1
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Speechley EM, Ashton BJ, Foo YZ, Simmons LW, Ridley AR. Meta-analyses reveal support for the Social Intelligence Hypothesis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1889-1908. [PMID: 38855980 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/15/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
The Social Intelligence Hypothesis (SIH) is one of the leading explanations for the evolution of cognition. Since its inception a vast body of literature investigating the predictions of the SIH has accumulated, using a variety of methodologies and species. However, the generalisability of the hypothesis remains unclear. To gain an understanding of the robustness of the SIH as an explanation for the evolution of cognition, we systematically searched the literature for studies investigating the predictions of the SIH. Accordingly, we compiled 103 studies with 584 effect sizes from 17 taxonomic orders. We present the results of four meta-analyses which reveal support for the SIH across interspecific, intraspecific and developmental studies. However, effect sizes did not differ significantly between the cognitive or sociality metrics used, taxonomy or testing conditions. Thus, support for the SIH is similar across studies using neuroanatomy and cognitive performance, those using broad categories of sociality, group size and social interactions, across taxonomic groups, and for tests conducted in captivity or the wild. Overall, our meta-analyses support the SIH as an evolutionary and developmental explanation for cognitive variation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth M Speechley
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Benjamin J Ashton
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, 205b Culloden Road, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Yong Zhi Foo
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Leigh W Simmons
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Amanda R Ridley
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA, 6009, Australia
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2
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Diaz AA, Hernández-Pacheco R, Rosati AG. Individual differences in sociocognitive traits in semi-free-ranging rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Am J Primatol 2024:e23660. [PMID: 38961748 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23660] [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: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 05/02/2024] [Accepted: 06/21/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
Characterizing individual differences in cognition is crucial for understanding the evolution of cognition as well as to test the biological consequences of different cognitive traits. Here, we harnessed the strengths of a uniquely large, naturally-living primate population at the Cayo Santiago Biological Field Station to characterized individual differences in rhesus monkey performance across two social cognitive tasks. A total of n = 204 semi-free-ranging adult rhesus monkeys participated in a data collection procedure, where we aimed to test individuals on both tasks at two time-points that were one year apart. In the socioemotional responses task, we assessed monkeys' attention to conspecific photographs with neutral versus negative emotional expressions. We found that monkeys showed overall declines in interest in conspecific photographs with age, but relative increases in attention to threat stimuli specifically, and further that these responses exhibited long-term stability across repeated testing. In the gaze following task we assessed monkeys' propensity to co-orient with an experimenter. Here, we found no evidence for age-related change in responses, and responses showed only limited repeatability over time. Finally, we found some evidence for common individual variation for performance across the tasks: monkeys that showed greater interest in conspecific photographs were more likely to follow a human's gaze. These results show how studies of comparative cognitive development and aging can provide insights into the evolution of cognition, and identify core primate social cognitive traits that may be related across and within individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis A Diaz
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, California, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Long Beach, California, USA
| | | | - Alexandra G Rosati
- Departments of Psychology and Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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3
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Rogova A, Kalyanova A, Rogova Y, Fedina M, Siniugina A, Ishmukhametov A, Karganova G. An Integrative Approach to the Study of Cognitive Abilities in a Non-Human Primate Model in a Virology Laboratory Environment. Brain Sci 2024; 14:635. [PMID: 39061377 PMCID: PMC11274874 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14070635] [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: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/23/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Non-human primates, due to their similarities in immune response to humans, are the preferred model for studying infectious processes and any associated cognitive impairments. Behavioral tests are indispensable for investigating pathogenesis in neuroinfections, especially those that do not manifest with noticeable clinical symptoms, as well as in the transition to a chronic form of the disease. Modeling viral infection requires specialized experimental conditions. Our work describes techniques for investigating mnemonic functions, tiredness, attentional focus, quick-wittedness, and basic behavioral responses in primates under the assumed conditions for infections with viruses that do not have an airborne route of transmission. It also outlines approaches to the training and selection of primates for virological research, as well as analyzing gender differences in learning abilities, the impact of housing conditions on the results, and the correlation between training success and behavioral test scores. These methods will allow a more detailed study of non-human primates as a model for researching cognitive and behavioral impairments under infectious and immune stress, as well as the design of less energy-intensive experiments for evaluating the efficacy and safety of therapeutic and prophylactic strategies at early stages of infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Rogova
- FSASI “Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS” (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow 108819, Russia; (A.R.); (A.K.); (Y.R.); (M.F.); (A.S.); (A.I.)
| | - Anna Kalyanova
- FSASI “Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS” (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow 108819, Russia; (A.R.); (A.K.); (Y.R.); (M.F.); (A.S.); (A.I.)
| | - Yulia Rogova
- FSASI “Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS” (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow 108819, Russia; (A.R.); (A.K.); (Y.R.); (M.F.); (A.S.); (A.I.)
| | - Maria Fedina
- FSASI “Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS” (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow 108819, Russia; (A.R.); (A.K.); (Y.R.); (M.F.); (A.S.); (A.I.)
| | - Alexandra Siniugina
- FSASI “Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS” (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow 108819, Russia; (A.R.); (A.K.); (Y.R.); (M.F.); (A.S.); (A.I.)
| | - Aydar Ishmukhametov
- FSASI “Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS” (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow 108819, Russia; (A.R.); (A.K.); (Y.R.); (M.F.); (A.S.); (A.I.)
- Institute of Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow 119991, Russia
| | - Galina Karganova
- FSASI “Chumakov FSC R&D IBP RAS” (Institute of Poliomyelitis), Moscow 108819, Russia; (A.R.); (A.K.); (Y.R.); (M.F.); (A.S.); (A.I.)
- Institute of Translational Medicine and Biotechnology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow 119991, Russia
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4
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Loyant L, Waller BM, Micheletta J, Meunier H, Ballesta S, Joly M. Tolerant macaque species are less impulsive and reactive. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:1453-1466. [PMID: 37245190 PMCID: PMC10442267 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01789-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Inhibitory control, the inhibition of impulsive behaviours, is believed to be key in navigating a complex social environment. Species characterised by higher social tolerance, living in more complex groups, with more diverse relationships, face higher uncertainty regarding the outcome of social interactions and, therefore, would benefit from employing more inhibitory strategies. To date, little is known about the selective forces that favour the evolution of inhibitory control. In this study, we compared inhibitory control skills in three closely related macaque species which differ in their social tolerance style. We tested 66 macaques from two institutions (Macaca mulatta, low tolerance; M. fascicularis, medium tolerance; and M. tonkeana, high tolerance) using a battery of validated inhibitory control touchscreen tasks. Higher social tolerance was associated with enhanced inhibitory control performances. More tolerant species were less impulsive and less distracted by pictures of unknown conspecifics. Interestingly, we did not find evidence that social tolerance degree was associated with performance in reversal learning. Overall, our results support the hypothesis that evolution has promoted the development of socio-cognitive skills to cope with the demands related to the complexity of the social environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Loyant
- Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, King Henry I Street, King Henry Building, Portsmouth, PO1 2DY, UK.
| | - Bridget M Waller
- Department of Psychology, Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham, UK
| | - Jérôme Micheletta
- Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, King Henry I Street, King Henry Building, Portsmouth, PO1 2DY, UK
| | - Hélène Meunier
- UMR (7364), Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, CNRS and Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Sébastien Ballesta
- UMR (7364), Laboratoire de Neurosciences Cognitives et Adaptatives, CNRS and Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Marine Joly
- Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, King Henry I Street, King Henry Building, Portsmouth, PO1 2DY, UK
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5
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Calapai A, Pfefferle D, Cassidy LC, Nazari A, Yurt P, Brockhausen RR, Treue S. A Touchscreen-Based, Multiple-Choice Approach to Cognitive Enrichment of Captive Rhesus Macaques ( Macaca mulatta). Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2702. [PMID: 37684966 PMCID: PMC10486349 DOI: 10.3390/ani13172702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Research on the psychological and physiological well-being of captive animals has focused on investigating different types of social and structural enrichment. Consequently, cognitive enrichment has been understudied, despite the promising external validity, comparability, and applicability. As we aim to fill this gap, we developed an interactive, multiple-choice interface for cage-mounted touchscreen devices that rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) can freely interact with, from within their home enclosure at the Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory of the German Primate Center. The multiple-choice interface offers interchangeable activities that animals can choose and switch between. We found that all 16 captive rhesus macaques tested consistently engaged with the multiple-choice interface across 6 weekly sessions, with 11 of them exhibiting clear task preferences, and displaying proficiency in performing the selected tasks. Our approach does not require social separation or dietary restriction and is intended to increase animals' sense of competence and agency by providing them with more control over their environment. Thanks to the high level of automation, our multiple-choice interface can be easily incorporated as a standard cognitive enrichment practice across different facilities and institutes working with captive animals, particularly non-human primates. We believe that the multiple-choice interface is a sustainable, scalable, and pragmatic protocol for enhancing cognitive well-being and animal welfare in captivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antonino Calapai
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Dana Pfefferle
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Lauren C Cassidy
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Population and Behavioral Health Services, California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95817, USA
| | - Anahita Nazari
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Pinar Yurt
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Ralf R Brockhausen
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
| | - Stefan Treue
- Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-Science Campus Primate Cognition, 37077 Goettingen, Germany
- Faculty for Biology and Psychology, Goettingen University, 37073 Goettingen, Germany
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6
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Fichtel C, Henke-von der Malsburg J, Kappeler PM. Cognitive performance is linked to fitness in a wild primate. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadf9365. [PMID: 37436999 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adf9365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/14/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive performance varies widely across animal species, but the processes underlying cognitive evolution remain poorly known. For cognitive abilities to evolve, performance must be linked to individual fitness benefits, but these links have been rarely studied in primates even though they exceed most other mammals in these traits. We subjected 198 wild gray mouse lemurs to four cognitive and two personality tests and subsequently monitored their survival in a mark-recapture study. Our study revealed that survival was predicted by individual variation in cognitive performance as well as body mass and exploration. Because cognitive performance covaried negatively with exploration, individuals gathering more accurate information enjoyed better cognitive performance and lived longer, but so did heavier and more explorative individuals. These effects may reflect a speed-accuracy trade-off, with alternative strategies yielding similar overall fitness. The observed intraspecific variation in selective benefits of cognitive performance, if heritable, can provide the basis for the evolution of cognitive abilities in members of our lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Fichtel
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Leibniz Science Campus "Primate Cognition", Göttingen 37077, Germany
| | - Johanna Henke-von der Malsburg
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Peter M Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, Johann-Friedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
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7
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van den Heuvel MP, Ardesch DJ, Scholtens LH, de Lange SC, van Haren NEM, Sommer IEC, Dannlowski U, Repple J, Preuss TM, Hopkins WD, Rilling JK. Human and chimpanzee shared and divergent neurobiological systems for general and specific cognitive brain functions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2218565120. [PMID: 37216540 PMCID: PMC10235977 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2218565120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
A long-standing topic of interest in human neurosciences is the understanding of the neurobiology underlying human cognition. Less commonly considered is to what extent such systems may be shared with other species. We examined individual variation in brain connectivity in the context of cognitive abilities in chimpanzees (n = 45) and humans in search of a conserved link between cognition and brain connectivity across the two species. Cognitive scores were assessed on a variety of behavioral tasks using chimpanzee- and human-specific cognitive test batteries, measuring aspects of cognition related to relational reasoning, processing speed, and problem solving in both species. We show that chimpanzees scoring higher on such cognitive skills display relatively strong connectivity among brain networks also associated with comparable cognitive abilities in the human group. We also identified divergence in brain networks that serve specialized functions across humans and chimpanzees, such as stronger language connectivity in humans and relatively more prominent connectivity between regions related to spatial working memory in chimpanzees. Our findings suggest that core neural systems of cognition may have evolved before the divergence of chimpanzees and humans, along with potential differential investments in other brain networks relating to specific functional specializations between the two species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martijn P. van den Heuvel
- Department of Complex Traits Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam1081 HV, the Netherlands
- Department of Child Psychiatry, Amsterdam University Medical Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam1081 HV, the Netherlands
| | - Dirk Jan Ardesch
- Department of Complex Traits Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam1081 HV, the Netherlands
| | - Lianne H. Scholtens
- Department of Complex Traits Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam1081 HV, the Netherlands
| | - Siemon C. de Lange
- Department of Complex Traits Genetics, Center for Neurogenomics and Cognitive Research, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam Neuroscience, Amsterdam1081 HV, the Netherlands
- Department of Sleep and Cognition, Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience, An institute of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam1105 BA, the Netherlands
| | - Neeltje E. M. van Haren
- Department of Psychiatry, Brain Center University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht3584 CX, the Netherlands
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam3015 CE, the Netherlands
| | - Iris E. C. Sommer
- Department of Psychiatry, University Medical Center Groningen, University of Groningen, Groningen9700 RB, the Netherlands
| | - Udo Dannlowski
- Institute for Translational Psychiatry, University of Münster, Münster48149, Germany
| | - Jonathan Repple
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Frankfurt, Goethe University, Frankfurt60438, Germany
| | - Todd M. Preuss
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30329
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA30307
| | - William D. Hopkins
- Department of Comparative Medicine, Michael E. Keeling Center for Comparative Medicine and Research, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Bastrop, TX77030
| | - James K. Rilling
- Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30329
- Center for Translational Social Neuroscience, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30329
- Department of Anthropology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30322
- Silvio O. Conte Center for Oxytocin and Social Cognition, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30322
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University, Atlanta, GA30322
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8
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Cauchard L, Doligez B. Editorial: Links between cognition and fitness: Mechanisms and constraints in the wild. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1113701] [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] Open
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9
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Clark FE, Chivers L, Pearson O. Material and food exploration by zoo-housed animals can inform cognition and enrichment apparatus design. Zoo Biol 2023; 42:26-37. [PMID: 35614574 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
To robustly study zoo animal cognition and provide effective enrichment, we must provide animals with carefully designed apparatus made from appropriate (safe, attractive, practical) materials. However, all too often, this design phase is overlooked or omitted from the literature. We evaluated how a troop of 12 ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) explored a range of novel materials and whole foods during outdoor social testing. These items were not intended to test cognition or be enriching; rather we viewed them as the potential "building blocks" from which to build our future apparatus. Lemurs preferred to explore wooden surfaces, but had no preference for manipulanda made from different materials. Large amounts of metal and untreated wood should be avoided in the future; metal produced too much heat and glare, and wood was damaged by biting/chewing. Lemurs used one or two hands to explore manipulanda, and simple touching was more common than twisting or pulling. However, lemurs were most likely to explore by smell than touch or by mouth. Social testing preserved "normal" conditions for the lemurs, including natural food stealing and scrounging in high- and low-ranking individuals, respectively. Our findings culminated in the development of a static, low-level cognitive task apparatus, constructed from modular plastic units. We encourage other researchers to report how they develop cognitive and enrichment apparatuses and consider a similar preference-testing approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fay E Clark
- Field Conservation & Science Department, Bristol Zoological Society, Bristol, UK.,School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol School of Psychological Science, Bristol, UK.,School of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lucy Chivers
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Olivia Pearson
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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10
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Burkart JM, Adriaense JEC, Brügger RK, Miss FM, Wierucka K, van Schaik CP. A convergent interaction engine: vocal communication among marmoset monkeys. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210098. [PMID: 35876206 PMCID: PMC9315454 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 09/14/2023] Open
Abstract
To understand the primate origins of the human interaction engine, it is worthwhile to focus not only on great apes but also on callitrichid monkeys (marmosets and tamarins). Like humans, but unlike great apes, callitrichids are cooperative breeders, and thus habitually engage in coordinated joint actions, for instance when an infant is handed over from one group member to another. We first explore the hypothesis that these habitual cooperative interactions, the marmoset interactional ethology, are supported by the same key elements as found in the human interaction engine: mutual gaze (during joint action), turn-taking, volubility, as well as group-wide prosociality and trust. Marmosets show clear evidence of these features. We next examine the prediction that, if such an interaction engine can indeed give rise to more flexible communication, callitrichids may also possess elaborate communicative skills. A review of marmoset vocal communication confirms unusual abilities in these small primates: high volubility and large vocal repertoires, vocal learning and babbling in immatures, and voluntary usage and control. We end by discussing how the adoption of cooperative breeding during human evolution may have catalysed language evolution by adding these convergent consequences to the great ape-like cognitive system of our hominin ancestors. This article is part of the theme issue 'Revisiting the human 'interaction engine': comparative approaches to social action coordination'.
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Affiliation(s)
- J. M. Burkart
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution ISLE, University of Zurich, Affolternstrasse 56, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - J. E. C. Adriaense
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - R. K. Brügger
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - F. M. Miss
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - K. Wierucka
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - C. P. van Schaik
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution ISLE, University of Zurich, Affolternstrasse 56, 8050 Zurich, Switzerland
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11
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De Petrillo F, Nair P, Cantwell A, Rosati AG. The Evolution of Cognitive Control in Lemurs. Psychol Sci 2022; 33:1408-1422. [PMID: 35876730 PMCID: PMC10068506 DOI: 10.1177/09567976221082938] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive control, or executive function, is a key feature of human cognition, allowing individuals to plan, acquire new information, or adopt new strategies when the circumstances change. Yet it is unclear which factors promote the evolution of more sophisticated executive-function abilities such as those possessed by humans. Examining cognitive control in nonhuman primates, our closest relatives, can help to identify these evolutionary processes. Here, we developed a novel battery to experimentally measure multiple aspects of cognitive control in primates: temporal discounting, motor inhibition, short-term memory, reversal learning, novelty responses, and persistence. We tested lemur species with targeted, independent variation in both ecological and social features (ruffed lemurs, Coquerel's sifakas, ring-tailed lemurs, and mongoose lemurs; N = 39) and found that ecological rather than social characteristics best predicted patterns of cognitive control across these species. This highlights the importance of integrating cognitive data with species' natural history to understand the origins of complex cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca De Petrillo
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan.,School of Psychology, Newcastle University.,Biosciences Institute, Newcastle University
| | | | | | - Alexandra G Rosati
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan.,Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan
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12
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Bridging pure cognitive research and cognitive enrichment. Anim Cogn 2022; 25:1671-1678. [PMID: 35652984 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01636-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2022] [Revised: 05/01/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive enrichment is a growing subset of environmental enrichment for captive animals. However, it has been difficult for practitioners to design, implement, and evaluate relevant and appropriate cognitive challenges. Even though pure comparative cognition researchers focus on fundamental evolutionary questions, their knowledge and expertise can also shape the future of cognitive enrichment. This paper describes the motive, means, and opportunity to do so. Taxon-specific summaries of animal cognition (including inter-individual variation in skill and effects of motivation), and experimental designs (including the task itself, training, and reward) need to be accessible to practitioners in applied settings, such as farms, zoos, and sanctuaries. Furthermore, I invite pure researchers to directly evaluate their cognitive research program as enrichment and thus bridge the disciplines of animal cognition and welfare.
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13
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De Petrillo F, Bettle R, Rosati AG. Insights from matched species comparisons for understanding cognition in the wild. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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14
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Kim TA, Syty MD, Wu K, Ge S. Adult hippocampal neurogenesis and its impairment in Alzheimer's disease. Zool Res 2022; 43:481-496. [PMID: 35503338 PMCID: PMC9113964 DOI: 10.24272/j.issn.2095-8137.2021.479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Adult neurogenesis is the creation of new neurons which integrate into the existing neural circuit of the adult brain. Recent evidence suggests that adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN) persists throughout life in mammals, including humans. These newborn neurons have been implicated to have a crucial role in brain functions such as learning and memory. Importantly, studies have also found that hippocampal neurogenesis is impaired in neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases. Alzheimer's disease (AD) is one of the most common forms of dementia affecting millions of people. Cognitive dysfunction is a common symptom of AD patients and progressive memory loss has been attributed to the degeneration of the hippocampus. Therefore, there has been growing interest in identifying how hippocampal neurogenesis is affected in AD. However, the link between cognitive decline and changes in hippocampal neurogenesis in AD is poorly understood. In this review, we summarized the recent literature on AHN and its impairments in AD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas A Kim
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, SUNY at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), Renaissance School of Medicine at SUNY, Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Michelle D Syty
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, SUNY at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Kaitlyn Wu
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, SUNY at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA
| | - Shaoyu Ge
- Department of Neurobiology & Behavior, SUNY at Stony Brook, Stony Brook, NY 11794, USA. E-mail:
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15
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Martin CF, Shumaker RW. Orangutan strategies for solving a visuospatial memory task. Am J Primatol 2022; 84:e23367. [PMID: 35133650 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The popular game known as Concentration (also commonly referred to as Memory), in which players search for matching pairs among a grid of face-down cards, provides a robust platform for examining visuospatial memory in a simple and nonverbal way. Five orangutans (Pongo ssp.) at the Indianapolis Zoo were given a modified version of the Concentration Game in which three cards were shown face-down on a computer screen, two of which matched each other while the third was a foil. Subjects overturned two cards at a time by touching them, with trials terminating in a food reward if the overturned cards matched, or reverting to their face-down position if they did not. A constraint was experimentally imposed on the game whereby the first two cards touched would never match, resulting in an optimal strategy composed of touching the first two cards, followed by the third, followed by the card among the first two cards that matched the third. We aimed to measure the extent to which orangutans would memorize and utilize visuospatial cues to solve the task in the optimal manner. Findings showed that three of five subjects utilized an optimal strategy more often than would be expected by chance, but also over utilized specific patterns of choices instead of adjusting their strategies to minimize the overall number of card flips. Visuospatial recall played a role in several of the participants' strategies for completing the task, but not to an extent that was necessary to achieve optimal gameplay.
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Ho CLA, Fichtel C, Huber D. The gray mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus) as a model for early primate brain evolution. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2021; 71:92-99. [PMID: 34768148 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2021.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The gray mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus), one of the world's smallest primates, is thought to share a similar ecological niche and many anatomical traits with early euprimates. As a result, it has been considered a suitable model system for early primate physiology and behavior. Moreover, recent studies have demonstrated that mouse lemurs have comparable cognitive abilities and cortical functional organization as haplorhines. Finally, the small brain size of mouse lemurs provides us with actual lower limits for miniaturization of functional brain circuits within the primate clade. Considering its phylogenetic position and early primate-like traits, the mouse lemurs are a perfect model species to study the early evolution of primate brains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Lum Andy Ho
- University of Geneva, Department of Basic Neurosciences, Rue Michel Servet 1, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Claudia Fichtel
- Verhaltensökologie und Soziobiologie, Deutsches Primatenzentrum, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; Leibniz Science Campus 'Primate Cognition', 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Daniel Huber
- University of Geneva, Department of Basic Neurosciences, Rue Michel Servet 1, 1206 Geneva, Switzerland.
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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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18
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Farrar BG, Ostojić L, Clayton NS. The hidden side of animal cognition research: Scientists' attitudes toward bias, replicability and scientific practice. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256607. [PMID: 34464406 PMCID: PMC8407565 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2021] [Accepted: 08/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal cognition research aims to understand animal minds by using a diverse range of methods across an equally diverse range of species. Throughout its history, the field has sought to mitigate various biases that occur when studying animal minds, from experimenter effects to anthropomorphism. Recently, there has also been a focus on how common scientific practices might affect the reliability and validity of published research. Usually, these issues are discussed in the literature by a small group of scholars with a specific interest in the topics. This study aimed to survey a wider range of animal cognition researchers to ask about their attitudes towards classic and contemporary issues facing the field. Two-hundred and ten active animal cognition researchers completed our survey, and provided answers on questions relating to bias, replicability, statistics, publication, and belief in animal cognition. Collectively, researchers were wary of bias in the research field, but less so in their own work. Over 70% of researchers endorsed Morgan’s canon as a useful principle but many caveated this in their free-text responses. Researchers self-reported that most of their studies had been published, however they often reported that studies went unpublished because they had negative or inconclusive results, or results that questioned “preferred” theories. Researchers rarely reported having performed questionable research practices themselves—however they thought that other researchers sometimes (52.7% of responses) or often (27.9% of responses) perform them. Researchers near unanimously agreed that replication studies are important but too infrequently performed in animal cognition research, 73.0% of respondents suggested areas of animal cognition research could experience a ‘replication crisis’ if replication studies were performed. Consistently, participants’ free-text responses provided a nuanced picture of the challenges animal cognition research faces, which are available as part of an open dataset. However, many researchers appeared concerned with how to interpret negative results, publication bias, theoretical bias and reliability in areas of animal cognition research. Collectively, these data provide a candid overview of barriers to progress in animal cognition and can inform debates on how individual researchers, as well as organizations and journals, can facilitate robust scientific research in animal cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin G. Farrar
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
- Institute for Globally Distributed Open Research and Education, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: ,
| | - Ljerka Ostojić
- Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences of Rijeka, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | - Nicola S. Clayton
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Linking ecology and cognition: does ecological specialisation predict cognitive test performance? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02923-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
AbstractVariation in cognitive abilities is thought to be linked to variation in brain size, which varies across species with either social factors (Social Intelligence Hypothesis) or ecological challenges (Ecological Intelligence Hypothesis). However, the nature of the ecological processes invoked by the Ecological Intelligence Hypothesis, like adaptations to certain habitat characteristics or dietary requirements, remains relatively poorly known. Here, we review comparative studies that experimentally investigated interspecific variation in cognitive performance in relation to a species’ degree of ecological specialisation. Overall, the relevant literature was biased towards studies of mammals and birds as well as studies focusing on ecological challenges related to diet. We separated ecological challenges into those related to searching for food, accessing a food item and memorising food locations. We found interspecific variation in cognitive performance that can be explained by adaptations to different foraging styles. Species-specific adaptations to certain ecological conditions, like food patch distribution, characteristics of food items or seasonality also broadly predicted variation in cognitive abilities. A species’ innovative problem-solving and spatial processing ability, for example, could be explained by its use of specific foraging techniques or search strategies, respectively. Further, habitat generalists were more likely to outperform habitat specialists. Hence, we found evidence that ecological adaptations and cognitive performance are linked and that the classification concept of ecological specialisation can explain variation in cognitive performance only with regard to habitat, but not dietary specialisation.
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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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21
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ManyPrimates, Aguenounon GS, Ballesta S, Beaud A, Bustamante L, Canteloup C, Joly M, Loyant L, Meunier H, Roig A, Troisi CA, Zablocki-Thomas P. ManyPrimates : une infrastructure de collaboration internationale dans la recherche en cognition des primates. REVUE DE PRIMATOLOGIE 2020. [DOI: 10.4000/primatologie.8808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
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