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Blackburn G, Ashton BJ, Thornton A, Hunter H, Woodiss-Field S, Ridley AR. Investigating the relationship between physical cognitive tasks and a social cognitive task in a wild bird. Anim Cogn 2024; 27:52. [PMID: 39060612 PMCID: PMC11281958 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-024-01892-4] [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: 03/06/2024] [Revised: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Despite considerable research into the structure of cognition in non-human animal species, there is still much debate as to whether animal cognition is organised as a series of discrete domains or an overarching general cognitive factor. In humans, the existence of general intelligence is widely accepted, but less work has been undertaken in animal psychometrics to address this question. The relatively few studies on non-primate animal species that do investigate the structure of cognition rarely include tasks assessing social cognition and focus instead on physical cognitive tasks. In this study, we tested 36 wild Western Australian magpies (Gymnorhina tibicen dorsalis) on a battery of three physical (associative learning, spatial memory, and numerical assessment) and one social (observational spatial memory) cognitive task, to investigate if cognition in this species fits a general cognitive factor model, or instead one of separate physical and social cognitive domains. A principal component analysis (PCA) identified two principal components with eigenvalues exceeding 1; a first component onto which all three physical tasks loaded strongly and positively, and a second component onto which only the social task (observational spatial memory) loaded strongly and positively. These findings provide tentative evidence for separate physical and social cognitive domains in this species, and highlight the importance of including tasks assessing both social and physical cognition in cognitive test batteries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace Blackburn
- Centre of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
| | - Benjamin J Ashton
- Centre of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Alex Thornton
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn, UK
| | - Holly Hunter
- Centre of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Sarah Woodiss-Field
- Centre of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Amanda R Ridley
- Centre of Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
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2
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Rochais C, Schradin C, Pillay N. Cognitive performance is linked to survival in free-living African striped mice. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230205. [PMID: 36883277 PMCID: PMC9993040 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0205] [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] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognition is shaped by evolution and is predicted to increase fitness. However, the link between cognition and fitness in free-living animals is unresolved. We studied the correlates of cognition and survival in a free-living rodent inhabiting an arid environment. We tested 143 striped mice (Rhabdomys pumilio) using a battery of cognitive tests, including: (i) an attention task, (ii) two problem-solving tasks, (iii) a learning and reversal learning task, and (iv) an inhibitory control task. We related cognitive performance with days of survival. Better problem-solving and inhibitory control performance were significant correlates of survival. Surviving males showed greater reversal learning which may be related to sex-specific behavioural and life-history characteristics. Specific cognitive traits and not a composite measure of general intelligence underpins fitness in this free-living rodent population, enhancing our understanding of the evolution of cognition in non-human animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celine Rochais
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Braamfontein 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Carsten Schradin
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Braamfontein 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa
- IPHC, UNISTRA, CNRS, 23 Rue du Loess, 67200 Strasbourg, France
| | - Neville Pillay
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Braamfontein 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa
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3
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Aghayerashti M, Bahrami Samani E, Ganjali M. Bayesian joint modeling of binomial and rank response with non-ignorable missing data for primate cognition. COMMUN STAT-THEOR M 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/03610926.2022.2163367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Maryam Aghayerashti
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Mathematical Science, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ehsan Bahrami Samani
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Mathematical Science, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mojtaba Ganjali
- Department of Statistics, Faculty of Mathematical Science, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
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4
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Woodley of Menie MA, Peñaherrera-Aguirre M. General Intelligence as a Major Source of Cognitive Variation Among Individuals of Three Species of Lemur, Uniting g with G. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s40806-021-00304-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/26/2023]
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5
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van Schaik CP, Triki Z, Bshary R, Heldstab SA. A Farewell to the Encephalization Quotient: A New Brain Size Measure for Comparative Primate Cognition. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2021; 96:1-12. [PMID: 34247154 DOI: 10.1159/000517013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Both absolute and relative brain sizes vary greatly among and within the major vertebrate lineages. Scientists have long debated how larger brains in primates and hominins translate into greater cognitive performance, and in particular how to control for the relationship between the noncognitive functions of the brain and body size. One solution to this problem is to establish the slope of cognitive equivalence, i.e., the line connecting organisms with an identical bauplan but different body sizes. The original approach to estimate this slope through intraspecific regressions was abandoned after it became clear that it generated slopes that were too low by an unknown margin due to estimation error. Here, we revisit this method. We control for the error problem by focusing on highly dimorphic primate species with large sample sizes and fitting a line through the mean values for adult females and males. We obtain the best estimate for the slope of circa 0.27, a value much lower than those constructed using all mammal species and close to the value expected based on the genetic correlation between brain size and body size. We also find that the estimate of cognitive brain size based on cognitive equivalence fits empirical cognitive studies better than the encephalization quotient, which should therefore be avoided in future studies on primates and presumably mammals and birds in general. The use of residuals from the line of cognitive equivalence may change conclusions concerning the cognitive abilities of extant and extinct primate species, including hominins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carel P van Schaik
- Department of Anthropology and Anthropological Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Zegni Triki
- Behavioral Ecology Laboratory, Faculty of Science, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland, .,Institute of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden,
| | - Redouan Bshary
- Behavioral Ecology Laboratory, Faculty of Science, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Sandra A Heldstab
- Department of Anthropology and Anthropological Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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6
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Caicoya AL, Amici F, Ensenyat C, Colell M. Comparative cognition in three understudied ungulate species: European bison, forest buffalos and giraffes. Front Zool 2021; 18:30. [PMID: 34158081 PMCID: PMC8218502 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-021-00417-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 04/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Comparative cognition has historically focused on a few taxa such as primates, birds or rodents. However, a broader perspective is essential to understand how different selective pressures affect cognition in different taxa, as more recently shown in several studies. Here we present the same battery of cognitive tasks to two understudied ungulate species with different socio-ecological characteristics, European bison (Bison bonasus) and forest buffalos (Syncerus caffer nanus), and we compare their performance to previous findings in giraffes (Giraffa camelopardalis). We presented subjects with an Object permanence task, Memory tasks with 30 and 60 s delays, two inference tasks based on acoustic cues (i.e. Acoustic inference tasks) and a control task to check for the use of olfactory cues (i.e. Olfactory task). Results Overall, giraffes outperformed bison and buffalos, and bison outperformed buffalos (that performed at chance level). All species performed better in the Object permanence task than in the Memory tasks and one of the Acoustic inference tasks (which they likely solved by relying on stimulus enhancement). Giraffes performed better than buffalos in the Shake full Acoustic inference task, but worse than bison and buffalos in the Shake empty Acoustic inference task. Conclusions In sum, our results are in line with the hypothesis that specific socio-ecological characteristics played a crucial role in the evolution of cognition, and that higher fission-fusion levels and larger dietary breadth are linked to higher cognitive skills. This study shows that ungulates may be an excellent model to test evolutionary hypotheses on the emergence of cognition. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12983-021-00417-w.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alvaro Lopez Caicoya
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. .,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Federica Amici
- Behavioral Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Research Group Primate Behavioural Ecology, Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Montserrat Colell
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.,Institute of Neurosciences, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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7
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Fichtel C, Dinter K, Kappeler PM. The lemur baseline: how lemurs compare to monkeys and apes in the Primate Cognition Test Battery. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10025. [PMID: 33024643 PMCID: PMC7520086 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Primates have relatively larger brains than other mammals even though brain tissue is energetically costly. Comparative studies of variation in cognitive skills allow testing of evolutionary hypotheses addressing socioecological factors driving the evolution of primate brain size. However, data on cognitive abilities for meaningful interspecific comparisons are only available for haplorhine primates (great apes, Old- and New World monkeys) although strepsirrhine primates (lemurs and lorises) serve as the best living models of ancestral primate cognitive skills, linking primates to other mammals. To begin filling this gap, we tested members of three lemur species (Microcebus murinus, Varecia variegata, Lemur catta) with the Primate Cognition Test Battery, a comprehensive set of experiments addressing physical and social cognitive skills that has previously been used in studies of haplorhines. We found no significant differences in cognitive performance among lemur species and, surprisingly, their average performance was not different from that of haplorhines in many aspects. Specifically, lemurs' overall performance was inferior in the physical domain but matched that of haplorhines in the social domain. These results question a clear-cut link between brain size and cognitive skills, suggesting a more domain-specific distribution of cognitive abilities in primates, and indicate more continuity in cognitive abilities across primate lineages than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Fichtel
- Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Klara Dinter
- Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Peter M Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Georg-August Universität, Göttingen, Germany
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8
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Schubiger MN, Fichtel C, Burkart JM. Validity of Cognitive Tests for Non-human Animals: Pitfalls and Prospects. Front Psychol 2020; 11:1835. [PMID: 32982822 PMCID: PMC7488350 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01835] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 07/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Comparative psychology assesses cognitive abilities and capacities of non-human animals and humans. Based on performance differences and similarities in various species in cognitive tests, it is inferred how their minds work and reconstructed how cognition might have evolved. Critically, such species comparisons are only valid and meaningful if the tasks truly capture individual and inter-specific variation in cognitive abilities rather than contextual variables that might affect task performance. Unlike in human test psychology, however, cognitive tasks for non-human primates (and most other animals) have been rarely evaluated regarding their measurement validity. We review recent studies that address how non-cognitive factors affect performance in a set of commonly used cognitive tasks, and if cognitive tests truly measure individual variation in cognitive abilities. We find that individual differences in emotional and motivational factors primarily affect performance via attention. Hence, it is crucial to systematically control for attention during cognitive tasks to obtain valid and reliable results. Aspects of test design, however, can also have a substantial effect on cognitive performance. We conclude that non-cognitive factors are a minor source of measurement error if acknowledged and properly controlled for. It is essential, however, to validate and eventually re-design several primate cognition tasks in order to ascertain that they capture the cognitive abilities they were designed to measure. This will provide a more solid base for future cognitive comparisons within primates but also across a wider range of non-human animal species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michèle N. Schubiger
- Evolutionary Cognition Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- World Ape Fund, London, United Kingdom
| | - Claudia Fichtel
- Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus “Primate Cognition”, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Judith M. Burkart
- Evolutionary Cognition Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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9
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Bastos APM, Taylor AH. Kea show three signatures of domain-general statistical inference. Nat Commun 2020; 11:828. [PMID: 32127523 PMCID: PMC7054307 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-14695-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
One key aspect of domain-general thought is the ability to integrate information across different cognitive domains. Here, we tested whether kea (Nestor notabilis) can use relative quantities when predicting sampling outcomes, and then integrate both physical information about the presence of a barrier, and social information about the biased sampling of an experimenter, into their predictions. Our results show that kea exhibit three signatures of statistical inference, and therefore can integrate knowledge across different cognitive domains to flexibly adjust their predictions of sampling events. This result provides evidence that true statistical inference is found outside of the great apes, and that aspects of domain-general thinking can convergently evolve in brains with a highly different structure from primates. This has important implications not only for our understanding of how intelligence evolves, but also for research focused on how to create artificial domain-general thought processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalia P M Bastos
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
| | - Alex H Taylor
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
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10
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Sorato E, Zidar J, Garnham L, Wilson A, Løvlie H. Heritabilities and co-variation among cognitive traits in red junglefowl. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0285. [PMID: 30104430 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 06/20/2018] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural selection can act on between-individual variation in cognitive abilities, yet evolutionary responses depend on the presence of underlying genetic variation. It is, therefore, crucial to determine the relative extent of genetic versus environmental control of these among-individual differences in cognitive traits to understand their causes and evolutionary potential. We investigated heritability of associative learning performance and of a cognitive judgement bias (optimism), as well as their covariation, in a captive pedigree-bred population of red junglefowl (Gallus gallus, n > 300 chicks over 5 years). We analysed performance in discriminative and reversal learning (two facets of associative learning), and cognitive judgement bias, by conducting animal models to disentangle genetic from environmental contributions. We demonstrate moderate heritability for reversal learning, and weak to no heritability for optimism and discriminative learning, respectively. The two facets of associative learning were weakly negatively correlated, consistent with hypothesized trade-offs underpinning individual cognitive styles. Reversal, but not discriminative learning performance, was associated with judgement bias; less optimistic individuals reversed a previously learnt association faster. Together these results indicate that genetic and environmental contributions differ among traits. While modular models of cognitive abilities predict a lack of common genetic control for different cognitive traits, further investigation is required to fully ascertain the degree of covariation between a broader range of cognitive traits and the extent of any shared genetic control.This article is part of the theme issue 'Causes and consequences of individual differences in cognitive abilities'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrico Sorato
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, Linköping 581 83, Sweden
| | - Josefina Zidar
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, Linköping 581 83, Sweden
| | - Laura Garnham
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, Linköping 581 83, Sweden
| | - Alastair Wilson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Hanne Løvlie
- Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, IFM Biology, Linköping University, Linköping 581 83, Sweden
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11
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van Horik JO, Langley EJ, Whiteside MA, Madden JR. A single factor explanation for associative learning performance on colour discrimination problems in common pheasants ( Phasianus colchicus). INTELLIGENCE 2019; 74:53-61. [PMID: 31217648 PMCID: PMC6558991 DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
It remains unclear whether performance of non-human animals on cognitive test batteries can be explained by domain general cognitive processes, as is found in humans. The persistence of this dispute is likely to stem from a lack of clarity of the psychological or neural processes involved. One broadly accepted cognitive process, that may predict performance in a range of psychometric tasks, is associative learning. We therefore investigated intra-individual performances on tasks that incorporate processes of associative learning, by assessing the speed of acquisition and reversal learning in up to 187 pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) on four related binary colour discrimination tasks. We found a strong, positive significant bivariate relationship between an individual's acquisition and reversal learning performances on one cue set. Weak, positive significant bivariate relationships were also found between an individual's performance on pairs of reversal tasks and between the acquisition and reversal performances on different cue sets. A single factor, robust to parallel analysis, explained 36% of variation in performance across tasks. Inter-individual variation could not be explained by differential prior experience, age, sex or body condition. We propose that a single factor explanation, which we call 'a', summarises the covariance among scores obtained from these visual discrimination tasks, as they all assess capacities for associative learning. We argue that 'a' may represent an underlying cognitive ability exhibited by an individual, which manifests across a variety of tasks requiring associative processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayden O. van Horik
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, Psychology, University of Exeter, UK
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12
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Hopkins WD, Li X, Roberts N. More intelligent chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) have larger brains and increased cortical thickness. INTELLIGENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2018.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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13
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Damerius LA, Burkart JM, van Noordwijk MA, Haun DB, Kosonen ZK, Galdikas BM, Saraswati Y, Kurniawan D, van Schaik CP. General cognitive abilities in orangutans (Pongo abelii and Pongo pygmaeus). INTELLIGENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2018.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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14
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Horschler DJ, Hare B, Call J, Kaminski J, Miklósi Á, MacLean EL. Absolute brain size predicts dog breed differences in executive function. Anim Cogn 2019; 22:187-198. [PMID: 30607673 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-018-01234-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2018] [Revised: 11/17/2018] [Accepted: 12/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Large-scale phylogenetic studies of animal cognition have revealed robust links between absolute brain volume and species differences in executive function. However, past comparative samples have been composed largely of primates, which are characterized by evolutionarily derived neural scaling rules. Therefore, it is currently unknown whether positive associations between brain volume and executive function reflect a broad-scale evolutionary phenomenon, or alternatively, a unique consequence of primate brain evolution. Domestic dogs provide a powerful opportunity for investigating this question due to their close genetic relatedness, but vast intraspecific variation. Using citizen science data on more than 7000 purebred dogs from 74 breeds, and controlling for genetic relatedness between breeds, we identify strong relationships between estimated absolute brain weight and breed differences in cognition. Specifically, larger-brained breeds performed significantly better on measures of short-term memory and self-control. However, the relationships between estimated brain weight and other cognitive measures varied widely, supporting domain-specific accounts of cognitive evolution. Our results suggest that evolutionary increases in brain size are positively associated with taxonomic differences in executive function, even in the absence of primate-like neuroanatomy. These findings also suggest that variation between dog breeds may present a powerful model for investigating correlated changes in neuroanatomy and cognition among closely related taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian Hare
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
| | - Josep Call
- Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Juliane Kaminski
- Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Ádám Miklósi
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Evan L MacLean
- School of Anthropology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85719, USA
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15
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Carvalho C, Gaspar A, Knight A, Vicente L. Ethical and Scientific Pitfalls Concerning Laboratory Research with Non-Human Primates, and Possible Solutions. Animals (Basel) 2018; 9:E12. [PMID: 30597951 PMCID: PMC6356609 DOI: 10.3390/ani9010012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2018] [Revised: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 12/24/2018] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Basic and applied laboratory research, whenever intrusive or invasive, presents substantial ethical challenges for ethical committees, be it with human beings or with non-human animals. In this paper we discuss the use of non-human primates (NHPs), mostly as animal models, in laboratory based research. We examine the two ethical frameworks that support current legislation and guidelines: deontology and utilitarianism. While human based research is regulated under deontological principles, guidelines for laboratory animal research rely on utilitarianism. We argue that the utilitarian framework is inadequate for this purpose: on the one hand, it is almost impossible to accurately predict the benefits of a study for all potential stakeholders; and on the other hand, harm inflicted on NHPs (and other animals) used in laboratory research is extensive despite the increasing efforts of ethics committees and the research community to address this. Although deontology and utilitarianism are both valid ethical frameworks, we advocate that a deontological approach is more suitable, since we arguably have moral duties to NHPs. We provide suggestions on how to ensure that research currently conducted in laboratory settings shifts towards approaches that abide by deontological principles. We assert that this would not impede reasonable scientific research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constança Carvalho
- Centre for Philosophy of Science of the University of Lisbon, Department Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1749-016, Portugal.
| | - Augusta Gaspar
- Catolica Research Center for Psychological, Family and Social Wellbeing (CRC-W), Universidade Católica Portuguesa, Palma de Cima, Lisboa 1649-023, Portugal.
| | - Andrew Knight
- Centre for Animal Welfare, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Winchester, Winchester SO22 4NR, UK.
| | - Luís Vicente
- Centre for Philosophy of Science of the University of Lisbon, Department Animal Biology, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, Lisbon 1749-016, Portugal.
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van Horik JO, Langley EJG, Whiteside MA, Laker PR, Madden JR. Intra-individual variation in performance on novel variants of similar tasks influences single factor explanations of general cognitive processes. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2018; 5:171919. [PMID: 30109047 PMCID: PMC6083680 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.171919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2017] [Accepted: 06/06/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Intra-individual variation in performance within and across cognitive domains may confound interpretations of both domain-general and domain-specific abilities. Such variation is rarely considered in animal test batteries. We investigate individual consistency in performance by presenting pheasant chicks (n = 31), raised under standardized conditions, with nine different cognitive tasks. Among these tasks were two replicated novel variants of colour learning and colour reversal problems, tests of positional learning and memory, as well as two different tasks that captured multiple putative measures of inhibitory control and motor-related performance. These task variants were also used to compare subjects' performance on alternative test batteries comprised of different task combinations. Subjects' performance improved with experience, yet we found relatively little consistency in their performance, both within similar tasks using different paradigms and across different tasks. Parallel analysis revealed non-significant factors when all nine tasks were included in a principal axis factor analysis. However, when different combinations of six of the nine tasks were included in principal axis factoring, 14 of 84 combinations revealed significant main factors, explaining between 28 and 35% of the variance in task performance. While comparable findings have been suggested to reflect domain-general intelligence in other species, we found no evidence to suggest that a single factor encompassed a diverse range of cognitive abilities in pheasants. Instead, we reveal how single factor explanations of cognitive processes can be influenced by test battery composition and intra-individual variation in performance across tasks. Our findings highlight the importance of conducting multiple tests within specific domains to ensure robust cognitive measures are obtained.
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Beran MJ, Hopkins WD. Self-Control in Chimpanzees Relates to General Intelligence. Curr Biol 2018; 28:574-579.e3. [PMID: 29429613 PMCID: PMC5820157 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.12.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 12/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
For humans, there appears to be a clear link between general intelligence and self-control behavior, such as sustained delay of gratification [1-9]. Chimpanzees also delay gratification [10-12] and can be given tests of general intelligence (g) [13-15], but these two constructs have never been compared within the same sample of nonhuman animals. We presented 40 chimpanzees with the hybrid delay task (HDT) [16, 17], which measures inter-temporal choices and the capacity for sustained delay of gratification, and the primate cognitive test battery (PCTB), which measures g in chimpanzees [13-15]. Importantly, none of the sub-tasks in the PCTB directly assesses self-control or other forms of behavioral inhibition. Rather, they assess areas of physical cognition (e.g., quantity discrimination) or social cognition (e.g., gaze following). In three phases of testing, we consistently found that the strongest relation was between chimpanzee g scores and efficiency in the HDT. Chimpanzee g was not most closely related to the proportion of trials the chimpanzees chose to try to wait for delayed rewards, but rather most closely related to how good they were at waiting for those rewards when they chose to do so. We also found the same strong relation between HDT efficiency and those factors in the PCTB that loaded most strongly on chimpanzee g. These results highlight that, as with humans, there is a strong relation between chimpanzees' self-control and overall intelligence-a relation that likely reflects the role of successful inhibitory control during cognitive processing of information and intelligent decision-making.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Beran
- Department of Psychology and Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA.
| | - William D Hopkins
- Neuroscience Institute and Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA 30302, USA; Division of Developmental and Cognitive Neuroscience, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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18
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Joly M, Micheletta J, De Marco A, Langermans JA, Sterck EHM, Waller BM. Comparing physical and social cognitive skills in macaque species with different degrees of social tolerance. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2016.2738. [PMID: 28904133 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2016] [Accepted: 08/01/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Contemporary evolutionary theories propose that living in groups drives the selection of enhanced cognitive skills to face competition and facilitate cooperation between individuals. Being able to coordinate both in space and time with others and make strategic decisions are essential skills for cooperating within groups. Social tolerance and an egalitarian social structure have been proposed as one specific driver of cooperation. Therefore, social tolerance is predicted to be associated with enhanced cognitive skills that underpin communication and coordination. Social tolerance should also be associated with enhanced inhibition, which is crucial for suppressing automatic responses and permitting delayed gratification in cooperative contexts. We tested the performance of four closely related non-human primate species (genus Macaca) characterized by different degrees of social tolerance on a large battery of cognitive tasks covering physical and social cognition, and on an inhibitory control task. All species performed at a comparable level on the physical cognition tasks but the more tolerant species outperformed the less tolerant species at a social cognition task relevant to cooperation and in the inhibitory control task. These findings support the hypothesis that social tolerance is associated with the evolution of sophisticated cognitive skills relevant for cooperative social living.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marine Joly
- Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Jérôme Micheletta
- Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Arianna De Marco
- Fondazione Ethoikos, Radicondoli, Italy.,Parco Faunistico di Piano dell'Abatino, Poggio San Lorenzo, Italy
| | | | - Elisabeth H M Sterck
- Biomedical Primate Research Center, Rijswijk, The Netherlands.,Animal Ecology, University of Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Bridget M Waller
- Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
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19
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20
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Cognitive test batteries in animal cognition research: evaluating the past, present and future of comparative psychometrics. Anim Cogn 2017; 20:1003-1018. [PMID: 28993917 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-017-1135-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2016] [Revised: 08/31/2017] [Accepted: 10/03/2017] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
For the past two decades, behavioural ecologists have documented consistent individual differences in behavioural traits within species and found evidence for animal "personality". It is only relatively recently, however, that increasing numbers of researchers have begun to investigate individual differences in cognitive ability within species. It has been suggested that cognitive test batteries may provide an ideal tool for this growing research endeavour. In fact, cognitive test batteries have now been used to examine the causes, consequences and underlying structure of cognitive performance within and between many species. In this review, we document the existing attempts to develop cognitive test batteries for non-human animals and review the claims that these studies have made in terms of the structure and evolution of cognition. We argue that our current test battery methods could be improved on multiple fronts, from the design of tasks, to the domains targeted and the species tested. Refining and optimising test battery design will provide many benefits. In future, we envisage that well-designed cognitive test batteries may provide answers to a range of exciting questions, including giving us greater insight into the evolution and structure of cognition.
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21
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Matzel LD, Sauce B. Individual differences: Case studies of rodent and primate intelligence. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY. ANIMAL LEARNING AND COGNITION 2017; 43:325-340. [PMID: 28981308 PMCID: PMC5646700 DOI: 10.1037/xan0000152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Early in the 20th century, individual differences were a central focus of psychologists. By the end of that century, studies of individual differences had become far less common, and attention to these differences played little role in the development of contemporary theory. To illustrate the important role of individual differences, here we consider variations in intelligence as a compelling example. General intelligence (g) has now been demonstrated in at least 2 distinct genera: primates (including humans, chimpanzees, bonobos, and tamarins) and rodents (mice and rats). The expression of general intelligence varies widely across individuals within a species; these variations have tremendous functional consequence, and are attributable to interactions of genes and environment. Here we provide evidence for these assertions, describe the processes that contribute to variations in general intelligence, as well as the methods that underlie the analysis of individual differences. We conclude by describing why consideration of individual differences is critical to our understanding of learning, cognition, and behavior, and illustrate how attention to individual differences can contribute to more effective administration of therapeutic strategies for psychological disorders. (PsycINFO Database Record
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis D Matzel
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University
| | - Bruno Sauce
- Department of Psychology, Program in Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience, Rutgers University
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22
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Abstract
AbstractHere, we specifically discuss why and to what extent we agree with Burkart et al. about the coexistence of general intelligence and modular cognitive adaptations, and why we believe that the distinction between primary and secondary modules they propose is indeed essential.
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23
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Holekamp KE, Benson-Amram S. The evolution of intelligence in mammalian carnivores. Interface Focus 2017; 7:20160108. [PMID: 28479979 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2016.0108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Although intelligence should theoretically evolve to help animals solve specific types of problems posed by the environment, it is unclear which environmental challenges favour enhanced cognition, or how general intelligence evolves along with domain-specific cognitive abilities. The social intelligence hypothesis posits that big brains and great intelligence have evolved to cope with the labile behaviour of group mates. We have exploited the remarkable convergence in social complexity between cercopithecine primates and spotted hyaenas to test predictions of the social intelligence hypothesis in regard to both cognition and brain size. Behavioural data indicate that there has been considerable convergence between primates and hyaenas with respect to their social cognitive abilities. Moreover, compared with other hyaena species, spotted hyaenas have larger brains and expanded frontal cortex, as predicted by the social intelligence hypothesis. However, broader comparative study suggests that domain-general intelligence in carnivores probably did not evolve in response to selection pressures imposed specifically in the social domain. The cognitive buffer hypothesis, which suggests that general intelligence evolves to help animals cope with novel or changing environments, appears to offer a more robust explanation for general intelligence in carnivores than any hypothesis invoking selection pressures imposed strictly by sociality or foraging demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay E Holekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, 288 Farm Lane, Room 203, East Lansing, MI 48824-1115, USA.,Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Michigan State University, 103 Giltner Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Sarah Benson-Amram
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Ave, Biological Science Building, Laramie, WY 82071, USA.,Program in Ecology, Berry Center, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
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24
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Abstract
The presence of general intelligence poses a major evolutionary puzzle, which has led to increased interest in its presence in nonhuman animals. The aim of this review is to critically evaluate this question and to explore the implications for current theories about the evolution of cognition. We first review domain-general and domain-specific accounts of human cognition in order to situate attempts to identify general intelligence in nonhuman animals. Recent studies are consistent with the presence of general intelligence in mammals (rodents and primates). However, the interpretation of a psychometric g factor as general intelligence needs to be validated, in particular in primates, and we propose a range of such tests. We then evaluate the implications of general intelligence in nonhuman animals for current theories about its evolution and find support for the cultural intelligence approach, which stresses the critical importance of social inputs during the ontogenetic construction of survival-relevant skills. The presence of general intelligence in nonhumans implies that modular abilities can arise in two ways, primarily through automatic development with fixed content and secondarily through learning and automatization with more variable content. The currently best-supported model, for humans and nonhuman vertebrates alike, thus construes the mind as a mix of skills based on primary and secondary modules. The relative importance of these two components is expected to vary widely among species, and we formulate tests to quantify their strength.
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25
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Great Apes Do Not Learn Novel Tool Use Easily: Conservatism, Functional Fixedness, or Cultural Influence? INT J PRIMATOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-016-9902-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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26
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Shaw RC, Boogert NJ, Clayton NS, Burns KC. Wild psychometrics: evidence for ‘general’ cognitive performance in wild New Zealand robins, Petroica longipes. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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27
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Barney BJ, Amici F, Aureli F, Call J, Johnson VE. Joint Bayesian Modeling of Binomial and Rank Data for Primate Cognition. J Am Stat Assoc 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/01621459.2015.1016223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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28
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Problem-solving and learning in Carib grackles: individuals show a consistent speed–accuracy trade-off. Anim Cogn 2014; 18:485-96. [DOI: 10.1007/s10071-014-0817-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2014] [Revised: 10/21/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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29
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Differences in cognitive abilities among primates are concentrated on G: Phenotypic and phylogenetic comparisons with two meta-analytical databases. INTELLIGENCE 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.intell.2014.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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30
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Crystal JD, Wilson AG. Prospective memory: a comparative perspective. Behav Processes 2014; 112:88-99. [PMID: 25101562 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.07.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2014] [Revised: 07/11/2014] [Accepted: 07/26/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Prospective memory consists of forming a representation of a future action, temporarily storing that representation in memory, and retrieving it at a future time point. Here, we review the recent development of animal models of prospective memory. We review experiments using rats that focus on the development of time-based and event-based prospective memory. Next, we review a number of prospective-memory approaches that have been used with a variety of non-human primates. Finally, we review selected approaches from the human literature on prospective memory to identify targets for development of animal models of prospective memory. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: "Tribute to Tom Zentall".
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathon D Crystal
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Indiana University, United States.
| | - A George Wilson
- Virginia Tech Carilion School of Medicine and Research Institute, United States
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31
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Templeton CN, Laland KN, Boogert NJ. Does song complexity correlate with problem-solving performance in flocks of zebra finches? Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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32
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MacLean EL, Hare B, Nunn CL, Addessi E, Amici F, Anderson RC, Aureli F, Baker JM, Bania AE, Barnard AM, Boogert NJ, Brannon EM, Bray EE, Bray J, Brent LJN, Burkart JM, Call J, Cantlon JF, Cheke LG, Clayton NS, Delgado MM, DiVincenti LJ, Fujita K, Herrmann E, Hiramatsu C, Jacobs LF, Jordan KE, Laude JR, Leimgruber KL, Messer EJE, Moura ACDA, Ostojić L, Picard A, Platt ML, Plotnik JM, Range F, Reader SM, Reddy RB, Sandel AA, Santos LR, Schumann K, Seed AM, Sewall KB, Shaw RC, Slocombe KE, Su Y, Takimoto A, Tan J, Tao R, van Schaik CP, Virányi Z, Visalberghi E, Wade JC, Watanabe A, Widness J, Young JK, Zentall TR, Zhao Y. The evolution of self-control. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2014; 111:E2140-8. [PMID: 24753565 PMCID: PMC4034204 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1323533111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 412] [Impact Index Per Article: 41.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognition presents evolutionary research with one of its greatest challenges. Cognitive evolution has been explained at the proximate level by shifts in absolute and relative brain volume and at the ultimate level by differences in social and dietary complexity. However, no study has integrated the experimental and phylogenetic approach at the scale required to rigorously test these explanations. Instead, previous research has largely relied on various measures of brain size as proxies for cognitive abilities. We experimentally evaluated these major evolutionary explanations by quantitatively comparing the cognitive performance of 567 individuals representing 36 species on two problem-solving tasks measuring self-control. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that absolute brain volume best predicted performance across species and accounted for considerably more variance than brain volume controlling for body mass. This result corroborates recent advances in evolutionary neurobiology and illustrates the cognitive consequences of cortical reorganization through increases in brain volume. Within primates, dietary breadth but not social group size was a strong predictor of species differences in self-control. Our results implicate robust evolutionary relationships between dietary breadth, absolute brain volume, and self-control. These findings provide a significant first step toward quantifying the primate cognitive phenome and explaining the process of cognitive evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Brian Hare
- Departments of Evolutionary Anthropology,Center for Cognitive Neuroscience
| | | | - Elsa Addessi
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 00197 Rome, Italy
| | - Federica Amici
- Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Filippo Aureli
- Instituto de Neuroetologia, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, CP 91190, Mexico;Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, United Kingdom
| | - Joseph M Baker
- Center for Interdisciplinary Brain Sciences Research andDepartment of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Amanda E Bania
- Center for Animal Care Sciences, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, Washington, DC 20008
| | | | - Neeltje J Boogert
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 9JP, Scotland
| | | | - Emily E Bray
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104
| | - Joel Bray
- Departments of Evolutionary Anthropology
| | - Lauren J N Brent
- Center for Cognitive Neuroscience,Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
| | - Judith M Burkart
- Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Josep Call
- Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Lucy G Cheke
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola S Clayton
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | | | - Louis J DiVincenti
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Seneca Park Zoo, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14620
| | - Kazuo Fujita
- Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | - Esther Herrmann
- Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Lucia F Jacobs
- Department of Psychology andHelen Wills Neuroscience Institute, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720
| | | | - Jennifer R Laude
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506
| | | | - Emily J E Messer
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 9JP, Scotland
| | - Antonio C de A Moura
- Departamento Engenharia e Meio Ambiente, Universidade Federal da Paraiba, 58059-900, João Pessoa, Brazil
| | - Ljerka Ostojić
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | - Alejandra Picard
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - Michael L Platt
- Departments of Evolutionary Anthropology,Center for Cognitive Neuroscience,Duke Institute for Brain Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708;Neurobiology, and
| | - Joshua M Plotnik
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom;Think Elephants International, Stone Ridge, NY 12484
| | - Friederike Range
- Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria;Wolf Science Center, A-2115 Ernstbrunn, Austria
| | - Simon M Reader
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada H3A 1B1
| | - Rachna B Reddy
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109; and
| | - Aaron A Sandel
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109; and
| | - Laurie R Santos
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Katrin Schumann
- Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Amanda M Seed
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 9JP, Scotland
| | | | - Rachael C Shaw
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | - Katie E Slocombe
- Department of Psychology, University of York, Heslington, York YO10 5DD, United Kingdom
| | - Yanjie Su
- Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Ayaka Takimoto
- Graduate School of Letters, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8501, Japan
| | | | - Ruoting Tao
- Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews KY16 9JP, Scotland
| | - Carel P van Schaik
- Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Zsófia Virányi
- Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Elisabetta Visalberghi
- Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, 00197 Rome, Italy
| | - Jordan C Wade
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506
| | - Arii Watanabe
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, United Kingdom
| | - Jane Widness
- Department of Psychology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520
| | - Julie K Young
- Wildland Resources, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322
| | - Thomas R Zentall
- Department of Psychology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40506
| | - Yini Zhao
- Department of Psychology, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
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33
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Willemet R. Reconsidering the evolution of brain, cognition, and behavior in birds and mammals. Front Psychol 2013; 4:396. [PMID: 23847570 PMCID: PMC3696912 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2013.00396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2013] [Accepted: 06/12/2013] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of research, some of the most basic issues concerning the extraordinarily complex brains and behavior of birds and mammals, such as the factors responsible for the diversity of brain size and composition, are still unclear. This is partly due to a number of conceptual and methodological issues. Determining species and group differences in brain composition requires accounting for the presence of taxon-cerebrotypes and the use of precise statistical methods. The role of allometry in determining brain variables should be revised. In particular, bird and mammalian brains appear to have evolved in response to a variety of selective pressures influencing both brain size and composition. “Brain” and “cognition” are indeed meta-variables, made up of the variables that are ecologically relevant and evolutionarily selected. External indicators of species differences in cognition and behavior are limited by the complexity of these differences. Indeed, behavioral differences between species and individuals are caused by cognitive and affective components. Although intra-species variability forms the basis of species evolution, some of the mechanisms underlying individual differences in brain and behavior appear to differ from those between species. While many issues have persisted over the years because of a lack of appropriate data or methods to test them; several fallacies, particularly those related to the human brain, reflect scientists' preconceptions. The theoretical framework on the evolution of brain, cognition, and behavior in birds and mammals should be reconsidered with these biases in mind.
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34
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Lefebvre L. Brains, innovations, tools and cultural transmission in birds, non-human primates, and fossil hominins. Front Hum Neurosci 2013; 7:245. [PMID: 23761751 PMCID: PMC3674321 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2013.00245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2013] [Accepted: 05/18/2013] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent work on birds and non-human primates has shown that taxonomic differences in field measures of innovation, tool use and social learning are associated with size of the mammalian cortex and avian mesopallium and nidopallium, as well as ecological traits like colonization success. Here, I review this literature and suggest that many of its findings are relevant to hominin intelligence. In particular, our large brains and increased intelligence may be partly independent of our ape phylogeny and the result of convergent processes similar to those that have molded avian and platyrrhine intelligence. Tool use, innovativeness and cultural transmission might be linked over our past and in our brains as operations of domain-general intelligence. Finally, colonization of new areas may have accompanied increases in both brain size and innovativeness in hominins as they have in other mammals and in birds, potentially accelerating hominin evolution via behavioral drive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Lefebvre
- Department of Biology, McGill UniversityMontréal, QC, Canada
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