman
- Department of Zoology & Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Rachel M Germain
- Department of Zoology & Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.,Department of Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Coreen Forbes
- Department of Zoology & Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Samantha Straus
- Department of Zoology & Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Mary I O'Connor
- Department of Zoology & Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Dominique Gravel
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Diane S Srivastava
- Department of Zoology & Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Patrick L Thompson
- Department of Zoology & Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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29
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Heldstab SA, Isler K, van Schaik CP. Hibernation constrains brain size evolution in mammals. J Evol Biol 2018; 31:1582-1588. [PMID: 30030877 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13353] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2018] [Revised: 07/09/2018] [Accepted: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The expensive brain hypothesis predicts that the lowest stable level of steady energy input acts as a strong constraint on a species' brain size, and thus, that periodic troughs in net energy intake should select for reduced brain size relative to body mass. Here, we test this prediction for the extreme case of hibernation. Hibernators drastically reduce food intake for up to several months and are therefore expected to have smaller relative brain sizes than nonhibernating species. Using a comparative phylogenetic approach on brain size estimates of 1104 mammalian species, and controlling for possible confounding variables, we indeed found that the presence of hibernation in mammals is correlated with decreased relative brain size. This result adds to recent comparative work across mammals and amphibians supporting the idea that environmental seasonality (where in extremis hibernation is necessary for survival) imposes an energetic challenge and thus acts as an evolutionary constraint on relative brain size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra A Heldstab
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Karin Isler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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30
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Sayol F, Downing PA, Iwaniuk AN, Maspons J, Sol D. Predictable evolution towards larger brains in birds colonizing oceanic islands. Nat Commun 2018; 9:2820. [PMID: 30065283 PMCID: PMC6068123 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-05280-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 06/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Theory and evidence suggest that some selective pressures are more common on islands than in adjacent mainland habitats, leading evolution to follow predictable trends. The existence of predictable evolutionary trends has nonetheless been difficult to demonstrate, mainly because of the challenge of separating in situ evolution from sorting processes derived from colonization events. Here we use brain size measurements of >1900 avian species to reveal the existence of one such trend: increased brain size in island dwellers. Based on sister-taxa comparisons and phylogenetic ancestral trait estimations, we show that species living on islands have relatively larger brains than their mainland relatives and that these differences mainly reflect in situ evolution rather than varying colonization success. Our findings reinforce the view that in some instances evolution may be predictable, and yield insight into why some animals evolve larger brains despite substantial energetic and developmental costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferran Sayol
- CREAF, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), 08193, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
| | - Philip A Downing
- Department of Biology, Molecular Ecology and Evolution Laboratory, Lund University, 223 62, Lund, Sweden
| | - Andrew N Iwaniuk
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, AB, T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Joan Maspons
- CREAF, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), 08193, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Daniel Sol
- CREAF, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), 08193, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
- CSIC, Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès), 08913, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain.
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31
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Yu X, Zhong MJ, Li DY, Jin L, Liao WB, Kotrschal A. Large-brained frogs mature later and live longer. Evolution 2018; 72:1174-1183. [PMID: 29611630 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Xin Yu
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education); China West Normal University; Nanchong Sichuan 637009 China
- Institute of Eco-Adaptation in Amphibians and Reptiles; China West Normal University; Nanchong Sichuan 637009 China
| | - Mao Jun Zhong
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education); China West Normal University; Nanchong Sichuan 637009 China
- Institute of Eco-Adaptation in Amphibians and Reptiles; China West Normal University; Nanchong Sichuan 637009 China
| | - Da Yong Li
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education); China West Normal University; Nanchong Sichuan 637009 China
- Institute of Eco-Adaptation in Amphibians and Reptiles; China West Normal University; Nanchong Sichuan 637009 China
| | - Long Jin
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education); China West Normal University; Nanchong Sichuan 637009 China
- Institute of Eco-Adaptation in Amphibians and Reptiles; China West Normal University; Nanchong Sichuan 637009 China
| | - Wen Bo Liao
- Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education); China West Normal University; Nanchong Sichuan 637009 China
- Institute of Eco-Adaptation in Amphibians and Reptiles; China West Normal University; Nanchong Sichuan 637009 China
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32
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Vincze O, Vágási CI, Pap PL, Palmer C, Møller AP. Wing morphology, flight type and migration distance predict accumulated fuel load in birds. J Exp Biol 2018; 222:jeb.183517. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.183517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 11/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Birds often accumulate large fat and protein reserves to fuel long-distance flights. While it is well known that species that fly the longest accumulate the largest amounts of fuel, considerable cross-species variation in fuel load is seen after controlling for overall migration distance. It remains unclear whether this variation can be explained by aerodynamic attributes of different species, despite obvious ecological and conservation implications. Here we collected data on wing morphology, flight type, migration distance and fuel load from 213 European bird species and explored three questions: (1) Does maximum fuel load relate to migration distance across species?; (2) Does wing morphology, as described by wing aspect ratio and wing loading, influence maximum fuel load, and; (3) Does flight type influence maximum fuel load? Our results indicate that maximum fuel load increases with migration across species, but residual variance is high. Our results indicate that maximum fuel load is also correlated with migration distance, but again residual variance is high. The latter variance is explained by aspect ratio and flight type, while wing loading and body mass explain little variance. Birds with slender wings accumulate less fuel than species with low wing aspect ratio when covering a similar migration distance. Continuously flapping species accumulate the largest amounts of fuel, followed by flapping and soaring, flapping and gliding species, while the smallest fuel loads were observed in birds with passerine-type flight. These results highlight complex eco-evolutionary adaptations to migratory behaviour, pointing toward the importance of energy-minimisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orsolya Vincze
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, RO-400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Csongor I. Vágási
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, RO-400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Péter László Pap
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, RO-400006 Cluj-Napoca, Romania
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, H-4032 Debrecen, Hungary
| | - Colin Palmer
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Anders Pape Møller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, F-91405 Orsay Cedex, France
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33
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Zhao CL, Jin L, Zhong MJ, Xie F, Jiang JP, Li DY, Liao WB. Cerebellum size is positively correlated with geographic distribution range in anurans. ANIM BIOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1163/15707563-17000121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The ‘cognitive buffer’ hypothesis predicts that the costs of relatively large brains are compensated for later in life by the increased benefits of large brains providing a higher chance of survival under changing environments through flexible behaviors in the animal kingdom. Thus, animals that live in a larger range (with a higher probability of environmental variation) are expected to have larger brains than those that live in a restricted geographic range. Here, to test the prediction of the ‘cognitive buffer’ hypothesis that larger brains should be expected to occur in species living in geographic ranges of larger size, we analyzed the relationship between the size of the geographic range and brain size and the size of various brain regions among 42 species of anurans using phylogenetic comparative methods. The results show that there is no correlation between relative brain size and size of the species’ geographic range when correcting for phylogenetic effects and body size. Our findings suggest that the effects of the cognitive buffer and the energetic constraints on brains result in non-significant variation in overall brain size. However, the geographic range is positively correlated with cerebellum size, but not with optic tecta, suggesting that species distributed in a wider geographic range do not exhibit larger optic tecta which would provide behavioral flexibility to allow for an early escape from potential predators and discovery of new food resources in unpredictable environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Lin Zhao
- 1Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China
| | - Long Jin
- 1Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China
| | - Mao Jun Zhong
- 1Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China
| | - Feng Xie
- 2Chengdu Institute Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Jian Ping Jiang
- 2Chengdu Institute Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, China
| | - Da Yong Li
- 1Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China
- 3Institute of Rare Animals and Plants, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China
| | - Wen Bo Liao
- 1Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China
- 3Institute of Rare Animals and Plants, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China
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Osváth G, Daubner T, Dyke G, Fuisz TI, Nord A, Pénzes J, Vargancsik D, Vágási CI, Vincze O, Pap PL. How feathered are birds? Environment predicts both the mass and density of body feathers. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Osváth
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupHungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeş‐Bolyai University Cluj Napoca Romania
- Museum of ZoologyBabeş‐Bolyai University Cluj Napoca Romania
- Behavioural Ecology Research GroupDepartment of Evolutionary Zoology and Human BiologyUniversity of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary
| | - Timea Daubner
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupHungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeş‐Bolyai University Cluj Napoca Romania
| | - Gareth Dyke
- Behavioural Ecology Research GroupDepartment of Evolutionary Zoology and Human BiologyUniversity of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary
- Department of GeologyBabeş‐Bolyai University Cluj Napoca Romania
| | | | - Andreas Nord
- Department of Arctic and Marine BiologyArctic Animal PhysiologyUniversity of Tromsø Tromsø Norway
- Department of BiologySection for Evolutionary EcologyLund University Lund Sweden
| | - Janka Pénzes
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupHungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeş‐Bolyai University Cluj Napoca Romania
| | - Dorottya Vargancsik
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupHungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeş‐Bolyai University Cluj Napoca Romania
| | - Csongor I. Vágási
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupHungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeş‐Bolyai University Cluj Napoca Romania
- Behavioural Ecology Research GroupDepartment of Evolutionary Zoology and Human BiologyUniversity of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary
| | - Orsolya Vincze
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupHungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeş‐Bolyai University Cluj Napoca Romania
- Behavioural Ecology Research GroupDepartment of Evolutionary Zoology and Human BiologyUniversity of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary
| | - Péter L. Pap
- Evolutionary Ecology GroupHungarian Department of Biology and EcologyBabeş‐Bolyai University Cluj Napoca Romania
- Behavioural Ecology Research GroupDepartment of Evolutionary Zoology and Human BiologyUniversity of Debrecen Debrecen Hungary
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35
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Big brains stabilize populations and facilitate colonization of variable habitats in birds. Nat Ecol Evol 2017; 1:1706-1715. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0316-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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36
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González-Forero M, Faulwasser T, Lehmann L. A model for brain life history evolution. PLoS Comput Biol 2017; 13:e1005380. [PMID: 28278153 PMCID: PMC5344330 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1005380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Complex cognition and relatively large brains are distributed across various taxa, and many primarily verbal hypotheses exist to explain such diversity. Yet, mathematical approaches formalizing verbal hypotheses would help deepen the understanding of brain and cognition evolution. With this aim, we combine elements of life history and metabolic theories to formulate a metabolically explicit mathematical model for brain life history evolution. We assume that some of the brain's energetic expense is due to production (learning) and maintenance (memory) of energy-extraction skills (or cognitive abilities, knowledge, information, etc.). We also assume that individuals use such skills to extract energy from the environment, and can allocate this energy to grow and maintain the body, including brain and reproductive tissues. The model can be used to ask what fraction of growth energy should be allocated at each age, given natural selection, to growing brain and other tissues under various biological settings. We apply the model to find uninvadable allocation strategies under a baseline setting ("me vs nature"), namely when energy-extraction challenges are environmentally determined and are overcome individually but possibly with maternal help, and use modern-human data to estimate model's parameter values. The resulting uninvadable strategies yield predictions for brain and body mass throughout ontogeny and for the ages at maturity, adulthood, and brain growth arrest. We find that: (1) a me-vs-nature setting is enough to generate adult brain and body mass of ancient human scale and a sequence of childhood, adolescence, and adulthood stages; (2) large brains are favored by intermediately challenging environments, moderately effective skills, and metabolically expensive memory; and (3) adult skill is proportional to brain mass when metabolic costs of memory saturate the brain metabolic rate allocated to skills.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Timm Faulwasser
- Laboratoire d’Automatique, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- Institute for Applied Computer Science, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
| | - Laurent Lehmann
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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37
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Gu J, Li DY, Luo Y, Ying SB, Zhang LY, Shi QM, Chen J, Zhang SP, Zhou ZM, Liao WB. Brain size in Hylarana guentheri seems unaffected by variation in temperature and growth season. ANIM BIOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1163/15707563-00002533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Brain size varies dramatically between vertebrate species. Two prominent adaptive hypotheses – the Cognitive Buffer Hypothesis (CBH) and the Expensive Brain Hypothesis (EBH) – have been proposed to explain brain size evolution. The CBH assumes that brain size should increase with seasonality, as the cognitive benefits of a larger brain should help overcoming periods of food scarcity via, for example, increased behavioral flexibility. Alternatively, the EBH states that brain size should decrease with seasonality because a smaller brain confers energetic benefits in periods of food scarcity. Here, to test the two adaptive hypotheses by studying the effects of variation in temperature and growth season on variations in overall brain size and the size of specific brain regions (viz. olfactory nerves, olfactory bulbs, telencephalon, optic tectum and cerebellum) among Hylarana guentheri populations. Inconsistent with the predictions of both the EBH and the CBH, variation in temperature and growth season did not exhibit correlations with overall brain size and the size of brain regions across populations. Hence, our data do not provide support for either the EBH or the CBH to explain brain size variation in H. guentheri. Furthermore, brain size variation did not differ between males and females in this species. Our findings suggest that both the variation in temperature and growth season did not shape the variation in brain size in H. guentheri.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jun Gu
- 1Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China
| | - Da Yong Li
- 1Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China
| | - Yi Luo
- 1Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China
| | - Song Bei Ying
- 1Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China
| | - Lan Ya Zhang
- 1Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China
| | - Qing Mao Shi
- 2Micangshan Nature Reserve, Wangcang, 628200, Sichuan, China
| | - Jian Chen
- 2Micangshan Nature Reserve, Wangcang, 628200, Sichuan, China
| | - Shi Peng Zhang
- 2Micangshan Nature Reserve, Wangcang, 628200, Sichuan, China
| | - Zhao Min Zhou
- 1Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China
| | - Wen Bo Liao
- 1Key Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, Sichuan, China
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38
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Sayol F, Maspons J, Lapiedra O, Iwaniuk AN, Székely T, Sol D. Environmental variation and the evolution of large brains in birds. Nat Commun 2016; 7:13971. [PMID: 28004733 PMCID: PMC5192215 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms13971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2016] [Accepted: 11/17/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental variability has long been postulated as a major selective force in the evolution of large brains. However, assembling evidence for this hypothesis has proved difficult. Here, by combining brain size information for over 1,200 bird species with remote-sensing analyses to estimate temporal variation in ecosystem productivity, we show that larger brains (relative to body size) are more likely to occur in species exposed to larger environmental variation throughout their geographic range. Our reconstructions of evolutionary trajectories are consistent with the hypothesis that larger brains (relative to body size) evolved when the species invaded more seasonal regions. However, the alternative—that the species already possessed larger brains when they invaded more seasonal regions—cannot be completely ruled out. Regardless of the exact mechanism, our findings provide strong empirical support for the association between large brains and environmental variability. Environmental variation has been hypothesized to favour the evolution of large brains capable of adjusting behaviour to changing circumstances. Here, Sayol et al. find that across more than 1200 bird species, species with relatively large brains are indeed associated with more variable habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ferran Sayol
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Catalonia, Spain
| | - Joan Maspons
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Catalonia, Spain
| | - Oriol Lapiedra
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 01238, USA
| | - Andrew N Iwaniuk
- Department of Neuroscience, Canadian Centre for Behavioural Neuroscience, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta T1K 3M4, Canada
| | - Tamás Székely
- Milner Centre of Evolution, Department of Biology &Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath BA2 7AY, UK
| | - Daniel Sol
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Catalonia, Spain.,CSIC, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193 Catalonia, Spain
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