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Robotic Sensing and Stimuli Provision for Guided Plant Growth

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Learning capabilities enhanced in harsh environments: a common garden approach.

Timothy C Roth¹, Lara D LaDage, Vladimir V Pravosudov

¹Department of Biology, University of Nevada, MS 314, Reno, NV 89557, USA. tcroth@unr.edu

Proceedings. Biological Sciences

|June 4, 2010

Summary

Cognitive abilities, like problem-solving, may be inherited and shaped by environmental severity. Birds from harsh northern environments outperformed those from milder southern areas, suggesting a genetic basis for advanced learning traits.

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Area of Science:

Behavioral Ecology
Cognitive Evolution
Animal Behavior

Background:

Previous research suggests a link between inhabiting harsh environments and advanced learning traits.
The origin of these traits—whether learned or inherited—remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the influence of differential selection pressures on cognitive variation.
To assess if cognitive abilities in black-capped chickadees are inherited or a result of environmental experience.

Main Methods:

Utilized a common garden approach with two black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus) populations from extreme latitudinal ranges.
Examined response to novelty and problem-solving abilities under identical environmental conditions from 10 days of age.

Main Results:

Birds from the harsh northern population significantly outperformed those from the mild southern population in cognitive tasks.
Performance differences suggest a potential inherited basis for cognitive abilities, independent of post-hatching environment.

Conclusions:

Results support the hypothesis that environmental severity can shape inherited cognitive abilities.
While experience-independent effects are implied, maternal or early-life effects prior to 10 days cannot be fully excluded.