1
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Lazure L, Weladji RB. Exposure to humans and task difficulty levels affect wild raccoons ( Procyon lotor) learning. Behav Ecol 2024; 35:arae046. [PMID: 38912327 PMCID: PMC11190377 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arae046] [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: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2024] [Accepted: 06/03/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Cognition helps wildlife exploit novel resources and environments. Raccoons (Procyon lotor) have successfully adapted to human presence, in part due to their cognitive abilities. However, interactions between humans and wildlife can create conflict. A better understanding of the raccoon's behavioral flexibility and learning ability could mitigate some conflicts. Our objective was to evaluate wild raccoons learning in contexts varying in terms of exposure to humans (recreational and preservation zoning within protected areas) and task difficulty. Learning can be evaluated over multiple exposures to a cognitive task. Across three years of experiment, we employed 2 food extraction tasks to gauge the change in problem-solving performance over trials. This assessment considered the success probability (the number of successful trials divided by the total number of trials) and the time taken to solve the puzzles. We also looked at the effects of 2 behavioral traits, exploratory diversity and persistence. We found strong evidence for learning over consecutive trials in terms of improved success probability. Improvement in terms of success probability and solving time was more pronounced with the initially easier task. We detected an increase in success probability over trials only in the recreation zones, and there was no evidence of an effect of behavioral traits. The improved performance attributed to learning was also maintained over consecutive years. We provide additional evidence that raccoons can learn how to solve a problem, resulting in a more effective solution in consecutive trials. Finally, we consider the management implications of dealing with raccoons accessing anthropogenic resources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis Lazure
- Biology Department, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Conservation and Research Department, Zoo de Granby, Granby, Québec, Canada
| | - Robert B Weladji
- Biology Department, Concordia University, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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2
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Søgaard Jørgensen P, Jansen REV, Avila Ortega DI, Wang-Erlandsson L, Donges JF, Österblom H, Olsson P, Nyström M, Lade SJ, Hahn T, Folke C, Peterson GD, Crépin AS. Evolution of the polycrisis: Anthropocene traps that challenge global sustainability. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20220261. [PMID: 37952617 PMCID: PMC10645130 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0261] [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: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023] Open
Abstract
The Anthropocene is characterized by accelerating change and global challenges of increasing complexity. Inspired by what some have called a polycrisis, we explore whether the human trajectory of increasing complexity and influence on the Earth system could become a form of trap for humanity. Based on an adaptation of the evolutionary traps concept to a global human context, we present results from a participatory mapping. We identify 14 traps and categorize them as either global, technology or structural traps. An assessment reveals that 12 traps (86%) could be in an advanced phase of trapping with high risk of hard-to-reverse lock-ins and growing risks of negative impacts on human well-being. Ten traps (71%) currently see growing trends in their indicators. Revealing the systemic nature of the polycrisis, we assess that Anthropocene traps often interact reinforcingly (45% of pairwise interactions), and rarely in a dampening fashion (3%). We end by discussing capacities that will be important for navigating these systemic challenges in pursuit of global sustainability. Doing so, we introduce evolvability as a unifying concept for such research between the sustainability and evolutionary sciences. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolution and sustainability: gathering the strands for an Anthropocene synthesis'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Søgaard Jørgensen
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere Programme, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
- Anthropocene Laboratory, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Raf E. V. Jansen
- Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere Programme, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Daniel I. Avila Ortega
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere Programme, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Lan Wang-Erlandsson
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Anthropocene Laboratory, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Member of the Leibnitz Association, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Jonathan F. Donges
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, Member of the Leibnitz Association, 14473 Potsdam, Germany
| | - Henrik Österblom
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Anthropocene Laboratory, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Per Olsson
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Magnus Nyström
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Steven J. Lade
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia
| | - Thomas Hahn
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Carl Folke
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Global Economic Dynamics and the Biosphere Programme, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
- Anthropocene Laboratory, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
- Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Garry D. Peterson
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Anne-Sophie Crépin
- Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, SE-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
- Beijer Institute of Ecological Economics, Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, SE-104 05 Stockholm, Sweden
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3
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Teichroeb JA, Smeltzer EA, Mathur V, Anderson KA, Fowler EJ, Adams FV, Vasey EN, Tamara Kumpan L, Stead SM, Arseneau-Robar TJM. How can we apply decision-making theories to wild animal behavior? Predictions arising from dual process theory and Bayesian decision theory. Am J Primatol 2023:e23565. [PMID: 37839050 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23565] [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: 05/26/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 10/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Our understanding of decision-making processes and cognitive biases is ever increasing, thanks to an accumulation of testable models and a large body of research over the last several decades. The vast majority of this work has been done in humans and laboratory animals because these study subjects and situations allow for tightly controlled experiments. However, it raises questions about how this knowledge can be applied to wild animals in their complex environments. Here, we review two prominent decision-making theories, dual process theory and Bayesian decision theory, to assess the similarities in these approaches and consider how they may apply to wild animals living in heterogenous environments within complicated social groupings. In particular, we wanted to assess when wild animals are likely to respond to a situation with a quick heuristic decision and when they are likely to spend more time and energy on the decision-making process. Based on the literature and evidence from our multi-destination routing experiments on primates, we find that individuals are likely to make quick, heuristic decisions when they encounter routine situations, or signals/cues that accurately predict a certain outcome, or easy problems that experience or evolutionary history has prepared them for. Conversely, effortful decision-making is likely in novel or surprising situations, when signals and cues have unpredictable or uncertain relationships to an outcome, and when problems are computationally complex. Though if problems are overly complex, satisficing via heuristics is likely, to avoid costly mental effort. We present hypotheses for how animals with different socio-ecologies may have to distribute their cognitive effort. Finally, we examine the conservation implications and potential cognitive overload for animals experiencing increasingly novel situations caused by current human-induced rapid environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Teichroeb
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Eve A Smeltzer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Virendra Mathur
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Karyn A Anderson
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Erica J Fowler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Frances V Adams
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Eric N Vasey
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ludmila Tamara Kumpan
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Samantha M Stead
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - T Jean M Arseneau-Robar
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montréal, Quebec, Canada
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4
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Clark FE, Greggor AL, Montgomery SH, Plotnik JM. The endangered brain: actively preserving ex-situ animal behaviour and cognition will benefit in-situ conservation. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230707. [PMID: 37650055 PMCID: PMC10465207 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 08/15/2023] [Indexed: 09/01/2023]
Abstract
Endangered species have small, unsustainable population sizes that are geographically or genetically restricted. Ex-situ conservation programmes are therefore faced with the challenge of breeding sufficiently sized, genetically diverse populations earmarked for reintroduction that have the behavioural skills to survive and breed in the wild. Yet, maintaining historically beneficial behaviours may be insufficient, as research continues to suggest that certain cognitive-behavioural skills and flexibility are necessary to cope with human-induced rapid environmental change (HIREC). This paper begins by reviewing interdisciplinary studies on the 'captivity effect' in laboratory, farmed, domesticated and feral vertebrates and finds that captivity imposes rapid yet often reversible changes to the brain, cognition and behaviour. However, research on this effect in ex-situ conservation sites is lacking. This paper reveals an apparent mismatch between ex-situ enrichment aims and the cognitive-behavioural skills possessed by animals currently coping with HIREC. After synthesizing literature across neuroscience, behavioural biology, comparative cognition and field conservation, it seems that ex-situ endangered species deemed for reintroduction may have better chances of coping with HIREC if their natural cognition and behavioural repertoires are actively preserved. Evaluating the effects of environmental challenges rather than captivity per se is recommended, in addition to using targeted cognitive enrichment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fay E. Clark
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | | | | | - Joshua M. Plotnik
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Psychology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
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5
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Michel A, Johnson JR, Szeligowski R, Ritchie EG, Sih A. Integrating sensory ecology and predator-prey theory to understand animal responses to fire. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:1050-1070. [PMID: 37349260 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14231] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Fire regimes are changing dramatically worldwide due to climate change, habitat conversion, and the suppression of Indigenous landscape management. Although there has been extensive work on plant responses to fire, including their adaptations to withstand fire and long-term effects of fire on plant communities, less is known about animal responses to fire. Ecologists lack a conceptual framework for understanding behavioural responses to fire, which can hinder wildlife conservation and management. Here, we integrate cue-response sensory ecology and predator-prey theory to predict and explain variation in if, when and how animals react to approaching fire. Inspired by the literature on prey responses to predation risk, this framework considers both fire-naïve and fire-adapted animals and follows three key steps: vigilance, cue detection and response. We draw from theory on vigilance tradeoffs, signal detection, speed-accuracy tradeoffs, fear generalization, neophobia and adaptive dispersal. We discuss how evolutionary history with fire, but also other selective pressures, such as predation risk, should influence animal behavioural responses to fire. We conclude by providing guidance for empiricists and outlining potential conservation applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice Michel
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Jacob R Johnson
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Richard Szeligowski
- Department of Environmental Science & Policy, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Euan G Ritchie
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew Sih
- Department of Environmental Science & Policy, University of California, Davis, California, USA
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6
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Fear generalization and behavioral responses to multiple dangers. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:369-380. [PMID: 36428124 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Animals often exhibit consistent-individual differences (CIDs) in boldness/fearfulness, typically studied in the context of predation risk. We focus here on fear generalization, where fear of one danger (e.g., predators) is correlated with fear of other dangers (e.g., humans, pathogens, moving vehicles, or fire). We discuss why fear generalization should be ecologically important, and why we expect fear to correlate across disparate dangers. CIDs in fear are well studied for some dangers in some taxa (e.g., human fear of pathogens), but not well studied for most dangers. Fear of some dangers has been found to correlate with general fearfulness, but some cases where we might expect correlated fears (e.g., between fear of humans, familiar predators, and exotic predators) are surprisingly understudied.
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7
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Salazar SM, Hlebowicz K, Komdeur J, Korsten P. Repeatable parental risk taking across manipulated levels of predation threat: no individual variation in plasticity. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
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8
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When humans play evolutionary games with animal species. Ecol Modell 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2022.110221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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9
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Holveck M, Muller D, Visser B, Timmermans A, Colonval L, Jan F, Crucifix M, Nieberding CM. Warmer temperatures result in maladaptive learning of sexual preferences. Funct Ecol 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14242] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marie‐Jeanne Holveck
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
| | - Doriane Muller
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
| | - Bertanne Visser
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Functional and Evolutionary Entomology University of Liège ‐ Gembloux Agro‐Bio Tech Gembloux Belgium
| | - Arthur Timmermans
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
| | - Lidwine Colonval
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
| | - Fabrice Jan
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
| | - Michel Crucifix
- Earth and Climate, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
| | - Caroline M. Nieberding
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain Louvain‐la‐Neuve Belgium
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10
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Wright J, Haaland TR, Dingemanse NJ, Westneat DF. A reaction norm framework for the evolution of learning: how cumulative experience shapes phenotypic plasticity. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1999-2021. [PMID: 35790067 PMCID: PMC9543233 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12879] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Revised: 05/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Learning is a familiar process to most people, but it currently lacks a fully developed theoretical position within evolutionary biology. Learning (memory and forgetting) involves adjustments in behaviour in response to cumulative sequences of prior experiences or exposures to environmental cues. We therefore suggest that all forms of learning (and some similar biological phenomena in development, aging, acquired immunity and acclimation) can usefully be viewed as special cases of phenotypic plasticity, and formally modelled by expanding the concept of reaction norms to include additional environmental dimensions quantifying sequences of cumulative experience (learning) and the time delays between events (forgetting). Memory therefore represents just one of a number of different internal neurological, physiological, hormonal and anatomical ‘states’ that mediate the carry‐over effects of cumulative environmental experiences on phenotypes across different time periods. The mathematical and graphical conceptualisation of learning as plasticity within a reaction norm framework can easily accommodate a range of different ecological scenarios, closely linking statistical estimates with biological processes. Learning and non‐learning plasticity interact whenever cumulative prior experience causes a modification in the reaction norm (a) elevation [mean phenotype], (b) slope [responsiveness], (c) environmental estimate error [informational memory] and/or (d) phenotypic precision [skill acquisition]. Innovation and learning new contingencies in novel (laboratory) environments can also be accommodated within this approach. A common reaction norm approach should thus encourage productive cross‐fertilisation of ideas between traditional studies of learning and phenotypic plasticity. As an example, we model the evolution of plasticity with and without learning under different levels of environmental estimation error to show how learning works as a specific adaptation promoting phenotypic plasticity in temporally autocorrelated environments. Our reaction norm framework for learning and analogous biological processes provides a conceptual and mathematical structure aimed at usefully stimulating future theoretical and empirical investigations into the evolution of plasticity across a wider range of ecological contexts, while providing new interdisciplinary connections regarding learning mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Wright
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) N‐7491 Trondheim Norway
| | - Thomas R. Haaland
- Center for Biodiversity Dynamics (CBD), Department of Biology Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) N‐7491 Trondheim Norway
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies University of Zürich Winterthurerstrasse 190 CH‐8057 Zürich Switzerland
| | - Niels J. Dingemanse
- Behavioural Ecology, Department of Biology Ludwig‐Maximilians University of Munich (LMU) 82152 Planegg‐Martinsried Germany
| | - David F. Westneat
- Department of Biology University of Kentucky 101 Morgan Building Lexington KY 40506‐0225 USA
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11
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Enhancing the ecological realism of evolutionary mismatch theory. Trends Ecol Evol 2021; 37:233-245. [PMID: 34802715 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2021.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Following rapid environmental change, why do some animals thrive, while others struggle? We present an expanded, cue-response framework for predicting variation in behavioral responses to novel situations. We show how signal detection theory can be used when individuals have three behavioral options (approach, avoid, or ignore). Based on this theory, we outline predictions about which animals are more likely to make mistakes around novel conditions (i.e., fall for a trap or fail to use an undervalued resource) and the intensity of that mismatch (i.e., severe versus moderate). Explicitly considering three options provides a more holistic perspective and allows us to distinguish between severe and moderate traps, which could guide management strategies in a changing world.
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12
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Nieberding CM, Marcantonio M, Voda R, Enriquez T, Visser B. The Evolutionary Relevance of Social Learning and Transmission in Non-Social Arthropods with a Focus on Oviposition-Related Behaviors. Genes (Basel) 2021; 12:genes12101466. [PMID: 34680861 PMCID: PMC8536077 DOI: 10.3390/genes12101466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/21/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Research on social learning has centered around vertebrates, but evidence is accumulating that small-brained, non-social arthropods also learn from others. Social learning can lead to social inheritance when socially acquired behaviors are transmitted to subsequent generations. Using oviposition site selection, a critical behavior for most arthropods, as an example, we first highlight the complementarities between social and classical genetic inheritance. We then discuss the relevance of studying social learning and transmission in non-social arthropods and document known cases in the literature, including examples of social learning from con- and hetero-specifics. We further highlight under which conditions social learning can be adaptive or not. We conclude that non-social arthropods and the study of oviposition behavior offer unparalleled opportunities to unravel the importance of social learning and inheritance for animal evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline M. Nieberding
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (M.M.); (R.V.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Matteo Marcantonio
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (M.M.); (R.V.)
| | - Raluca Voda
- Evolutionary Ecology and Genetics Group, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (M.M.); (R.V.)
| | - Thomas Enriquez
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (T.E.); (B.V.)
| | - Bertanne Visser
- Evolution and Ecophysiology Group, Earth and Life Institute, UCLouvain, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium; (T.E.); (B.V.)
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13
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Santos RG, Machovsky-Capuska GE, Andrades R. Plastic ingestion as an evolutionary trap: Toward a holistic understanding. Science 2021; 373:56-60. [PMID: 34210877 DOI: 10.1126/science.abh0945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Human activities are changing our environment. Along with climate change and a widespread loss of biodiversity, plastic pollution now plays a predominant role in altering ecosystems globally. Here, we review the occurrence of plastic ingestion by wildlife through evolutionary and ecological lenses and address the fundamental question of why living organisms ingest plastic. We unify evolutionary, ecological, and cognitive approaches under the evolutionary trap theory and identify three main factors that may drive plastic ingestion: (i) the availability of plastics in the environment, (ii) an individual's acceptance threshold, and (iii) the overlap of cues given by natural foods and plastics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robson G Santos
- Laboratório de Biologia Marinha e Conservação, Universidade Federal de Alagoas, Cidade Universitária 57072-900, Maceió, AL, Brazil.
| | - Gabriel E Machovsky-Capuska
- Cetacean Ecology Research Group, Massey University, Albany, AKL 0745, New Zealand.,The Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Ryan Andrades
- Laboratório de Ictiologia, Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Goiabeiras 29075-910, Vitória, ES, Brazil
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14
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Haynes KJ, Robertson BA. A transdisciplinary research agenda for understanding insect responses to ecological light pollution informed by evolutionary trap theory. CURRENT OPINION IN INSECT SCIENCE 2021; 45:91-96. [PMID: 33601058 DOI: 10.1016/j.cois.2021.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Revised: 11/18/2020] [Accepted: 02/04/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Evolutionary traps are phenomena in which rapid environmental change causes environmental cues that historically guided adaptive behavioral or life-history decisions to become poor predictors of the consequences of such decisions for an organism's fitness. Evolutionary trap theory offers an ideal framework for understanding and mitigating the effects of ecological light pollution (ELP) on insects. We emphasize the utility of an evolutionary trap perspective in demonstrating the importance of an integrated understanding of the sensory, behavioral, evolutionary, and demographic mechanisms underlying insect responses to ELP. We also highlight neglected areas of research where greater focus can help enhance understanding of how ELP affects the persistence, evolutionary trajectory, and population dynamics of insects across space and time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle J Haynes
- Blandy Experimental Farm, University of Virginia, 400 Blandy Farm Lane, Boyce, VA, 22620, USA.
| | - Bruce A Robertson
- Division of Science, Mathematics and Computing, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York 12504, USA
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15
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Jagielski PM, Dey CJ, Gilchrist HG, Richardson ES, Love OP, Semeniuk CAD. Polar bears are inefficient predators of seabird eggs. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210391. [PMID: 33868701 PMCID: PMC8025307 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210391] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Climate-mediated sea-ice loss is disrupting the foraging ecology of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) across much of their range. As a result, there have been increased reports of polar bears foraging on seabird eggs across parts of their range. Given that polar bears have evolved to hunt seals on ice, they may not be efficient predators of seabird eggs. We investigated polar bears' foraging performance on common eider (Somateria mollissima) eggs on Mitivik Island, Nunavut, Canada to test whether bear decision-making heuristics are consistent with expectations of optimal foraging theory. Using aerial-drones, we recorded multiple foraging bouts over 11 days, and found that as clutches were depleted to completion, bears did not exhibit foraging behaviours matched to resource density. As the season progressed, bears visited fewer nests overall, but marginally increased their visitation to nests that were already empty. Bears did not display different movement modes related to nest density, but became less selective in their choice of clutches to consume. Lastly, bears that capitalized on visual cues of flushing eider hens significantly increased the number of clutches they consumed; however, they did not use this strategy consistently or universally. The foraging behaviours exhibited by polar bears in this study suggest they are inefficient predators of seabird eggs, particularly in the context of matching behaviours to resource density.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrick M. Jagielski
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON Canada, N9B 3P4
| | - Cody J. Dey
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON Canada, N9B 3P4
| | - H. Grant Gilchrist
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Ottawa, ON Canada
| | - Evan S. Richardson
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Winnipeg, MB Canada
| | - Oliver P. Love
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON Canada
| | - Christina A. D. Semeniuk
- Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Avenue, Windsor, ON Canada, N9B 3P4
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16
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Kloskowski J. Win-stay/lose-switch, prospecting-based settlement strategy may not be adaptive under rapid environmental change. Sci Rep 2021; 11:570. [PMID: 33436762 PMCID: PMC7804401 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79942-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding animal responses to environmental change is crucial for management of ecological traps. Between-year habitat selection was investigated in red-necked grebes (Podiceps grisegena) breeding on semi-natural fish ponds, where differential stocking of fish created contrasting yet poorly predictable brood-stage food availabilities. Grebes lured to low-quality ponds were more likely to shift territories than birds nesting on high-quality ponds, and tended to move to ponds whose habitat quality had been high in the previous year, irrespective of the current quality of the new and old territories. The territory switchers typically visited their future breeding ponds during or immediately after the brood-rearing period. However, owing to rotation of fish stocks, the habitat quality of many ponds changed in the following year, and then switchers from low-quality ponds and stayers on previously high-quality ponds were ecologically trapped. Thus, although breeders were making an informed choice, their settlement decisions, based on the win-stay/lose-switch rule and prospecting a year in advance, were inappropriate in conditions of year-to-year habitat fluctuations. Effective adaptation to rapid environmental change may necessitate both learning to correctly evaluate uncertain environmental cues and abandonment of previously adaptive decision-making algorithms (here prioritizing past-year information and assuming temporal autocorrelation of habitat quality).
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Affiliation(s)
- Janusz Kloskowski
- Institute of Zoology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, ul. Wojska Polskiego 71C, 60-625, Poznań, Poland.
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17
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Schell CJ, Stanton LA, Young JK, Angeloni LM, Lambert JE, Breck SW, Murray MH. The evolutionary consequences of human-wildlife conflict in cities. Evol Appl 2021; 14:178-197. [PMID: 33519964 PMCID: PMC7819564 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2020] [Revised: 07/03/2020] [Accepted: 08/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Human-wildlife interactions, including human-wildlife conflict, are increasingly common as expanding urbanization worldwide creates more opportunities for people to encounter wildlife. Wildlife-vehicle collisions, zoonotic disease transmission, property damage, and physical attacks to people or their pets have negative consequences for both people and wildlife, underscoring the need for comprehensive strategies that mitigate and prevent conflict altogether. Management techniques often aim to deter, relocate, or remove individual organisms, all of which may present a significant selective force in both urban and nonurban systems. Management-induced selection may significantly affect the adaptive or nonadaptive evolutionary processes of urban populations, yet few studies explicate the links among conflict, wildlife management, and urban evolution. Moreover, the intensity of conflict management can vary considerably by taxon, public perception, policy, religious and cultural beliefs, and geographic region, which underscores the complexity of developing flexible tools to reduce conflict. Here, we present a cross-disciplinary perspective that integrates human-wildlife conflict, wildlife management, and urban evolution to address how social-ecological processes drive wildlife adaptation in cities. We emphasize that variance in implemented management actions shapes the strength and rate of phenotypic and evolutionary change. We also consider how specific management strategies either promote genetic or plastic changes, and how leveraging those biological inferences could help optimize management actions while minimizing conflict. Investigating human-wildlife conflict as an evolutionary phenomenon may provide insights into how conflict arises and how management plays a critical role in shaping urban wildlife phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Schell
- School of Interdisciplinary Arts and SciencesUniversity of Washington TacomaTacomaWAUSA
| | - Lauren A. Stanton
- Department of Zoology and PhysiologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWYUSA
- Program in EcologyUniversity of WyomingLaramieWYUSA
| | - Julie K. Young
- USDA‐WS‐National Wildlife Research Center‐Predator Research FacilityMillvilleUTUSA
| | | | - Joanna E. Lambert
- Program in Environmental Studies and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Colorado‐BoulderBoulderCOUSA
| | - Stewart W. Breck
- USDA‐WS‐National Wildlife Research CenterFort CollinsCOUSA
- Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyFort CollinsCOUSA
| | - Maureen H. Murray
- Urban Wildlife Institute and Davee Center for Epidemiology and EndocrinologyChicagoILUSA
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18
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Price CJ, Banks PB, Brown S, Latham MC, Latham ADM, Pech RP, Norbury GL. Invasive mammalian predators habituate to and generalize avian prey cues: a mechanism for conserving native prey. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2020; 30:e02200. [PMID: 32573866 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2200] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2019] [Revised: 04/19/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Invasive mammalian predators can cause the decline and extinction of vulnerable native species. Many invasive mammalian predators are dietary generalists that hunt a variety of prey. These predators often rely upon olfaction when foraging, particularly at night. Little is understood about how prey odor cues are used to inform foraging decisions. Prey cues can vary spatially and temporally in their association with prey and can either reveal the location of prey or lead to unsuccessful foraging. Here we examine how two wild-caught invasive mammalian bird predator species (European hedgehogs Erinaceus europaeus and ferrets Mustela putorius furo) respond to unrewarded bird odors over successive exposures, first demonstrating that the odors are perceptually different using house mice (Mus musculus) as a biological olfactometer. We aim to test if introduced predators categorize odor cues of similar prey together, a tactic that could increase foraging efficiency. We exposed house mice to the odors using a standard habituation/dishabituation test in a laboratory setting, and wild-caught European hedgehogs and ferrets in an outdoor enclosure using a similar procedure. Mice discriminated among all bird odors presented, showing more interest in chicken odor than quail or gull odor. Both predator species showed a decline in interest toward unrewarded prey odor (i.e., habituation), but only ferrets generalized their response from one unrewarded bird odor to another bird odor. Hedgehog responses to unrewarded bird odors were highly variable between individuals. Taken together, our results reveal interspecific and intraspecific differences in response to prey odors, which we argue are a consequence of different diet breadth, life and evolutionary histories, and the conditions in each experiment. Generalization of prey odors may have enabled some species of invasive predators to efficiently hunt a range of intraguild prey species, for example, ground-nesting shorebirds. Olfactory manipulation of predators may be a useful conservation tool for threatened prey if it reduces the conspicuousness of vulnerable prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine J Price
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Peter B Banks
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, 2006, Australia
| | - Samantha Brown
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
| | - M Cecilia Latham
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
| | - A David M Latham
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
| | - Roger P Pech
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, PO Box 69040, Lincoln, 7640, New Zealand
| | - Grant L Norbury
- Manaaki Whenua Landcare Research, PO Box 282, Alexandra, 9340, New Zealand
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19
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20
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Goumas M, Lee VE, Boogert NJ, Kelley LA, Thornton A. The Role of Animal Cognition in Human-Wildlife Interactions. Front Psychol 2020; 11:589978. [PMID: 33250826 PMCID: PMC7672032 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.589978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans have a profound effect on the planet's ecosystems, and unprecedented rates of human population growth and urbanization have brought wild animals into increasing contact with people. For many species, appropriate responses toward humans are likely to be critical to survival and reproductive success. Although numerous studies have investigated the impacts of human activity on biodiversity and species distributions, relatively few have examined the effects of humans on the behavioral responses of animals during human-wildlife encounters, and the cognitive processes underpinning those responses. Furthermore, while humans often present a significant threat to animals, the presence or behavior of people may be also associated with benefits, such as food rewards. In scenarios where humans vary in their behavior, wild animals would be expected to benefit from the ability to discriminate between dangerous, neutral and rewarding people. Additionally, individual differences in cognitive and behavioral phenotypes and past experiences with humans may affect animals' ability to exploit human-dominated environments and respond appropriately to human cues. In this review, we examine the cues that wild animals use to modulate their behavioral responses toward humans, such as human facial features and gaze direction. We discuss when wild animals are expected to attend to certain cues, how information is used, and the cognitive mechanisms involved. We consider how the cognitive abilities of wild animals are likely to be under selection by humans and therefore influence population and community composition. We conclude by highlighting the need for long-term studies on free-living, wild animals to fully understand the causes and ecological consequences of variation in responses to human cues. The effects of humans on wildlife behavior are likely to be substantial, and a detailed understanding of these effects is key to implementing effective conservation strategies and managing human-wildlife conflict.
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Affiliation(s)
- Madeleine Goumas
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Victoria E. Lee
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall, United Kingdom
- Animal and Veterinary Sciences, Scotland’s Rural College (SRUC), Midlothian, United Kingdom
| | - Neeltje J. Boogert
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Laura A. Kelley
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall, United Kingdom
| | - Alex Thornton
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall, United Kingdom
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21
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Greggor AL, Berger-Tal O, Blumstein DT. The Rules of Attraction: The Necessary Role of Animal Cognition in Explaining Conservation Failures and Successes. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY, EVOLUTION, AND SYSTEMATICS 2020. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-011720-103212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Integrating knowledge and principles of animal behavior into wildlife conservation and management has led to some concrete successes but has failed to improve conservation outcomes in other cases. Many conservation interventions involve attempts to either attract or repel animals, which we refer to as approach/avoidance issues. These attempts can be reframed as issues of manipulating the decisions animals make, which are driven by their perceptual abilities and attentional biases, as well as the value animals attribute to current stimuli and past learned experiences. These processes all fall under the umbrella of animal cognition. Here, we highlight rules that emerge when considering approach/avoidance conservation issues through the lens of cognitive-based management. For each rule, we review relevant conservation successes and failures to better predict the conditions in which behavior can be manipulated, and we suggest how to avoid future failures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison L. Greggor
- Department of Recovery Ecology, Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, California 92027, USA
| | - Oded Berger-Tal
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 8499000, Israel
| | - Daniel T. Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, California 90095, USA
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22
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Mettke-Hofmann C, Eccles GR, Greggor AL, Bethell EJ. Cognition in a Changing World: Red-Headed Gouldian Finches Enter Spatially Unfamiliar Habitats More Readily Than Do Black-Headed Birds. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.498347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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23
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Cauchoix M, Chaine AS, Barragan-Jason G. Cognition in Context: Plasticity in Cognitive Performance in Response to Ongoing Environmental Variables. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.00106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
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