1
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Peftuloglu D, Bonestroo S, Lenders R, Smid HM, Dicke M, van Loon JJA, Haverkamp A. Olfactory learning in Pieris brassicae butterflies is dependent on the intensity of a plant-derived oviposition cue. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240533. [PMID: 39109969 PMCID: PMC11305133 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2024] [Revised: 05/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/12/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Butterflies, like many insects, use gustatory and olfactory cues innately to assess the suitability of an oviposition site and are able to associate colours and leaf shapes with an oviposition reward. Studies on other insects have demonstrated that the quality of the reward is a crucial factor in forming associative memory. We set out to investigate whether the large cabbage white Pieris brassicae (Linnaeus) has the ability to associate an oviposition experience with a neutral olfactory cue. In addition, we tested whether the strength of this association is dependent on the gustatory response to the glucosinolate sinigrin, which is a known oviposition stimulus for P. brassicae. Female butterflies were able to associate a neutral odour with an oviposition experience after a single oviposition experience, both in a greenhouse and in a semi-natural outdoor setting. Moreover, butterflies performed best when trained with concentrations of sinigrin that showed the strongest response by specific gustatory neurons on the forelegs. Our study provides novel insight into the role of both gustatory and olfactory cues during oviposition learning in lepidopterans and contributes to a better understanding of how these insects might be able to adapt to a rapidly changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dimitri Peftuloglu
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen6708PB, The Netherlands
| | - Stefan Bonestroo
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen6708PB, The Netherlands
| | - Roos Lenders
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen6708PB, The Netherlands
| | - Hans M. Smid
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen6708PB, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel Dicke
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen6708PB, The Netherlands
| | - Joop J. A. van Loon
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen6708PB, The Netherlands
| | - Alexander Haverkamp
- Laboratory of Entomology, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen6708PB, The Netherlands
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2
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Wen C, Wang C, Guo X, Li H, Xiao H, Wen J, Dong S. Object use in insects. INSECT SCIENCE 2024; 31:1001-1014. [PMID: 37828914 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Revised: 08/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/14/2023]
Abstract
Insects are the most diverse group of organisms in the animal kingdom, and some species exhibit complex social behaviors. Although research on insect object use is still in its early stages, insects have already been shown to display rich object-use behaviors. This review focuses on patterns and behavioral flexibility in insect object-use behavior, and the role of cultural evolution in the development of object-use behaviors. Object use in insects is not widespread but has been documented in a diverse set of taxa. Some insects can use objects flexibly and display various object-use patterns. Like mammals and birds, insects use objects in diverse activities, including foraging, predator defense, courtship, and play. Intelligence, pre-existing manipulative behaviors, and anatomical structure affect innovations in object use. In addition, learning and imitation are the main mechanisms underlying the spread of object-use behaviors within populations. Given that insects are one of the major animal groups engaging in object use, studies of insect object use could provide general insights into object use in the animal kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Wen
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Cai Wang
- College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Xiaoli Guo
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Forest Pest Control, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Hongyu Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Forest Pest Control, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Haijun Xiao
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Junbao Wen
- Beijing Key Laboratory for Forest Pest Control, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Shikui Dong
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
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3
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Muth F. Bumblebees show capacity for behavioral traditions. Learn Behav 2024; 52:137-138. [PMID: 37430032 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-023-00594-0] [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] [Accepted: 06/23/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
A new study shows that bumblebees learn socially, and this resulted in a novel behavior becoming dominant across a group. These findings highlight the opportunity going forward to use social insects to address how simple cognitive mechanisms can underpin the development of complex behavioral phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felicity Muth
- Department of Integrative Biology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, USA.
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4
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Zhou D, Dong S, Ge J, Chittka L, Wang C, Wen C, Wen J. Bumblebees attend to both the properties of the string and the target in string-pulling tasks, but prioritize the features of the string. INSECT SCIENCE 2024. [PMID: 38693760 DOI: 10.1111/1744-7917.13373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2024] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/03/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies have demonstrated that associative learning and experience play important roles in the string-pulling of bumblebees (Bombus terrestris). However, the features of the target (artificial flower with sugar reward) and the string that bees learn in such tasks remain unknown. This study aimed to explore the specific aspects of the string-flower arrangement that bumblebees learn and how they prioritize these features. We show that bumblebees trained with string-pulling are sensitive to the flower stimuli; they exhibit a preference for pulling strings connected to flowers over strings that are not attached to a target. Additionally, they chose to pull strings attached to flowers of the same color and shape as experienced during training. The string feature also plays a crucial role for bumblebees when the flower features are identical. Furthermore, bees prioritized the features of the strings rather than the flowers when both cues were in conflict. Our results show that bumblebees solve string-pulling tasks by acquiring knowledge about the characteristics of both targets and strings, and contribute to a deeper understanding of the cognitive processes employed by bees when tackling non-natural skills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dongbo Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35, Tsinghua East Road, Beijing, China
| | - Shunping Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35, Tsinghua East Road, Beijing, China
| | - Jin Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lars Chittka
- Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Cai Wang
- College of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chao Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35, Tsinghua East Road, Beijing, China
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Junbao Wen
- State Key Laboratory of Efficient Production of Forest Resources, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35, Tsinghua East Road, Beijing, China
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5
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Loukola OJ, Antinoja A, Mäkelä K, Arppi J, Peng F, Solvi C. Evidence for socially influenced and potentially actively coordinated cooperation by bumblebees. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240055. [PMID: 38689557 PMCID: PMC11061644 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0055] [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: 09/08/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Cooperation is common in animals, yet the specific mechanisms driving collaborative behaviour in different species remain unclear. We investigated the proximate mechanisms underlying the cooperative behaviour of bumblebees in two different tasks, where bees had to simultaneously push a block in an arena or a door at the end of a tunnel for access to reward. In both tasks, when their partner's entry into the arena/tunnel was delayed, bees took longer to first push the block/door compared with control bees that learned to push alone. In the tunnel task, just before gaining access to reward, bees were more likely to face towards their partner than expected by chance or compared with controls. These results show that bumblebees' cooperative behaviour is not simply a by-product of individual efforts but is socially influenced. We discuss how bees' turning behaviours, e.g. turning around before first reaching the door when their partner was delayed and turning back towards the door in response to seeing their partner heading towards the door, suggest the potential for active coordination. However, because these behaviours could also be interpreted as combined responses to social and secondary reinforcement cues, future studies are needed to help clarify whether bumblebees truly use active coordination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olli J. Loukola
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, 90014, Finland
| | - Anna Antinoja
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, 90014, Finland
- Biology Centre of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Entomology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branisovska 31, 37005, Czech Republic
| | - Kaarle Mäkelä
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, 90014, Finland
| | - Janette Arppi
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, Oulu, 90014, Finland
| | - Fei Peng
- Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, People's Republic of China
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, People's Republic of China
| | - Cwyn Solvi
- Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, 510515, People's Republic of China
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6
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Fiala A, Kaun KR. What do the mushroom bodies do for the insect brain? Twenty-five years of progress. Learn Mem 2024; 31:a053827. [PMID: 38862175 PMCID: PMC11199942 DOI: 10.1101/lm.053827.123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024]
Abstract
In 1998, a special edition of Learning & Memory was published with a discrete focus of synthesizing the state of the field to provide an overview of the function of the insect mushroom body. While molecular neuroscience and optical imaging of larger brain areas were advancing, understanding the basic functioning of neuronal circuits, particularly in the context of the mushroom body, was rudimentary. In the past 25 years, technological innovations have allowed researchers to map and understand the in vivo function of the neuronal circuits of the mushroom body system, making it an ideal model for investigating the circuit basis of sensory encoding, memory formation, and behavioral decisions. Collaborative efforts within the community have played a crucial role, leading to an interactive connectome of the mushroom body and accessible genetic tools for studying mushroom body circuit function. Looking ahead, continued technological innovation and collaborative efforts are likely to further advance our understanding of the mushroom body and its role in behavior and cognition, providing insights that generalize to other brain structures and species.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Fiala
- Department of Molecular Neurobiology of Behaviour, University of Göttingen, Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Karla R Kaun
- Department of Neuroscience, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island 02806, USA
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7
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Szczuka A, Sochacka-Marlowe A, Korczyńska J, Mazurkiewicz PJ, Symonowicz B, Kukina O, Godzińska EJ. Do They Know What They Are Doing? Cognitive Aspects of Rescue Behaviour Directed by Workers of the Red Wood Ant Formica polyctena to Nestmate Victims Entrapped in Artificial Snares. Life (Basel) 2024; 14:515. [PMID: 38672785 PMCID: PMC11051173 DOI: 10.3390/life14040515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2024] [Revised: 04/05/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Ant rescue behaviour belongs to the most interesting subcategories of prosocial and altruistic behaviour encountered in the animal world. Several studies suggested that ants are able to identify what exactly restrains the movements of another individual and to direct their rescue behaviour precisely to that object. To shed more light on the question of how precise the identification of the source of restraint of another ant is, we investigated rescue behaviour of red wood ant Formica polyctena workers, using a new version of an artificial snare bioassay in which a nestmate victim bore two wire loops on its body, one (acting as a snare) placed on its petiole and an additional one on its leg. The tested ants did not preferentially direct their rescue behaviour towards the snare. Moreover, the overall strategy adopted by the most active rescuers was not limited to precisely targeted rescue attempts directed towards the snare, but consisted of frequent switching between various subcategories of rescue behaviour. These findings highlight the importance of precise identification of cognitive processes and overall behavioural strategies for better understanding of causal factors underlying animal helping behaviour in light of new facts discovered by testing of various successive research hypotheses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Szczuka
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
| | - Alicja Sochacka-Marlowe
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
- Department of Biology and Integrated Bioscience Program, University of Akron, Akron, OH 44325, USA
| | - Julita Korczyńska
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
| | - Paweł Jarosław Mazurkiewicz
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
- College of Inter-Faculty Individual Studies in Mathematics and Natural Sciences (MISMaP), University of Warsaw, Stefana Banacha St. 2c, PL 02-097 Warsaw, Poland
| | - Beata Symonowicz
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
| | - Olga Kukina
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
- Department of Entomology, Phytopathology and Physiology, Ukrainian Research Institute of Forestry and Forest Melioration, Pushkinska St. 86, 61024 Kharkiv, Ukraine
| | - Ewa Joanna Godzińska
- Laboratory of Ethology, Nencki Institute of Experimental Biology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Ludwika Pasteura St. 3, PL 02-093 Warsaw, Poland; (A.S.); (A.S.-M.); (J.K.); (P.J.M.); (B.S.); (O.K.)
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8
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Rautio IV, Holmberg EH, Kurup D, Dunn BA, Whitlock JR. A novel paradigm for observational learning in rats. Cogn Neurodyn 2024; 18:757-767. [PMID: 38699625 PMCID: PMC11061086 DOI: 10.1007/s11571-023-10022-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Revised: 09/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/12/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The ability to learn by observing the behavior of others is energy efficient and brings high survival value, making it an important learning tool that has been documented in a myriad of species in the animal kingdom. In the laboratory, rodents have proven useful models for studying different forms of observational learning, however, the most robust learning paradigms typically rely on aversive stimuli, like foot shocks, to drive the social acquisition of fear. Non-fear-based tasks have also been used but they rarely succeed in having observer animals perform a new behavior de novo. Consequently, little known regarding the cellular mechanisms supporting non-aversive types of learning, such as visuomotor skill acquisition. To address this we developed a reward-based observational learning paradigm in adult rats, in which observer animals learn to tap lit spheres in a specific sequence by watching skilled demonstrators, with successful trials leading to rewarding intracranial stimulation in both observers and performers. Following three days of observation and a 24-hour delay, observer animals outperformed control animals on several metrics of task performance and efficiency, with a subset of observers demonstrating correct performance immediately when tested. This paradigm thus introduces a novel tool to investigate the neural circuits supporting observational learning and memory for visuomotor behavior, a phenomenon about which little is understood, particularly in rodents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ida V. Rautio
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Olav Kyrresg gate 9, Trondheim, 7089 Norway
| | - Ella Holt Holmberg
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Olav Kyrresg gate 9, Trondheim, 7089 Norway
| | - Devika Kurup
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Olav Kyrresg gate 9, Trondheim, 7089 Norway
| | - Benjamin A. Dunn
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Olav Kyrresg gate 9, Trondheim, 7089 Norway
- Department of Mathematical Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Alfred Getz vei 1, Trondheim, 7491 Norway
| | - Jonathan R. Whitlock
- Kavli Institute for Systems Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Olav Kyrresg gate 9, Trondheim, 7089 Norway
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9
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Bridges AD, Royka A, Wilson T, Lockwood C, Richter J, Juusola M, Chittka L. Bumblebees socially learn behaviour too complex to innovate alone. Nature 2024; 627:572-578. [PMID: 38448580 PMCID: PMC10954542 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-07126-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/08/2024]
Abstract
Culture refers to behaviours that are socially learned and persist within a population over time. Increasing evidence suggests that animal culture can, like human culture, be cumulative: characterized by sequential innovations that build on previous ones1. However, human cumulative culture involves behaviours so complex that they lie beyond the capacity of any individual to independently discover during their lifetime1-3. To our knowledge, no study has so far demonstrated this phenomenon in an invertebrate. Here we show that bumblebees can learn from trained demonstrator bees to open a novel two-step puzzle box to obtain food rewards, even though they fail to do so independently. Experimenters were unable to train demonstrator bees to perform the unrewarded first step without providing a temporary reward linked to this action, which was removed during later stages of training. However, a third of naive observer bees learned to open the two-step box from these demonstrators, without ever being rewarded after the first step. This suggests that social learning might permit the acquisition of behaviours too complex to 're-innovate' through individual learning. Furthermore, naive bees failed to open the box despite extended exposure for up to 24 days. This finding challenges a common opinion in the field: that the capacity to socially learn behaviours that cannot be innovated through individual trial and error is unique to humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice D Bridges
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
| | - Amanda Royka
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Tara Wilson
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Charlotte Lockwood
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Jasmin Richter
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Mikko Juusola
- School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Neuroscience Institute, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Lars Chittka
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
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10
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Vargas-Vargas IL, Pérez-Hernández E, González D, Rosetti MF, Contreras-Galindo J, Roldán-Roldán G. Evidence of long-term allocentric spatial memory in the Terrestrial Hermit Crab Coenobita compressus. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0293358. [PMID: 37883496 PMCID: PMC10602228 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0293358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Spatial learning is a complex cognitive skill and ecologically important trait scarcely studied in crustaceans. We investigated the ability of the Pacific (Ecuadorian) hermit crab Coenobita compressus, to learn an allocentric spatial task using a palatable novel food as reward. Crabs were trained to locate the reward in a single session of eleven consecutive trials and tested subsequently, for short- (5 min) and long-term memory 1, 3 and 7 days later. Our results indicate that crabs were able to learn the location of the reward as they showed a reduction in the time required to find the food whenever it was present, suggesting a visuo-spatial and olfactory cue-guided task resolution. Moreover, crabs also remember the location of the reward up to 7 days after training using spatial cues only (without the food), as evidenced by the longer investigation time they spent in the learned food location than in any other part of the experimental arena, suggesting a visuo-spatial memory formation. This study represents the first description of allocentric spatial long-term memory in a terrestrial hermit crab.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilse Lorena Vargas-Vargas
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Estefany Pérez-Hernández
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Daniel González
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Marcos Francisco Rosetti
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
- Instituto National de Psiquiatría, Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City, Mexico
| | | | - Gabriel Roldán-Roldán
- Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico City, Mexico
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11
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Alcalde Anton A, Young FJ, Melo-Flórez L, Couto A, Cross S, McMillan WO, Montgomery SH. Adult neurogenesis does not explain the extensive post-eclosion growth of Heliconius mushroom bodies. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230755. [PMID: 37885989 PMCID: PMC10598442 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/28/2023]
Abstract
Among butterflies, Heliconius have a unique behavioural profile, being the sole genus to actively feed on pollen. Heliconius learn the location of pollen resources, and have enhanced visual memories and expanded mushroom bodies, an insect learning and memory centre, relative to related genera. These structures also show extensive post-eclosion growth and developmental sensitivity to environmental conditions. However, whether this reflects plasticity in neurite growth, or an extension of neurogenesis into the adult stage, is unknown. Adult neurogenesis has been described in some Lepidoptera, and could provide one route to the increased neuron number observed in Heliconius. Here, we compare volumetric changes in the mushroom bodies of freshly eclosed and aged Heliconius erato and Dryas iulia, and estimate the number of intrinsic mushroom body neurons using a new and validated automated method to count nuclei. Despite extensive volumetric variation associated with age, our data show that neuron number is remarkably constant in both species, suggesting a lack of adult neurogenesis in the mushroom bodies. We support this conclusion with assays of mitotic cells, which reveal very low levels of post-eclosion cell division. Our analyses provide an insight into the evolution of neural plasticity, and can serve as a basis for continued exploration of the potential mechanisms behind brain development and maturation.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fletcher J. Young
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | | | - Antoine Couto
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Stephen Cross
- Wolfson Bioimaging Centre, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | | | - Stephen H. Montgomery
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Gamboa, Panama
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12
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Paus-Knudsen JS, Sveinsson HA, Grung M, Borgå K, Nielsen A. The Neonicotinoid Imidacloprid Impairs Learning, Locomotor Activity Levels, and Sucrose Solution Consumption in Bumblebees (Bombus terrestris). ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2023; 42:1337-1345. [PMID: 36942385 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Bumblebees carry out the complex task of foraging to provide for their colonies. They also conduct pollination, an ecosystem service of high importance to both wild plants and entomophilous crops. Insecticides can alter different aspects of bumblebee foraging behavior, including the motivation to leave the hive, finding the right flowers, handling flowers, and the ability to return to the colony. In the present study, we assessed how the neonicotinoid imidacloprid affects bumblebees' foraging behavior after exposure to four different treatment levels, including field-realistic concentrations (0 [control], 1, 10, and 100 μg/L), through sucrose solution over 9 days. We observed the behavior of several free-flying bumblebees simultaneously foraging on artificial flowers in a flight arena to register the bees' complex behavior postexposure. To conduct a detailed assessment of how insecticides affect bumblebee locomotor behavior, we used video cameras and analyzed the recordings using computer vision. We found that imidacloprid impaired learning and locomotor activity level when the bumblebees foraged on artificial flowers. We also found that imidacloprid exposure reduced sucrose solution intake and storage. By using automated analyses of video recordings of bumblebee behavior, we identified sublethal effects of imidacloprid exposure at field-realistic doses. Specifically, we observed negative impacts on consumption of sucrose solution as well as on learning and locomotor activity level. Our results highlight the need for more multimodal approaches when assessing the sublethal effects of insecticides and plant protection products in general. Environ Toxicol Chem 2023;42:1337-1345. © 2023 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Sørlie Paus-Knudsen
- Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Biosciences, Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Henrik Andersen Sveinsson
- Department of Biosciences, Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Physics, The NJORD Centre, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Merete Grung
- Department of Biosciences, Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian Institute for Water Research, Oslo, Norway
| | - Katrine Borgå
- Department of Biosciences, Section for Aquatic Biology and Toxicology, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Anders Nielsen
- Department of Biosciences, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Landscape and Biodiversity, Norwegian Institute for Bioeconomy Research, Ås, Norway
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13
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Moura PA, Cardoso MZ, Montgomery SH. No evidence of social learning in a socially roosting butterfly in an associative learning task. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20220490. [PMID: 37194257 PMCID: PMC10189306 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Insects may acquire social information by active communication and through inadvertent social cues. In a foraging setting, the latter may indicate the presence and quality of resources. Although social learning in foraging contexts is prevalent in eusocial species, this behaviour has been hypothesized to also exist between conspecifics in non-social species with sophisticated behaviours, including Heliconius butterflies. Heliconius are the only butterfly genus with active pollen feeding, a dietary innovation associated with a specialized, spatially faithful foraging behaviour known as trap-lining. Long-standing hypotheses suggest that Heliconius may acquire trap-line information by following experienced individuals. Indeed, Heliconius often aggregate in social roosts, which could act as 'information centres', and present conspecific following behaviour, enhancing opportunities for social learning. Here, we provide a direct test of social learning ability in Heliconius using an associative learning task in which naive individuals completed a colour preference test in the presence of demonstrators trained to feed randomly or with a strong colour preference. We found no evidence that Heliconius erato, which roost socially, used social information in this task. Combined with existing field studies, our results add to data which contradict the hypothesized role of social learning in Heliconius foraging behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila A. Moura
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, 59078-970, Brazil
| | - Marcio Z. Cardoso
- Departamento de Ecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, RN, 59078-970, Brazil
- Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-902, Brazil
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14
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Bridges AD, Chittka L. Escaping anthropocentrism in the study of non-human culture: Comment on "Blind alleys and fruitful pathways in the comparative study of cultural cognition" by Andrew Whiten. Phys Life Rev 2023; 44:267-269. [PMID: 36796122 DOI: 10.1016/j.plrev.2023.01.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/28/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Alice D Bridges
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK.
| | - Lars Chittka
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
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15
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Morales J. Tracing the origins of consciousness. PHILOSOPHICAL PSYCHOLOGY 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/09515089.2023.2176746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jorge Morales
- Department of Philosophy, Northeastern University, Huntington Ave, Boston, MA
- Department of Psychology, Northeastern University, Huntington Ave, Boston, MA
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16
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Rivi V, Benatti C, Rigillo G, Blom JMC. Invertebrates as models of learning and memory: investigating neural and molecular mechanisms. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb244844. [PMID: 36719249 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.244844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
In this Commentary, we shed light on the use of invertebrates as model organisms for understanding the causal and conserved mechanisms of learning and memory. We provide a condensed chronicle of the contribution offered by mollusks to the studies on how and where the nervous system encodes and stores memory and describe the rich cognitive capabilities of some insect species, including attention and concept learning. We also discuss the use of planarians for investigating the dynamics of memory during brain regeneration and highlight the role of stressful stimuli in forming memories. Furthermore, we focus on the increasing evidence that invertebrates display some forms of emotions, which provides new opportunities for unveiling the neural and molecular mechanisms underlying the complex interaction between stress, emotions and cognition. In doing so, we highlight experimental challenges and suggest future directions that we expect the field to take in the coming years, particularly regarding what we, as humans, need to know for preventing and/or delaying memory loss. This article has an associated ECR Spotlight interview with Veronica Rivi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Rivi
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Cristina Benatti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
- Centre of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Giovanna Rigillo
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
| | - Joan M C Blom
- Centre of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
- Department of Biomedical, Metabolic and Neural Sciences, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, 41125 Modena, Italy
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17
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Fragoso FP, Brunet J. The decision-making process of leafcutting bees when selecting patches. Biol Lett 2023; 19:20220411. [PMID: 36789529 PMCID: PMC9929506 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0411] [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: 09/06/2022] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Change in land configuration is an important driver of pollinator decline. Understanding patch selection by bees in fragmented landscapes has therefore become imperative to guide the design of habitats that support pollinators and ensure their conservation. This is especially true for solitary bees that make up most bee species in the world. To elucidate the decision-making process of a solitary bee when selecting patches, we tested four models of patch attractiveness that differed in the role of patch size and isolation distance in the selection process. In these models, bees used both patch size and patch distance, only patch distance, or chose randomly among patches. When patch size was included, bees could estimate patch resources fully or partially. An experiment with a centre patch, surrounded by four peripheral patches of different sizes and distances from the centre, provided observed transition data to test against predictions derived from each of the models. The alfalfa leafcutting bee, Megachile rotundata, does not move randomly among patches. This bee uses both patch size and isolation distance when selecting a patch but can only evaluate patch resources partially. This knowledge can guide the design of habitats in fragmented landscapes to facilitate solitary bee conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabiana P. Fragoso
- United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service Research Participation Program - Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), Madison, WI 53711, USA
| | - Johanne Brunet
- Vegetable Crops Research Unit, United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Madison, WI 53711, USA
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18
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Poissonnier LA, Tait C, Lihoreau M. What is really social about social insect cognition? Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1001045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
It is often assumed that social life imposes specific cognitive demands for animals to communicate, cooperate and compete, ultimately requiring larger brains. The “social brain” hypothesis is supported by data in primates and some other vertebrates, but doubts have been raised over its applicability to other taxa, and in particular insects. Here, we review recent advances in insect cognition research and ask whether we can identify cognitive capacities that are specific to social species. One difficulty involved in testing the social brain hypothesis in insects is that many of the model species used in cognition studies are highly social (eusocial), and comparatively little work has been done in insects that live in less integrated social structures or that are solitary. As more species are studied, it is becoming clear that insects share a rich cognitive repertoire and that these abilities are not directly related to their level of social complexity. Moreover, some of the cognitive mechanisms involved in many social interactions may not differ from those involved in non-social behaviors. We discuss the need for a more comparative and neurobiologically grounded research agenda to better understand the evolution of insect brains and cognition.
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19
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Piva HC. Semiotically Mediated Human-Bee Communication in the Practice of Brazilian Meliponiculture. BIOSEMIOTICS 2022; 16:105-124. [PMID: 36620503 PMCID: PMC9803400 DOI: 10.1007/s12304-022-09519-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2022] [Revised: 12/14/2022] [Accepted: 12/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Stingless bees are among the most dominant pollinators in the south tropics. As such, the rational beekeeping of stingless bee species, called meliponiculture, is an ancient and relevant activity, related to sustainable agricultural development, and which connects traditional knowledge to innovation and novelty. Given the relevance of this topic, this paper discusses the possibilities of a semiotically mediated communication between humans and Meliponini (stingless bees). Zoosemiotics, as the studies of animal views of the world, is the ideal modelling system for the investigation of the possibilities of mutual understanding between these two species. Starting from the premise that, for there to be inter-specific communication, there must be a shared code, and that this depends on the biological makeup and sensory apparatus of both organisms involved in the communication process, this research suggests that a possible way to communicate with stingless bees is with the use of olfactory (chemical) signals, since this channel seems to be common to both humans and bees. Considering that for human-animal relations one party must be able to recognize the other (iconic learning), it is revealed that chemical signals do allow bees to recognize individual humans, even going so far as profiling this person as 'not a threat'. Finally, bees are seen to act cooperatively while the beekeeper is taking action to protect and maintain the nest, something that can be interpreted as an opening of semiotic relations, where the bees are deeming the beekeeper as part of their social group. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12304-022-09519-2.
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20
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Nöbel S, Monier M, Villa D, Danchin É, Isabel G. 2-D sex images elicit mate copying in fruit flies. Sci Rep 2022; 12:22127. [PMID: 36550183 PMCID: PMC9780341 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26252-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2022] [Accepted: 12/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the environment is three-dimensional (3-D), humans are able to extract subtle information from two-dimensional (2-D) images, particularly in the domain of sex. However, whether animals with simpler nervous systems are capable of such information extraction remains to be demonstrated, as this ability would suggest a functional generalisation capacity. Here, we performed mate-copying experiments in Drosophila melanogaster using 2-D artificial stimuli. Mate copying occurs when naïve females observe the mating success of potential mates and use that social information to build their own mating preference. By replacing live demonstrations with (i) photos or (ii) simplified images of copulating pairs, we found that even crudely simplified images of sexual intercourse still elicit mate copying, suggesting that Drosophila is able to extract sex-related information even from a degraded image. This new method constitutes a powerful tool to further investigate mate copying in that species and sexual preferences in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabine Nöbel
- Université Toulouse 1 Capitole and Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse (IAST), Esplanade de l’Université, 31080 Toulouse Cedex 06, France ,grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XLaboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, CNRS, IRD, UPS, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France ,grid.9018.00000 0001 0679 2801Department of Zoology, Animal Ecology, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Hoher Weg 8, 06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Magdalena Monier
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XLaboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, CNRS, IRD, UPS, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - David Villa
- grid.508721.9Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS UMR 5169, Université de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
| | - Étienne Danchin
- grid.15781.3a0000 0001 0723 035XLaboratoire Évolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB UMR 5174), Université de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, CNRS, IRD, UPS, 118 Route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France
| | - Guillaume Isabel
- grid.508721.9Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (CRCA), Centre de Biologie Intégrative (CBI), CNRS UMR 5169, Université de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse, France
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21
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Quilty-Dunn J, Porot N, Mandelbaum E. The best game in town: The reemergence of the language-of-thought hypothesis across the cognitive sciences. Behav Brain Sci 2022; 46:e261. [PMID: 36471543 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x22002849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Mental representations remain the central posits of psychology after many decades of scrutiny. However, there is no consensus about the representational format(s) of biological cognition. This paper provides a survey of evidence from computational cognitive psychology, perceptual psychology, developmental psychology, comparative psychology, and social psychology, and concludes that one type of format that routinely crops up is the language-of-thought (LoT). We outline six core properties of LoTs: (i) discrete constituents; (ii) role-filler independence; (iii) predicate-argument structure; (iv) logical operators; (v) inferential promiscuity; and (vi) abstract content. These properties cluster together throughout cognitive science. Bayesian computational modeling, compositional features of object perception, complex infant and animal reasoning, and automatic, intuitive cognition in adults all implicate LoT-like structures. Instead of regarding LoT as a relic of the previous century, researchers in cognitive science and philosophy-of-mind must take seriously the explanatory breadth of LoT-based architectures. We grant that the mind may harbor many formats and architectures, including iconic and associative structures as well as deep-neural-network-like architectures. However, as computational/representational approaches to the mind continue to advance, classical compositional symbolic structures - that is, LoTs - only prove more flexible and well-supported over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jake Quilty-Dunn
- Department of Philosophy and Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology Program, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA. , sites.google.com/site/jakequiltydunn/
| | - Nicolas Porot
- Africa Institute for Research in Economics and Social Sciences, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Rabat, Morocco. , nicolasporot.com
| | - Eric Mandelbaum
- Departments of Philosophy and Psychology, The Graduate Center & Baruch College, CUNY, New York, NY, USA. , ericmandelbaum.com
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22
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Prior associations affect bumblebees’ generalization performance in a tool-selection task. iScience 2022; 25:105466. [DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.105466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 09/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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23
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Do bumble bees play? Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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24
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How do soldier crabs behave when seeing vibrating robots? Biosystems 2022; 222:104776. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2022.104776] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 09/01/2022] [Accepted: 09/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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25
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Texas field crickets (Gryllus texensis) use visual cues to place learn but perform poorly when intra- and extra-maze cues conflict. Learn Behav 2022; 50:306-316. [DOI: 10.3758/s13420-022-00532-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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26
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Martin-Ordas G. Spontaneous relational and object similarity in wild bumblebees. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20220253. [PMID: 36043304 PMCID: PMC9428533 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2022.0253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Being able to abstract relations of similarity is considered one of the hallmarks of human cognition. While previous research has shown that other animals (e.g. primates) can attend to relational similarity, they struggle to focus on object similarity. This is in contrast with humans. And it is precisely the ability to attend to objects that it is argued to make relational reasoning uniquely human. What about invertebrates? Despite earlier studies indicating that bees are capable of learning abstract relationships (e.g. 'same' and 'different'), no research has investigated whether bees can spontaneously attend to relational similarity and whether they can do so when relational matches compete with object matches. To test this, a spatial matching task (with and without competing object matches) previously used with children and great apes was adapted for use with wild-caught bumblebees. When object matches were not present, bumblebees spontaneously used relational similarity. Importantly, when competing object matches were present, bumblebees still focused on relations over objects. These findings indicate that the absence of object bias is also present in invertebrates and suggest that the relational gap between humans and other animals is due to their preference for relations over objects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gema Martin-Ordas
- Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK
- Department of Psychology, University of Oviedo, 33003 Asturias, Spain
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27
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Moreyra S, Lozada M. Spatial configuration learning in
Vespula germanica
forager wasps. Ethology 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Moreyra
- Laboratorio Ecotono, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medio Ambiente (INIBIOMA), CONICET Universidad Nacional del Comahue (CRUB) Bariloche Argentina
| | - Mariana Lozada
- Laboratorio Ecotono, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medio Ambiente (INIBIOMA), CONICET Universidad Nacional del Comahue (CRUB) Bariloche Argentina
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28
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Chittka L, Rossi N. Social cognition in insects. Trends Cogn Sci 2022; 26:578-592. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2022.04.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2021] [Revised: 03/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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29
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The best of both worlds: Dual systems of reasoning in animals and AI. Cognition 2022; 225:105118. [PMID: 35453083 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2022.105118] [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: 02/10/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Much of human cognition involves two different types of reasoning that operate together. Type 1 reasoning systems are intuitive and fast, whereas Type 2 reasoning systems are reflective and slow. Why has our cognition evolved with these features? Both systems are coherent and in most ecological circumstances either alone is capable of coming up with the right answer most of the time. Neural tissue is costly, and thus far evolutionary models have struggled to identify a benefit of operating two systems of reasoning. To explore this issue we take a broad comparative perspective. We discuss how dual processes of cognition have enabled the emergence of selective attention in insects, transforming the learning capacities of these animals. Modern AIs using dual systems of learning are able to learn how their vast world works and how best to interact with it, allowing them to exceed human levels of performance in strategy games. We propose that the core benefits of dual processes of reasoning are to narrow down a problem space in order to focus cognitive resources most effectively.
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30
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Yang Q, Lin Z, Zhang W, Li J, Chen X, Zhang J, Yang T. Monkey plays Pac-Man with compositional strategies and hierarchical decision-making. eLife 2022; 11:74500. [PMID: 35286255 PMCID: PMC8963886 DOI: 10.7554/elife.74500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2021] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans can often handle daunting tasks with ease by developing a set of strategies to reduce decision-making into simpler problems. The ability to use heuristic strategies demands an advanced level of intelligence and has not been demonstrated in animals. Here, we trained macaque monkeys to play the classic video game Pac-Man. The monkeys’ decision-making may be described with a strategy-based hierarchical decision-making model with over 90% accuracy. The model reveals that the monkeys adopted the take-the-best heuristic by using one dominating strategy for their decision-making at a time and formed compound strategies by assembling the basis strategies to handle particular game situations. With the model, the computationally complex but fully quantifiable Pac-Man behavior paradigm provides a new approach to understanding animals’ advanced cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qianli Yang
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Zhongqiao Lin
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenyi Zhang
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jianshu Li
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiyuan Chen
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | | | - Tianming Yang
- Institute of Neuroscience, Key Laboratory of Primate Neurobiology, Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Center for Brain Science and Brain-Inspired Intelligence Technology, Shanghai, China
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31
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Colgan TJ, Arce AN, Gill RJ, Ramos Rodrigues A, Kanteh A, Duncan EJ, Li L, Chittka L, Wurm Y. Genomic Signatures of Recent Adaptation in a Wild Bumblebee. Mol Biol Evol 2022; 39:msab366. [PMID: 35134226 PMCID: PMC8845123 DOI: 10.1093/molbev/msab366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental changes threaten insect pollinators, creating risks for agriculture and ecosystem stability. Despite their importance, we know little about how wild insects respond to environmental pressures. To understand the genomic bases of adaptation in an ecologically important pollinator, we analyzed genomes of Bombus terrestris bumblebees collected across Great Britain. We reveal extensive genetic diversity within this population, and strong signatures of recent adaptation throughout the genome affecting key processes including neurobiology and wing development. We also discover unusual features of the genome, including a region containing 53 genes that lacks genetic diversity in many bee species, and a horizontal gene transfer from a Wolbachia bacteria. Overall, the genetic diversity we observe and how it is distributed throughout the genome and the population should support the resilience of this important pollinator species to ongoing and future selective pressures. Applying our approach to more species should help understand how they can differ in their adaptive potential, and to develop conservation strategies for those most at risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Colgan
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Andres N Arce
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Ascot, United Kingdom
| | - Richard J Gill
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Ascot, United Kingdom
| | - Ana Ramos Rodrigues
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Ascot, United Kingdom
| | - Abdoulie Kanteh
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth J Duncan
- School of Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - Li Li
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Lars Chittka
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Yannick Wurm
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
- Alan Turing Institute, London, United Kingdom
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32
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Lehmann KDS, Shogren FG, Fallick M, Watts JC, Schoenberg D, Wiegmann DD, Bingman VP, Hebets EA. Exploring Higher-Order Conceptual Learning in an Arthropod with a Large Multisensory Processing Center. INSECTS 2022; 13:insects13010081. [PMID: 35055924 PMCID: PMC8780652 DOI: 10.3390/insects13010081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary It is difficult to measure animal intelligence because the definition of ‘intelligence’ varies, and many animals are good at specific tasks used to measure intelligence or cognition. To address this, scientists often look for evidence of common cognitive abilities. One such ability, the ability to learn concepts, is thought to be rare in animals, especially invertebrates. Concepts include the ideas of ‘same’ and ‘different’. These concepts can be applied to anything in the environment while also being independent of those objects and can help animals understand and survive their environment. Amblypygids, a relative of spiders, live in tropical and subtropical areas, are very good learners, and have a large, complex brain region known to process information from multiple senses. We tested whether amblypygids could learn the concept of ‘same’ by training them to move toward a stimulus that matched with an initial stimulus. We also trained some individuals to learn the concept ‘different’ by training them to move toward a non-matching stimulus. When we used new stimuli, the amblypygids did not move toward the correct stimulus significantly more often than the incorrect stimulus, suggesting either they are unable to learn these higher-order concepts or our experimental design failed to elicit that ability. Abstract Comparative cognition aims to understand the evolutionary history and current function of cognitive abilities in a variety of species with diverse natural histories. One characteristic often attributed to higher cognitive abilities is higher-order conceptual learning, such as the ability to learn concepts independent of stimuli—e.g., ‘same’ or ‘different’. Conceptual learning has been documented in honeybees and a number of vertebrates. Amblypygids, nocturnal enigmatic arachnids, are good candidates for higher-order learning because they are excellent associational learners, exceptional navigators, and they have large, highly folded mushroom bodies, which are brain regions known to be involved in learning and memory in insects. In Experiment 1, we investigate if the amblypygid Phrynus marginimaculatus can learn the concept of same with a delayed odor matching task. In Experiment 2, we test if Paraphrynus laevifrons can learn same/different with delayed tactile matching and nonmatching tasks before testing if they can transfer this learning to a novel cross-modal odor stimulus. Our data provide no evidence of conceptual learning in amblypygids, but more solid conclusions will require the use of alternative experimental designs to ensure our negative results are not simply a consequence of the designs we employed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenna D. S. Lehmann
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; (K.D.S.L.); (F.G.S.); (M.F.); (D.S.)
| | - Fiona G. Shogren
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; (K.D.S.L.); (F.G.S.); (M.F.); (D.S.)
| | - Mariah Fallick
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; (K.D.S.L.); (F.G.S.); (M.F.); (D.S.)
| | - James Colton Watts
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA;
| | - Daniel Schoenberg
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; (K.D.S.L.); (F.G.S.); (M.F.); (D.S.)
| | - Daniel D. Wiegmann
- Department of Biological Sciences, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA;
- J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA;
| | - Verner P. Bingman
- J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA;
- Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
| | - Eileen A. Hebets
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA; (K.D.S.L.); (F.G.S.); (M.F.); (D.S.)
- Correspondence:
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Abstract
Bumblebees (Bombus) are charismatic and important pollinators. They are one of the best studied insect groups, especially in terms of ecology, behavior, and social structure. As many species are declining, there is a clear need to understand more about them. Microbial symbionts, which can influence many dimensions of animal life, likely have an outsized role in bumblebee biology. Recent research has shown that a conserved set of beneficial gut bacterial symbionts is ubiquitous across bumblebees. These bacteria are related to gut symbionts of honeybees, but have not been studied as intensively. Here we synthesize studies of bumblebee gut microbiota, highlight major knowledge gaps, and suggest future directions. Several patterns emerge, such as symbiont-host specificity maintained by sociality, frequent symbiont loss from individual bees, symbiont-conferred protection from trypanosomatid parasites, and divergence between bumblebee and honeybee microbiota in several key traits. For many facets of bumblebee-microbe interactions, however, underlying mechanisms and ecological functions remain unclear. Such information is important if we are to understand how bumblebees shape, and are shaped by, their gut microbiota. Bumblebees may provide a useful system for microbiome scientists, providing insights into general principles of host-microbe interactions. We also note how microbiota could influence bumblebee traits and responses to stressors. Finally, we propose that tinkering with the microbiota could be one way to aid bumblebee resilience in the face of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobin J. Hammer
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78703
- Corresponding author:
| | - Eli Le
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78703
| | - Alexia N. Martin
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78703
| | - Nancy A. Moran
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78703
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Sayre ME, Templin R, Chavez J, Kempenaers J, Heinze S. A projectome of the bumblebee central complex. eLife 2021; 10:e68911. [PMID: 34523418 PMCID: PMC8504972 DOI: 10.7554/elife.68911] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Insects have evolved diverse and remarkable strategies for navigating in various ecologies all over the world. Regardless of species, insects share the presence of a group of morphologically conserved neuropils known collectively as the central complex (CX). The CX is a navigational center, involved in sensory integration and coordinated motor activity. Despite the fact that our understanding of navigational behavior comes predominantly from ants and bees, most of what we know about the underlying neural circuitry of such behavior comes from work in fruit flies. Here, we aim to close this gap, by providing the first comprehensive map of all major columnar neurons and their projection patterns in the CX of a bee. We find numerous components of the circuit that appear to be highly conserved between the fly and the bee, but also highlight several key differences which are likely to have important functional ramifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcel Ethan Sayre
- Lund University, Lund Vision Group, Department of BiologyLundSweden
- Macquarie University, Department of Biological SciencesSydneyAustralia
| | - Rachel Templin
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of QueenslandBrisbaneSweden
| | - Johanna Chavez
- Lund University, Lund Vision Group, Department of BiologyLundSweden
| | | | - Stanley Heinze
- Lund University, Lund Vision Group, Department of BiologyLundSweden
- Lund University, NanoLundLundSweden
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Gweon H. Inferential social learning: cognitive foundations of human social learning and teaching. Trends Cogn Sci 2021; 25:896-910. [PMID: 34417094 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2021.07.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 07/17/2021] [Accepted: 07/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Social learning is often portrayed as a passive process of copying and trusting others. This view, however, does not fully capture what makes human social learning so powerful: social information is often 'curated' by helpful teachers. I argue that both learning from others (social learning) and helping others learn (teaching) can be characterized as probabilistic inferences guided by an intuitive understanding of how people think, plan, and act. Consistent with this idea, even young children draw rich inferences from evidence provided by others and generate informative evidence that helps others learn. By studying social learning and teaching through a common theoretical lens, inferential social learning provides an integrated account of how human cognition supports acquisition and communication of abstract knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hyowon Gweon
- Department of Psychology, Stanford University, 450 Jane Stanford Way, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
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36
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Extraordinary claims, extraordinary evidence? A discussion. Learn Behav 2021; 49:265-275. [PMID: 34378175 PMCID: PMC8410695 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-021-00474-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Roberts (2020, Learning & Behavior, 48[2], 191-192) discussed research claiming honeybees can do arithmetic. Some readers of this research might regard such claims as unlikely. The present authors used this example as a basis for a debate on the criterion that ought to be used for publication of results or conclusions that could be viewed as unlikely by a significant number of readers, editors, or reviewers.
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Gatto E, Loukola OJ, Agrillo C. Quantitative abilities of invertebrates: a methodological review. Anim Cogn 2021; 25:5-19. [PMID: 34282520 PMCID: PMC8904327 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01529-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2020] [Revised: 06/21/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Quantitative abilities are widely recognized to play important roles in several ecological contexts, such as foraging, mate choice, and social interaction. Indeed, such abilities are widespread among vertebrates, in particular mammals, birds, and fish. Recently, there has been an increasing number of studies on the quantitative abilities of invertebrates. In this review, we present the current knowledge in this field, especially focusing on the ecological relevance of the capacity to process quantitative information, the similarities with vertebrates, and the different methods adopted to investigate this cognitive skill. The literature argues, beyond methodological differences, a substantial similarity between the quantitative abilities of invertebrates and those of vertebrates, supporting the idea that similar ecological pressures may determine the emergence of similar cognitive systems even in distantly related species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elia Gatto
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131, Padua, Italy.
| | - Olli J Loukola
- Ecology and Genetics Research Unit, University of Oulu, POB 3000, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Christian Agrillo
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, 35131, Padua, Italy.,Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
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Rother L, Kraft N, Smith DB, El Jundi B, Gill RJ, Pfeiffer K. A micro-CT-based standard brain atlas of the bumblebee. Cell Tissue Res 2021; 386:29-45. [PMID: 34181089 PMCID: PMC8526489 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-021-03482-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/03/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In recent years, bumblebees have become a prominent insect model organism for a variety of biological disciplines, particularly to investigate learning behaviors as well as visual performance. Understanding these behaviors and their underlying neurobiological principles requires a clear understanding of brain anatomy. Furthermore, to be able to compare neuronal branching patterns across individuals, a common framework is required, which has led to the development of 3D standard brain atlases in most of the neurobiological insect model species. Yet, no bumblebee 3D standard brain atlas has been generated. Here we present a brain atlas for the buff-tailed bumblebee Bombus terrestris using micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) scans as a source for the raw data sets, rather than traditional confocal microscopy, to produce the first ever micro-CT-based insect brain atlas. We illustrate the advantages of the micro-CT technique, namely, identical native resolution in the three cardinal planes and 3D structure being better preserved. Our Bombus terrestris brain atlas consists of 30 neuropils reconstructed from ten individual worker bees, with micro-CT allowing us to segment neuropils completely intact, including the lamina, which is a tissue structure often damaged when dissecting for immunolabeling. Our brain atlas can serve as a platform to facilitate future neuroscience studies in bumblebees and illustrates the advantages of micro-CT for specific applications in insect neuroanatomy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa Rother
- Department of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Nadine Kraft
- Department of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Dylan B Smith
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Basil El Jundi
- Department of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074, Würzburg, Germany
| | - Richard J Gill
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park, Buckhurst Road, Ascot, Berkshire, SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Keram Pfeiffer
- Department of Behavioral Physiology and Sociobiology, Biocenter, University of Würzburg, 97074, Würzburg, Germany.
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Moreyra S, Lozada M. Spatial memory in Vespula germanica wasps: A pilot study using a Y-maze assay. Behav Processes 2021; 189:104439. [PMID: 34087348 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 05/28/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
In the present study we analysed spatial learning in Vespula germanica wasps when dealing with a walking Y-maze. We recorded the time taken to leave the maze during two consecutive visits and which of the two short arms was chosen to exit. Two treatments were conducted to evaluate whether wasps learned to leave the Y-maze guided either by spatial or visual cues. In Treatment 1, the colour of both arms remained unchanged between two consecutive visits; and in Treatment 2, the position of the coloured arm was switched after the first trial. Our results demonstrated that the time taken to exit the maze on the second trial was less than half in both treatments and wasps left the maze from the previously chosen arm, irrespective of its colour. This is the first study to demonstrate spatial learning in V. germanica wasps by using a walking Y-maze. Free flying wasps learned to enter the Y-maze on their own volition, walk through it, collect food and find their way out more rapidly after a single foraging experience. The current experimental device is suitable for the evaluation of spatial memory processes and exploratory behaviour in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Moreyra
- Laboratorio Ecotono, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medio Ambiente (INIBIOMA) - CONICET - Universidad Nacional del Comahue (CRUB), Quintral, 1250 (8400), Bariloche, Argentina
| | - Mariana Lozada
- Laboratorio Ecotono, Instituto de Investigaciones en Biodiversidad y Medio Ambiente (INIBIOMA) - CONICET - Universidad Nacional del Comahue (CRUB), Quintral, 1250 (8400), Bariloche, Argentina.
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40
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Overgaard M. Insect Consciousness. Front Behav Neurosci 2021; 15:653041. [PMID: 34093146 PMCID: PMC8175961 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2021.653041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The question of consciousness in other species, not least species very physically different from humans such as insects, is highly challenging for a number of reasons. One reason is that we do not have any available empirical method to answer the question. Another reason is that current theories of consciousness disagree about the relation between physical structure and consciousness, i.e., whether consciousness requires specific, say, neural structures or whether consciousness can be realized in different ways. This article sets out to analyze if and how there could be an empirical and/or a theoretical approach to the topic on the basis of current consciousness research in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morten Overgaard
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
- Center for Functionally Integrative Neuroscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
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41
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Evidence of anticipatory immune and hormonal responses to predation risk in an echinoderm. Sci Rep 2021; 11:10691. [PMID: 34021182 PMCID: PMC8139958 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-89805-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Accepted: 04/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent efforts have been devoted to the link between responses to non-physical stressors and immune states in animals, mostly using human and other vertebrate models. Despite evolutionary relevance, comparatively limited work on the appraisal of predation risk and aspects of cognitive ecology and ecoimmunology has been carried out in non-chordate animals. The present study explored the capacity of holothuroid echinoderms to display an immune response to both reactive and anticipatory predatory stressors. Experimental trials and a mix of behavioural, cellular and hormonal markers were used, with a focus on coelomocytes (analogues of mammalian leukocytes), which are the main components of the echinoderm innate immunity. Findings suggest that holothuroids can not only appraise threatening cues (i.e. scent of a predator or alarm signals from injured conspecifics) but prepare themselves immunologically, presumably to cope more efficiently with potential future injuries. The responses share features with recently defined central emotional states and wane after prolonged stress in a manner akin to habituation, which are traits that have rarely been shown in non-vertebrates, and never in echinoderms. Because echinoderms sit alongside chordates in the deuterostome clade, such findings offer unique insights into the adaptive value and evolution of stress responses in animals.
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Abstract
Culture can be defined as all that is learned from others and is repeatedly transmitted in this way, forming traditions that may be inherited by successive generations. This cultural form of inheritance was once thought specific to humans, but research over the past 70 years has instead revealed it to be widespread in nature, permeating the lives of a diversity of animals, including all major classes of vertebrates. Recent studies suggest that culture's reach may extend also to invertebrates-notably, insects. In the present century, the reach of animal culture has been found to extend across many different behavioral domains and to rest on a suite of social learning processes facilitated by a variety of selective biases that enhance the efficiency and adaptiveness of learning. Far-reaching implications, for disciplines from evolutionary biology to anthropology and conservation policies, are increasingly being explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Whiten
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9JP, UK.
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43
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Visuo-Motor Feedback Modulates Neural Activities in the Medulla of the Honeybee, Apis mellifera. J Neurosci 2021; 41:3192-3203. [PMID: 33608383 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.1824-20.2021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Revised: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioral and internal-state modulation of sensory processing has been described in several organisms. In insects, visual neurons in the optic lobe are modulated by locomotion, but the degree to which visual-motor feedback modulates these neurons remains unclear. Moreover, it also remains unknown whether self-generated and externally generated visual motion are processed differently. Here, we implemented a virtual reality system that allowed fine-scale control over visual stimulation in relation to animal motion, in combination with multichannel recording of neural activity in the medulla of a female honeybee (Apis mellifera). We found that this activity was modulated by locomotion, although, in most cases, only when the bee had behavioral control over the visual stimulus (i.e., in a closed-loop system). Moreover, closed-loop control modulated a third of the recorded neurons, and the application of octopamine (OA) evoked similar changes in neural responses that were observed in a closed loop. Additionally, in a subset of modulated neurons, fixation on a visual stimulus was preceded by an increase in firing rate. To further explore the relationship between neuromodulation and adaptive control of the visual environment of the bee, we modified motor gain sensitivity while locally injecting an OA receptor antagonist into the medulla. Whereas female honeybees were tuned to a motor gain of -2 to 2 (between the heading of the bee and its visual feedback), local disruption of the OA pathway in the medulla abolished this tuning, resulting in similar low levels of response across levels of motor gain. Our results show that behavioral control modulates neural activity in the medulla and ultimately impacts behavior.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT When moving, an animal generates the motion of the visual scene over its retina. We asked whether self-generated and externally generated optic flow are processed differently in the insect medulla. Our results show that closed-loop control of the visual stimulus modulates neural activity as early as the medulla and ultimately impacts behavior. Moreover, blocking octopaminergic modulation further disrupted object-tracking responses. Our results suggest that the medulla is an important site for context-dependent processing of visual information and that placing the animal in a closed-loop environment may be essential to understanding its visual cognition and processing.
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44
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Soley FG, Rodríguez RL, Höbel G, Eberhard WG. Insightful behaviour in arthropods? BEHAVIOUR 2021. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-bja10077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Arthropod behaviour is usually explained through ‘hard-wired’ motor routines and learning abilities that have been favoured by natural selection. We describe observations in which two arthropods solved rare and perhaps completely novel problems, and consider four possible explanations for their behaviours: (i) the behaviour was a pre-programmed motor routine evolved to solve this particular problem, or evolved for other functions but pre-programmed to be recruited for this function under certain conditions; (ii) it was learned previously; (iii) it resulted by chance; or (iv) it was the result of insightful behaviour. Pre-programmed solutions can be favoured by natural selection if they provide solutions to common or crucial problems. Given the apparent rarity of the problems that these animals solved, the solutions they employed are unlikely to represent innate behaviour. Learning and random chance seem unlikely, although we cannot rule them out completely. Possibly these animals employed some degree of insight.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando G. Soley
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, Ciudad Universitaria, Costa Rica
- Organization for Tropical Studies, Apartado 676-2050 San José, Costa Rica
| | - Rafael Lucas Rodríguez
- Behavioral & Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
| | - Gerlinde Höbel
- Behavioral & Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53201, USA
| | - William G. Eberhard
- Escuela de Biología, Universidad de Costa Rica, Ciudad Universitaria, Costa Rica
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Ancón, República de Panamá
- Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA
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45
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Collado MÁ, Menzel R, Sol D, Bartomeus I. Innovation in solitary bees is driven by exploration, shyness and activity levels. J Exp Biol 2021; 224:jeb232058. [PMID: 33443044 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.232058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Behavioural innovation and problem solving are widely considered to be important mechanisms by which animals respond to novel environmental challenges, including those induced by human activities. Despite their functional and ecological relevance, much of our current understanding of these processes comes from studies in vertebrates. Understanding of these processes in invertebrates has lagged behind partly because they are not perceived to have the cognitive machinery required. This perception is, however, challenged by recent evidence demonstrating sophisticated cognitive capabilities in insects despite their small brains. Here, we studied innovation, defined as the capacity to solve a new task, of a solitary bee (Osmia cornuta) in the laboratory by exposing naive individuals to an obstacle removal task. We also studied the underlying cognitive and non-cognitive mechanisms through a battery of experimental tests designed to measure associative learning, exploration, shyness and activity levels. We found that solitary bees can innovate, with 11 of 29 individuals (38%) being able to solve a new task consisting of lifting a lid to reach a reward. However, the propensity to innovate was uncorrelated with the measured learning capacity, but increased with exploration, boldness and activity. These results provide solid evidence that non-social insects can solve new tasks, and highlight the importance of interpreting innovation in the light of non-cognitive processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Á Collado
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avd. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
- CREAF (Centre for Ecological Research and Applied Forestries), Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia E-08193, Spain
| | - Randolf Menzel
- Freire Universität Berlin, Institut für Biologie - Neurobiologie, Königin-Luise-Str. 28/30, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Daniel Sol
- CREAF (Centre for Ecological Research and Applied Forestries), Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia E-08193, Spain
- CSIC (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia E-08193, Spain
| | - Ignasi Bartomeus
- Estación Biológica de Doñana (EBD-CSIC), Avd. Americo Vespucio 26, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
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Winsor AM, Pagoti GF, Daye DJ, Cheries EW, Cave KR, Jakob EM. What gaze direction can tell us about cognitive processes in invertebrates. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 564:43-54. [PMID: 33413978 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Revised: 11/30/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Most visually guided animals shift their gaze using body movements, eye movements, or both to gather information selectively from their environments. Psychological studies of eye movements have advanced our understanding of perceptual and cognitive processes that mediate visual attention in humans and other vertebrates. However, much less is known about how these processes operate in other organisms, particularly invertebrates. We here make the case that studies of invertebrate cognition can benefit by adding precise measures of gaze direction. To accomplish this, we briefly review the human visual attention literature and outline four research themes and several experimental paradigms that could be extended to invertebrates. We briefly review selected studies where the measurement of gaze direction in invertebrates has provided new insights, and we suggest future areas of exploration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex M Winsor
- Graduate Program in Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - Guilherme F Pagoti
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, Rua do Matão, 321, Travessa 14, Cidade Universitária, São Paulo, SP, 05508-090, Brazil
| | - Daniel J Daye
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA; Graduate Program in Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, RI, 02881, USA
| | - Erik W Cheries
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Kyle R Cave
- Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Jakob
- Department of Biology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
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Schnell AK, Clayton NS. Cephalopods: Ambassadors for rethinking cognition. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 2021; 564:27-36. [PMID: 33390247 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbrc.2020.12.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 12/14/2020] [Accepted: 12/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Traditional approaches in comparative cognition have a long history of focusing on a narrow range of vertebrate species. However, in recent years the range of model species has expanded. Despite this development, invertebrate taxa are still largely neglected in comparative cognition, which limits our ability to locate the origins of cognitive traits. The time has come to rethink cognition and develop a more comprehensive understanding of cognitive evolution by expanding comparative analyses to include a diverse range of invertebrate taxa. In this review, we contend that cephalopods are suitable ambassadors for rethinking cognition. Cephalopods have large complex brains, exhibit sophisticated behavioral traits, and increasing evidence suggests that they possess complex cognitive abilities once thought to be unique to large-brained vertebrates. Comparing cephalopods with vertebrates, whose cognition has evolved independently, provides prominent opportunities to circumvent current limitations in comparative cognition that have arisen from traditional vertebrate comparisons. Increased efforts in investigating the cognitive abilities of cephalopods have also led to important welfare-related improvements. These large-brained molluscs are paving the way for a more inclusive approach to investigating cognitive evolution that we hope will extend to other invertebrate taxa.
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Social Structure. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-82879-0_14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Maák I, Roelandt G, d'Ettorre P. A small number of workers with specific personality traits perform tool use in ants. eLife 2020; 9:61298. [PMID: 33295872 PMCID: PMC7725502 DOI: 10.7554/elife.61298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Ants use debris as tools to collect and transport liquid food to the nest. Previous studies showed that this behaviour is flexible whereby ants learn to use artificial material that is novel to them and select tools with optimal soaking properties. However, the process of tool use has not been studied at the individual level. We investigated whether workers specialise in tool use and whether there is a link between individual personality traits and tool use in the ant Aphaenogaster senilis. Only a small number of workers performed tool use and they did it repeatedly, although they also collected solid food. Personality predicted the probability to perform tool use: ants that showed higher exploratory activity and were more attracted to a prey in the personality tests became the new tool users when previous tool users were removed from the group. This suggests that, instead of extreme task specialisation, variation in personality traits within the colony may improve division of labour.
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Affiliation(s)
- István Maák
- Department of Ecology, University of Szeged, Szeged, Hungary.,Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Science, Warsaw, Poland
| | - Garyk Roelandt
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology UR 4443, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, Villetaneuse, France
| | - Patrizia d'Ettorre
- Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology UR 4443, University Sorbonne Paris Nord, Villetaneuse, France.,Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), Paris, France
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Krieger J, Hörnig MK, Laidre ME. Shells as 'extended architecture': to escape isolation, social hermit crabs choose shells with the right external architecture. Anim Cogn 2020; 23:1177-1187. [PMID: 32770436 PMCID: PMC7700067 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-020-01419-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2019] [Revised: 06/24/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Animals' cognitive abilities can be tested by allowing them to choose between alternatives, with only one alternative offering the correct solution to a novel problem. Hermit crabs are evolutionarily specialized to navigate while carrying a shell, with alternative shells representing different forms of 'extended architecture', which effectively change the extent of physical space an individual occupies in the world. It is unknown whether individuals can choose such architecture to solve novel navigational problems. Here, we designed an experiment in which social hermit crabs (Coenobita compressus) had to choose between two alternative shells to solve a novel problem: escaping solitary confinement. Using X-ray microtomography and 3D-printing, we copied preferred shell types and then made artificial alterations to their inner or outer shell architecture, designing only some shells to have the correct architectural fit for escaping the opening of an isolated crab's enclosure. In our 'escape artist' experimental design, crabs had to choose an otherwise less preferred shell, since only this shell had the right external architecture to allow the crab to free itself from isolation. Across multiple experiments, crabs were willing to forgo preferred shells and choose less preferred shells that enabled them to escape, suggesting these animals can solve novel navigational problems with extended architecture. Yet, it remains unclear if individuals solved this problem through trial-and-error or were aware of the deeper connection between escape and exterior shell architecture. Our experiments offer a foundation for further explorations of physical, social, and spatial cognition within the context of extended architecture.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jakob Krieger
- Department of Cytology and Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Soldmannstraße 23, 17489, Greifswald, Germany.
| | - Marie K Hörnig
- Department of Cytology and Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute and Museum, University of Greifswald, Soldmannstraße 23, 17489, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Mark E Laidre
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.
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