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Brebner JS, Loconsole M, Hanley D, Vasas V. Through an animal's eye: the implications of diverse sensory systems in scientific experimentation. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240022. [PMID: 39016597 PMCID: PMC11253838 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0022] [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: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/18/2024] Open
Abstract
'Accounting for the sensory abilities of animals is critical in experimental design.' No researcher would disagree with this statement, yet it is often the case that we inadvertently fall for anthropocentric biases and use ourselves as the reference point. This paper discusses the risks of adopting an anthropocentric view when working with non-human animals, and the unintended consequences this has on our experimental designs and results. To this aim, we provide general examples of anthropocentric bias from different fields of animal research, with a particular focus on animal cognition and behaviour, and lay out the potential consequences of adopting a human-based perspective. Knowledge of the sensory abilities, both in terms of similarities to humans and peculiarities of the investigated species, is crucial to ensure solid conclusions. A more careful consideration of the diverse sensory systems of animals would improve many scientific fields and enhance animal welfare in the laboratory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joanna S. Brebner
- Research Centre on Animal Cognition (CRCA), Centre for Integrative Biology (CBI); CNRS, University Paul Sabatier – Toulouse III, Toulouse, France
| | - Maria Loconsole
- School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Daniel Hanley
- Department of Biology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA, USA
| | - Vera Vasas
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, BrightonBN1 9RH, UK
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2
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McGrath AP, Horschler DJ, Hancock L. Feline Cognition and the Role of Nutrition: An Evolutionary Perspective and Historical Review. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1967. [PMID: 38998079 PMCID: PMC11240355 DOI: 10.3390/ani14131967] [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: 05/29/2024] [Revised: 06/25/2024] [Accepted: 06/30/2024] [Indexed: 07/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Research into cognition in cats and the impact of nutrition on cat cognitive health lags behind that in dogs but is receiving increased attention. In this review, we discuss the evolutionary history of the domesticated cat, describe possible drivers of domestication, and explore the interrelationships between nutrition and cat cognition. While most cat species are solitary, domesticated cats can live in social groups, engage in complex social encounters, and form strong attachments to humans. Researchers have recently started to study cat cognition using similar methods as those developed for dogs, with an initial primary focus on perception and social cognition. Similar to dogs, cats also show cognitive and behavioral changes associated with stress and aging, but these signs are often gradual and often considered a consequence of natural aging. Despite the fundamental role of nutrition in cognitive development, function, and maintenance, research into the association between nutrition and cognition in cats is only preliminary. Ultimately, additional research is needed to gain a full understanding of cat cognition and to explore the role of nutrition in the cognitive health of cats to help improve their welfare.
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3
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Roth TS, Samara I, Perea-Garcia JO, Kret ME. No immediate attentional bias towards or choice bias for male secondary sexual characteristics in Bornean orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus). Sci Rep 2024; 14:12095. [PMID: 38802458 PMCID: PMC11130206 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62187-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Primate faces provide information about a range of variant and invariant traits, including some that are relevant for mate choice. For example, faces of males may convey information about their health or genetic quality through symmetry or facial masculinity. Because perceiving and processing such information may have bearing on the reproductive success of an individual, cognitive systems are expected to be sensitive to facial cues of mate quality. However, few studies have investigated this topic in non-human primate species. Orang-utans are an interesting species to test mate-relevant cognitive biases, because they are characterised by male bimaturism: some adult males are fully developed and bear conspicuous flanges on the side of their face, while other males look relatively similar to females. Here, we describe two non-invasive computerised experiments with Bornean orang-utans (Pongo pygmaeus), testing (i) immediate attention towards large flanges and symmetrical faces using a dot-probe task (N = 3 individuals; 2F) and (ii) choice bias for pictures of flanged males over unflanged males using a preference test (N = 6 individuals; 4F). In contrast with our expectations, we found no immediate attentional bias towards either large flanges or symmetrical faces. In addition, individuals did not show a choice bias for stimuli of flanged males. We did find exploratory evidence for a colour bias and energy efficiency trade-offs in the preference task. We discuss our null results and exploratory results in the context of the evolutionary history of Bornean orang-utans, and provide suggestions for a more biocentric approach to the study of orang-utan cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tom S Roth
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, The Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands.
- Apenheul Primate Park, J.CWilslaan 21, 7313 HK, Apeldoorn, The Netherlands.
- Animal Behaviour & Cognition, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Padualaan 8, 3584 CH, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
| | - Iliana Samara
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, The Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Juan Olvido Perea-Garcia
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, The Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Mariska E Kret
- Cognitive Psychology Unit, Institute of Psychology, The Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Leiden University, Wassenaarseweg 52, 2333 AK, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Leiden Institute of Brain and Cognition (LIBC), Leiden, The Netherlands
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Serenari C. Beyond Tolerance: Mitigating Human-Wildlife Conflict with Hospitality. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1185. [PMID: 38672332 PMCID: PMC11047494 DOI: 10.3390/ani14081185] [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: 03/19/2024] [Revised: 04/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Tolerance has become a central position in wildlife conservation thought, and a goal in and of itself. Appeals to tolerance are expected to grow as the planet becomes more crowded, species are lost, and habitat is degraded. The concept has been uncritically adopted in wildlife conservation to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts (HWCs). However, scholars have demonstrated that tolerance is burdened with limitations, paradoxes, and shortcomings. Thus, blind adherence to it is not expected to produce a coexistence design necessary to sustain wildlife populations in the long term. This paper is a conceptual scoping project that engages a summary and critique of tolerance as a design principle within wildlife conservation governance. After introducing a resultant theory of dysfunctional human-wildlife coexistence, a pathway toward hospitality as a social institution is outlined via several commitments societies can make to transition to an era of normalizing a process of sincere welcoming, care, and support. The transition from tolerance to hospitality will entail shifting responsibility to humans to modify their behavior to help keep wildlife invisible where it is essential, learning about what wildlife want and need, and ensuring wildlife is not injured for being themselves.
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Irwin LN. Behavioral indicators of heterogeneous subjective experience in animals across the phylogenetic spectrum: Implications for comparative animal phenomenology. Heliyon 2024; 10:e28421. [PMID: 38623251 PMCID: PMC11016586 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e28421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2023] [Revised: 03/12/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
This behavioral study was undertaken to provide empirical evidence in favor of or opposed to the notion that animals across a wide breadth of the animal kingdom have subjective (personal) experience that varies with their lifestyles, ecological constraints, or phylogeny. Twelve species representing two invertebrate phyla and six vertebrate classes were observed unobtrusively in 15-min episodes, during which three modes of behavior (volitional, interactive, and egocentric) were quantified according to the frequency, variety, and dynamism of each mode. Volitional behavior was the most prevalent and dynamic mode for nearly all species, largely without regard to phylogenetic position. Interactive behavior likewise varied inconsistently across the entire evolutionary spectrum. Egocentric behavior was concentrated among the avian and mammalian species, but evidence of it were observed in the invertebrate species as well. Diagrams of the matrix constructed from the three qualitative modes and three quantitative attributes for each mode provide a metaphorical representation of the unique experiential profile of each species. To the extent that these behavioral measures correlate with the nature of the animal's subjective experience, they support the growing view that phenomenology is heterogeneous, multimodal, and non-linear in extent across the animal kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louis N. Irwin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, USA
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Guran CNA, Lonardo L, Tünte M, Arzberger K, Völter CJ, Hoehl S, Huber L, Lamm C. Investigating belief understanding in children in a nonverbal ambiguous displacement and communication setting. J Exp Child Psychol 2024; 240:105830. [PMID: 38104460 PMCID: PMC7616302 DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2023.105830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 11/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
Finding ways to investigate false belief understanding nonverbally is not just important for preverbal children but also is the only way to assess theory of mind (ToM)-like abilities in nonhuman animals. In this preregistered study, we adapted the design from a previous study on pet dogs to investigate false belief understanding in children and to compare it with belief understanding of those previously tested dogs. A total of 32 preschool children (aged 5-6 years) saw the displacement of a reward and obtained nonverbal cueing of the empty container from an adult communicator holding either a true or false belief. In the false belief condition, when the communicator did not know the location of the reward, children picked the baited container, but not the cued container, more often than the empty one. In the true belief condition, when the communicator witnessed the displacement yet still cued the wrong container, children performed randomly. The children's behavior pattern was at odds with that of the dogs tested in a previous study, which picked the cued container more often when the human communicator held a false belief. In addition to species comparisons, because our task does not require verbal responses or relational sentence understanding, it can also be used in preverbal children. The children in our study behaved in line with the existing ToM literature, whereas most (but not all) dogs from the previously collected sample, although sensitive to differences between the belief conditions, deviated from the children. This difference suggests that using closely matched paradigms and experimental procedures can reveal decisive differences in belief processing between species. It also demonstrates the need for a more comprehensive exploration and direct comparison of the various aspects of false belief processing and ToM in different species to understand the evolution of social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- C-N Alexandrina Guran
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria; Vienna Cognitive Science Hub, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Lucrezia Lonardo
- Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Tünte
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Karla Arzberger
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph J Völter
- Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Stefanie Hoehl
- Department of Developmental and Educational Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria
| | - Ludwig Huber
- Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Claus Lamm
- Social, Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Unit, Department of Cognition, Emotion, and Methods in Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Vienna, 1010 Vienna, Austria
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Boyd JL. Moral considerability of brain organoids from the perspective of computational architecture. OXFORD OPEN NEUROSCIENCE 2024; 3:kvae004. [PMID: 38595940 PMCID: PMC10995847 DOI: 10.1093/oons/kvae004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024]
Abstract
Human brain organoids equipped with complex cytoarchitecture and closed-loop feedback from virtual environments could provide insights into neural mechanisms underlying cognition. Yet organoids with certain cognitive capacities might also merit moral consideration. A precautionary approach has been proposed to address these ethical concerns by focusing on the epistemological question of whether organoids possess neural structures for morally-relevant capacities that bear resemblance to those found in human brains. Critics challenge this similarity approach on philosophical, scientific, and practical grounds but do so without a suitable alternative. Here, I introduce an architectural approach that infers the potential for cognitive-like processing in brain organoids based on the pattern of information flow through the system. The kind of computational architecture acquired by an organoid then informs the kind of cognitive capacities that could, theoretically, be supported and empirically investigated. The implications of this approach for the moral considerability of brain organoids are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Lomax Boyd
- Berman Institute of Bioethics, Johns Hopkins University, 1809 Ashland Ave, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
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van Boekholt B, Wilkinson R, Pika S. Bodies at play: the role of intercorporeality and bodily affordances in coordinating social play in chimpanzees in the wild. Front Psychol 2024; 14:1206497. [PMID: 38292528 PMCID: PMC10826840 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1206497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The comparative approach is a crucial method to gain a better understanding of the behavior of living human and nonhuman animals to then draw informed inferences about the behavior of extinct ancestors. One focus has been on disentangling the puzzle of language evolution. Traditionally, studies have predominantly focused on intentionally produced signals in communicative interactions. However, in collaborative and highly dynamic interactions such as play, underlying intentionality is difficult to assess and often interactions are negotiated via body movements rather than signals. This "lack" of signals has led to this dynamic context being widely ignored in comparative studies. The aim of this paper is threefold: First, we will show how comparative research into communication can benefit from taking the intentionality-agnostic standpoint used in conversation analysis. Second, we will introduce the concepts of 'intercorporeality' and 'bodily affordance', and show how they can be applied to the analysis of communicative interactions of nonhuman animals. Third, we will use these concepts to investigate how chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) initiate, end, and maintain 'contact social play'. Our results showed that bodily affordances are able to capture elements of interactions that more traditional approaches failed to describe. Participants made use of bodily affordances to achieve coordinated engagement in contact social play. Additionally, these interactions could display a sequential organization by which one 'move' by a chimpanzee was responded to with an aligning 'move', which allowed for the co-construction of the activity underway. Overall, the present approach innovates on three fronts: First, it allows for the analysis of interactions that are often ignored because they do not fulfil criteria of intentionality, and/or consist of purely body movements. Second, adopting concepts from research on human interaction enables a better comparison of communicative interactions in other animal species without a too narrow focus on intentional signaling only. Third, adopting a stance from interaction research that highlights how practical action can also be communicative, our results show that chimpanzees can communicate through their embodied actions as well as through signaling. With this first step, we hope to inspire new research into dynamic day-to-day interactions involving both "traditional" signals and embodied actions, which, in turn, can provide insights into evolutionary precursors of human language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bas van Boekholt
- Comparative BioCognition, Institute of Cognitive Science, Osnabück University, Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Ray Wilkinson
- Division of Human Communication Sciences, School of Allied Health Professions, Nursing and Midwifery, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom
| | - Simone Pika
- Comparative BioCognition, Institute of Cognitive Science, Osnabück University, Osnabrück, Germany
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Dissegna A, Borrelli L, Ponte G, Chiandetti C, Fiorito G. Octopus vulgaris Exhibits Interindividual Differences in Behavioural and Problem-Solving Performance. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1487. [PMID: 38132313 PMCID: PMC10740590 DOI: 10.3390/biology12121487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2023] [Revised: 11/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
By presenting individual Octopus vulgaris with an extractive foraging problem with a puzzle box, we examined the possible correlation between behavioural performances (e.g., ease of adaptation to captive conditions, prevalence of neophobic and neophilic behaviours, and propensity to learn individually or by observing conspecifics), biotic (body and brain size, age, sex) and abiotic (seasonality and place of origin) factors. We found more neophilic animals showing shorter latencies to approach the puzzle box and higher probability of solving the task; also, shorter times to solve the task were correlated with better performance on the individual learning task. However, the most neophilic octopuses that approached the puzzle box more quickly did not reach the solution earlier than other individuals, suggesting that strong neophilic tendency may lead to suboptimal performance at some stages of the problem-solving process. In addition, seasonal and environmental characteristics of location of origin appear to influence the rate of expression of individual traits central to problem solving. Overall, our analysis provides new insights into the traits associated with problem solving in invertebrates and highlights the presence of adaptive mechanisms that promote population-level changes in octopuses' behavioural traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Dissegna
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (A.D.); (C.C.)
| | - Luciana Borrelli
- Animal Physiology and Evolution Lab, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Giovanna Ponte
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy;
| | - Cinzia Chiandetti
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy; (A.D.); (C.C.)
| | - Graziano Fiorito
- Department of Biology and Evolution of Marine Organisms, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy;
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Ferreira VHB, Lansade L, Calandreau L, Cunha F, Jensen P. Are domesticated animals dumber than their wild relatives? A comprehensive review on the domestication effects on animal cognitive performance. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 154:105407. [PMID: 37769929 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 09/21/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/03/2023]
Abstract
Animal domestication leads to diverse behavioral, physiological, and neurocognitive changes in domesticated species compared to their wild relatives. However, the widely held belief that domesticated species are inherently less "intelligent" (i.e., have lower cognitive performance) than their wild counterparts requires further investigation. To investigate potential cognitive disparities, we undertook a thorough review of 88 studies comparing the cognitive performance of domesticated and wild animals. Approximately 30% of these studies showed superior cognitive abilities in wild animals, while another 30% highlighted superior cognitive abilities in domesticated animals. The remaining 40% of studies found similar cognitive performance between the two groups. Therefore, the question regarding the presumed intelligence of wild animals and the diminished cognitive ability of domesticated animals remains unresolved. We discuss important factors/limitations for interpreting past and future research, including environmental influences, diverse objectives of domestication (such as breed development), developmental windows, and methodological issues impacting cognitive comparisons. Rather than perceiving these limitations as constraints, future researchers should embrace them as opportunities to expand our understanding of the complex relationship between domestication and animal cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vitor Hugo Bessa Ferreira
- IFM Biology, AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology group, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden; INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Centre Val de Loire UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, 37380 Nouzilly, France.
| | - Léa Lansade
- INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Centre Val de Loire UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, 37380 Nouzilly, France
| | - Ludovic Calandreau
- INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Université de Tours, Centre Val de Loire UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, 37380 Nouzilly, France
| | - Felipe Cunha
- IFM Biology, AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology group, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Per Jensen
- IFM Biology, AVIAN Behavioural Genomics and Physiology group, Linköping University, 581 83 Linköping, Sweden.
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Raposo VL. Homo chimaera after homo sapiens?: the legal status of human–non-human chimaeras with human brain cells. BIOSOCIETIES 2023. [DOI: 10.1057/s41292-023-00302-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/30/2023]
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12
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Rochais C, Schradin C, Pillay N. Cognitive performance is linked to survival in free-living African striped mice. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230205. [PMID: 36883277 PMCID: PMC9993040 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognition is shaped by evolution and is predicted to increase fitness. However, the link between cognition and fitness in free-living animals is unresolved. We studied the correlates of cognition and survival in a free-living rodent inhabiting an arid environment. We tested 143 striped mice (Rhabdomys pumilio) using a battery of cognitive tests, including: (i) an attention task, (ii) two problem-solving tasks, (iii) a learning and reversal learning task, and (iv) an inhibitory control task. We related cognitive performance with days of survival. Better problem-solving and inhibitory control performance were significant correlates of survival. Surviving males showed greater reversal learning which may be related to sex-specific behavioural and life-history characteristics. Specific cognitive traits and not a composite measure of general intelligence underpins fitness in this free-living rodent population, enhancing our understanding of the evolution of cognition in non-human animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celine Rochais
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Braamfontein 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Carsten Schradin
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Braamfontein 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa
- IPHC, UNISTRA, CNRS, 23 Rue du Loess, 67200 Strasbourg, France
| | - Neville Pillay
- School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Braamfontein 2000, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Krochmal AR, Roth TC. The case for investigating the cognitive map in nonavian reptiles. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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Bräuer J, Bender Y. Warum die Vergleichende Psychologie auf den Hund gekommen ist. ZEITSCHRIFT FUR ENTWICKLUNGSPSYCHOLOGIE UND PADAGOGISCHE PSYCHOLOGIE 2023. [DOI: 10.1026/0049-8637/a000267] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
Zusammenfassung: Die Entwicklungspsychologie beschreibt ontogenetische Prozesse, bei denen es um zeitlich überdauernde, aufeinander aufbauende Veränderungen menschlichen Erlebens und Verhaltens über die gesamte Lebensspanne geht. In diesem Artikel erläutern wir den Zusammenhang zwischen ontogenetischen und phylogenetischen Prozessen, die das zentrale Forschungsinteresse der Vergleichenden Psychologie darstellen. Untersuchungsgegenstand sind hierbei Gemeinsamkeiten und Unterschiede zwischen Menschen und verschiedenen Tierarten, die zum Beispiel Aufschluss über die Evolution von Kognition geben können. Hunde spielen dabei eine besondere Rolle: sie haben durch ihre lange Domestikationsgeschichte einzigartige Fähigkeiten in den Bereichen Kommunikation, Aufmerksamkeit und Kooperation erlangt. Durch die konvergente Entwicklung von Hund und Mensch durch den ähnlichen Selektionsdruck auf beide Spezies, kann man bei einigen dieser Eigenschaften sogar von menschenähnlichen Fähigkeiten sprechen.
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15
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Lessons learned in animal acoustic cognition through comparisons with humans. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:97-116. [PMID: 36574158 PMCID: PMC9877085 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01735-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 11/21/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
Humans are an interesting subject of study in comparative cognition. While humans have a lot of anecdotal and subjective knowledge about their own minds and behaviors, researchers tend not to study humans the way they study other species. Instead, comparisons between humans and other animals tend to be based on either assumptions about human behavior and cognition, or very different testing methods. Here we emphasize the importance of using insider knowledge about humans to form interesting research questions about animal cognition while simultaneously stepping back and treating humans like just another species as if one were an alien researcher. This perspective is extremely helpful to identify what aspects of cognitive processes may be interesting and relevant across the animal kingdom. Here we outline some examples of how this objective human-centric approach has helped us to move forward knowledge in several areas of animal acoustic cognition (rhythm, harmonicity, and vocal units). We describe how this approach works, what kind of benefits we obtain, and how it can be applied to other areas of animal cognition. While an objective human-centric approach is not useful when studying traits that do not occur in humans (e.g., magnetic spatial navigation), it can be extremely helpful when studying traits that are relevant to humans (e.g., communication). Overall, we hope to entice more people working in animal cognition to use a similar approach to maximize the benefits of being part of the animal kingdom while maintaining a detached and scientific perspective on the human species.
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16
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Abreu F, Pika S. Turn-taking skills in mammals: A systematic review into development and acquisition. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.987253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
How human language evolved remains one of the most intriguing questions in science, and different approaches have been used to tackle this question. A recent hypothesis, the Interaction Engine Hypothesis, postulates that language was made possible through the special capacity for social interaction involving different social cognitive skills (e.g., joint attention, common ground) and specific characteristics such as face-to-face interaction, mutual gaze and turn-taking, the exchange of rapid communicative turns. Recently, it has been argued that this turn-taking infrastructure may be a foundational and ancient mechanism of the layered system of language because communicative turn-taking has been found in human infants and across several non-human primate species. Moreover, there is some evidence for turn-taking in different mammalian taxa, especially those capable of vocal learning. Surprisingly, however, the existing studies have mainly focused on turn-taking production of adult individuals, while little is known about its emergence and development in young individuals. Hence, the aim of the current paper was 2-fold: First, we carried out a systematic review of turn-taking development and acquisition in mammals to evaluate possible research bias and existing gaps. Second, we highlight research avenues to spur more research into this domain and investigate if distinct turn-taking elements can be found in other non-human animal species. Since mammals exhibit an extended development period, including learning and strong parental care, they represent an excellent model group in which to investigate the acquisition and development of turn-taking abilities. We performed a systematic review including a wide range of terms and found 21 studies presenting findings on turn-taking abilities in infants and juveniles. Most of these studies were from the last decade, showing an increased interest in this field over the years. Overall, we found a considerable variation in the terminologies and methodological approaches used. In addition, studies investigating turn-taking abilities across different development periods and in relation to different social partners were very rare, thereby hampering direct, systematic comparisons within and across species. Nonetheless, the results of some studies suggested that specific turn-taking elements are innate, while others are acquired during development (e.g., flexibility). Finally, we pinpoint fruitful research avenues and hypotheses to move the field of turn-taking development forward and improve our understanding of the impact of turn-taking on language evolution.
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De Meester G, Van Linden L, Torfs J, Pafilis P, Šunje E, Steenssens D, Zulčić T, Sassalos A, Van Damme R. Learning with lacertids: Studying the link between ecology and cognition within a comparative framework. Evolution 2022; 76:2531-2552. [PMID: 36111365 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Cognition is an essential tool for animals to deal with environmental challenges. Nonetheless, the ecological forces driving the evolution of cognition throughout the animal kingdom remain enigmatic. Large-scale comparative studies on multiple species and cognitive traits have been advanced as the best way to facilitate our understanding of cognitive evolution, but such studies are rare. Here, we tested 13 species of lacertid lizards (Reptilia: Lacertidae) using a battery of cognitive tests measuring inhibitory control, problem-solving, and spatial and reversal learning. Next, we tested the relationship between species' performance and (a) resource availability (temperature and precipitation), habitat complexity (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index), and habitat variability (seasonality) in their natural habitat and (b) their life history (size at hatching and maturity, clutch size, and frequency). Although species differed markedly in their cognitive abilities, such variation was mostly unrelated to their ecology and life history. Yet, species living in more variable environments exhibited lower behavioral flexibility, likely due to energetic constrains in such habitats. Our standardized protocols provide opportunities for collaborative research, allowing increased sample sizes and replication, essential for moving forward in the field of comparative cognition. Follow-up studies could include more detailed measures of habitat structure and look at other potential selective drivers such as predation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gilles De Meester
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium.,Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, 157 84, Greece
| | - Lisa Van Linden
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium
| | - Jonas Torfs
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium
| | - Panayiotis Pafilis
- Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, 157 84, Greece
| | - Emina Šunje
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium.,Department of Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Sarajevo, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina.,Herpetological Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina: BHHU: ATRA, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Dries Steenssens
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium
| | - Tea Zulčić
- Herpetological Association in Bosnia and Herzegovina: BHHU: ATRA, Sarajevo, 71000, Bosnia and Herzegovina
| | - Athanasios Sassalos
- Section of Zoology and Marine Biology, Department of Biology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, 157 84, Greece
| | - Raoul Van Damme
- Functional Morphology Lab, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium
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Irwin LN, Chittka L, Jablonka E, Mallatt J. Editorial: Comparative animal consciousness. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:998421. [PMID: 36341479 PMCID: PMC9627481 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.998421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Louis N. Irwin
- Department of Biological Sciences, The University of Texas at El Paso, El Paso, TX, United States
| | - Lars Chittka
- Research Centre for Psychology, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Eva Jablonka
- Cohn Institute for the History of Philosophy of Science and Ideas, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel
| | - Jon Mallatt
- School of Biological Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, United States
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Henaut Y, Charles A, Delfour F. Cognition of the manatee: past research and future developments. Anim Cogn 2022; 25:1049-1058. [PMID: 36002602 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01676-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 07/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
In this paper, we present a review of the current knowledge related to the cognitive abilities of the manatee, with a focus on the Antillean manatee in situ and ex situ. Following a biocentric approach, we consider the animals' ecology, perception and sociality and we introduce future perspectives on their cognition. Scientific literature on the cognitive abilities of Antillean manatees' is limited and mainly linked to medical training and veterinary manipulations. To perceive and to interact with their social and natural environment (e.g. social interactions, foraging and traveling), manatees use visual, acoustic and tactile modalities that may be involved in a large range of cognitive abilities. Research on stimuli perception in manatees is scarce; however, these animals demonstrate abilities to learn and appear to show long-term memory. For example, to mate and/or to forage manatees travel at medium and large geographical scales; without doubt their movements entail the use of a set of stimuli and learning processes. Furthermore, their social skills (e.g. social organization, tactile and acoustic communications) are also poorly understood although their social interactions appear to be more complex than previously thought. Finally, as for many animals, temperament/personality may play a key role during their interactions with conspecifics and the environment. These aspects on manatee behavior and cognition are important for management and conservation purposes and help us understand the evolution of these marine mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yann Henaut
- Laboratorio de Conducta Animal, GAIA-BIO, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur (ECOSUR), Av. del Centenario Km. 5.5, C.P. 77014, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico.
| | - Aviva Charles
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO, UMR 7204, CNRS, MNHN, Sorbonne-Université, MNHN), Paris, France
- ZooParc de Beauval and Beauval Nature, 41110, Saint Aignan, France
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Biolsi KL, Woo KL. Equivalence classification, learning by exclusion, and long-term memory in pinnipeds: cognitive mechanisms demonstrated through research with subjects under human care and in the field. Anim Cogn 2022; 25:1077-1090. [PMID: 35900682 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01658-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2022] [Revised: 07/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Comparative cognition, as an interdisciplinary field, should utilize a holistic approach for studying cognitive mechanisms. We suggest that research with species of interest should employ both work with animals under human care and in the field. This complimentary approach allows for a better understanding of functional cognitive mechanisms themselves (i.e., comparative cognition regarding processes), and how these skill sets can relate to a particular species' ecological niche. We suggest that research evidence for equivalence classification, learning by exclusion, and long-term memory in pinnipeds can provide a foundation for discussion and implementation of a two-pronged methodological approach utilizing 'lab' and field' work. First, we describe evidence from research with pinnipeds under human care supporting each of these cognitive abilities, then follow this with evidence for implications of these mechanisms from complimentary field research. Lastly, we provide a brief discussion of implementation of a purposeful and two-pronged research approach as an understanding of pinnipeds' high levels of cognitive flexibility may underlie their success for navigating the ever-changing, and often human-altered, natural environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristy L Biolsi
- Department of Psychology, St. Francis College, 179 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA.
- Center for the Study of Pinniped Ecology and Cognition, St. Francis College, 179 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA.
| | - Kevin L Woo
- Department of Natural Sciences, School of Science, Mathematics, and Technology, SUNY Empire State College, 4 Park Avenue, New York, NY, 10016, USA
- Center for the Study of Pinniped Ecology and Cognition, St. Francis College, 179 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA
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21
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Danel S, Bayern AMP, Osiurak F. Great white pelicans (
Pelecanus onocrotalus
) fail to use tools flexibly in problem‐solving tasks. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13243] [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]
Affiliation(s)
- Samara Danel
- Department of Zoology University of Oxford Oxford UK
- Laboratory for the Study of Cognitive Mechanisms University of Lyon Bron Rhône‐Alpes France
| | | | - François Osiurak
- Laboratory for the Study of Cognitive Mechanisms University of Lyon Bron Rhône‐Alpes France
- University Institute of France Paris Ile‐de‐France France
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Kaufmann A. Experience-Specific Dimensions of Consciousness (Observable in Flexible and Spontaneous Action Planning Among Animals). Front Syst Neurosci 2021; 15:741579. [PMID: 34566590 PMCID: PMC8461023 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2021.741579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The multidimensional framework to the study of consciousness, which comes as an alternative to a single sliding scale model, offers a set of experimental paradigms for investigating dimensions of animal consciousness, acknowledging the compelling urge for a novel approach. One of these dimensions investigates whether non-human animals can flexibly and spontaneously plan for a future event, and for future desires, without relying on reinforcement learning. This is a critical question since different intentional structures for action in non-human animals are described as served by different neural mechanisms underpinning the capacity to represent temporal properties. And a lack of appreciation of this variety of intentional structures and neural correlates has led many experts to doubt that animals have access to temporal reasoning and to not recognize temporality as a mark of consciousness, and as a psychological resource for their life. With respect to this, there is a significant body of ethological evidence for planning abilities in non-human animals, too often overlooked, and that instead should be taken into serious account. This could contribute to assigning consciousness profiles, across and within species, that should be tailored according to an implemented and expansive use of the multidimensional framework. This cannot be fully operational in the absence of an additional tag to its dimensions of variations: the experience-specificity of consciousness.
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Bueno-Guerra N. Where Is Ethology Heading? An Invitation for Collective Metadisciplinary Discussion. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:2520. [PMID: 34573486 PMCID: PMC8472011 DOI: 10.3390/ani11092520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Many factors can impact the advancement of scientific disciplines. In the study of animal behavior and cognition (i.e., Ethology), a lack of consensus about definitions or the emergence of some current events and inventions, among other aspects, may challenge the discipline's grounds within the next decades. A collective metadisciplinary discussion may help in envisioning the future to come. For that purpose, I elaborated an online questionnaire about the level of consensus and the researchers' ways of doing in seven areas: Discipline name and concepts, species, Umwelt, technology, data, networking, and the impact of sociocultural and ecological factors. I recruited the opinion of almost a hundred of colleagues worldwide (N = 98), both junior and seniors, working both in the wild and in the lab. While the results were pitted against the literature, general conclusions should be taken with caution and considered as a first attempt in exploring the state of the discipline from the researchers' perspective: There is no unanimity for the discipline's name; 71.4% of the researchers reported there is limited consensus in the definition of relevant concepts (i.e., culture, cognition); primate species still predominate in publications whereas the species selection criteria is sometimes based on fascination, chance, or funding opportunities rather than on biocentric questions; 56.1% of the apparatuses employed do not resemble species' ecological problems, and current tech needs would be solved by fostering collaboration with engineers. Finally, embracing the Open Science paradigm, supporting networking efforts, and promoting diversity in research teams may help in gathering further knowledge in the area. Some suggestions are proposed to overcome the aforementioned problems in this contemporary analysis of our discipline.
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Abstract
The search for human cognitive uniqueness often relied on low ecological tests with subjects experiencing unnatural ontogeny. Recently, neuroscience demonstrated the significance of a rich environment on the development of brain structures and cognitive abilities. This stresses the importance to consider the prior knowledge that subjects bring in any experiment. Second, recent developments in multivariate statistics control precisely for a number of factors and their interactions. Making controls in natural observations equivalent and sometimes superior to captive experimental studies without the drawbacks of the latter methods. Thus, we can now investigate complex cognition by accounting for many different factors, as required when solving tasks in nature. Combining both progresses allows us to move toward an “experience-specific cognition”, recognizing that cognition varies extensively in nature as individuals adapt to the precise challenges they experience in life. Such cognitive specialization makes cross-species comparisons more complex, while potentially identifying human cognitive uniqueness.
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Bräuer J, Blasi D. Dogs display owner-specific expectations based on olfaction. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3291. [PMID: 33558638 PMCID: PMC7870809 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82952-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Most current knowledge about dogs’ understanding of, and reacting to, their environment is limited to the visual or auditory modality, but it remains unclear how olfaction and cognition are linked together. Here we investigate how domestic dogs search for their owners using their excellent olfactory sense. We raise the question whether dogs have a representation of someone when they smell their track. The question is what they expect when they follow a trail or whether they perceive an odour as a relevant or non-relevant stimulus. We adopted a classical violation-of-expectation paradigm—and as targets we used two persons that were both important to the dog, usually the owners. In the critical condition subjects could track the odour trail of one target, but at the end of the trail they find another target. Dogs showed an increased activity when the person did not correspond with the trail compared to a control condition. Moreover, we found huge individual differences in searching behaviour supporting the assumption that dogs are only able to smell when they really sniff, and that the temperature has an influence on dogs performance. Results are discussed in the light of how cognitive abilities, motivation and odour perception influence each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Bräuer
- Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, 07745, Jena, Germany. .,Department for Department for General Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Am Steiger 3, 07743, Jena, Germany.
| | - Damian Blasi
- Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, 07745, Jena, Germany.,Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Peabody Museum, 5th Floor, 11 Divinity Avenue, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.,Linguistic Convergence Laboratory, National Research University Higher School of Economics, 21/4 Staraya Basmannaya Ulitsa, Building 5, Moscow, Russian Federation
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Pika S, Sima MJ, Blum CR, Herrmann E, Mundry R. Ravens parallel great apes in physical and social cognitive skills. Sci Rep 2020; 10:20617. [PMID: 33303790 PMCID: PMC7728792 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-77060-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Human children show unique cognitive skills for dealing with the social world but their cognitive performance is paralleled by great apes in many tasks dealing with the physical world. Recent studies suggested that members of a songbird family-corvids-also evolved complex cognitive skills but a detailed understanding of the full scope of their cognition was, until now, not existent. Furthermore, relatively little is known about their cognitive development. Here, we conducted the first systematic, quantitative large-scale assessment of physical and social cognitive performance of common ravens with a special focus on development. To do so, we fine-tuned one of the most comprehensive experimental test-batteries, the Primate Cognition Test Battery (PCTB), to raven features enabling also a direct, quantitative comparison with the cognitive performance of two great ape species. Full-blown cognitive skills were already present at the age of four months with subadult ravens' cognitive performance appearing very similar to that of adult apes in tasks of physical (quantities, and causality) and social cognition (social learning, communication, and theory of mind). These unprecedented findings strengthen recent assessments of ravens' general intelligence, and aid to the growing evidence that the lack of a specific cortical architecture does not hinder advanced cognitive skills. Difficulties in certain cognitive scales further emphasize the quest to develop comparative test batteries that tap into true species rather than human specific cognitive skills, and suggest that socialization of test individuals may play a crucial role. We conclude to pay more attention to the impact of personality on cognitive output, and a currently neglected topic in Animal Cognition-the linkage between ontogeny and cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone Pika
- Comparative BioCognition, Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabrück, Artilleriestrasse 34, 49076, Osnabrück, Germany.
- Research Group "Evolution of Communication", Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany.
| | - Miriam Jennifer Sima
- Research Group "Evolution of Communication", Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Christian R Blum
- Research Group "Evolution of Communication", Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Esther Herrmann
- Research Group "Human Origins of Self-Regulation", Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Psychology, Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Roger Mundry
- Interim Group Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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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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Cozzi B, Bonfanti L, Canali E, Minero M. Brain Waste: The Neglect of Animal Brains. Front Neuroanat 2020; 14:573934. [PMID: 33304245 PMCID: PMC7693423 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2020.573934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Bruno Cozzi
- Department of Comparative Biomedicine and Food Science, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Luca Bonfanti
- Department of Veterinary Sciences, University of Torino, Torino, Italy.,Neuroscience Institute Cavalieri Ottolenghi, Orbassano, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Canali
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
| | - Michela Minero
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Milan, Milan, Italy
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