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Coevolution of intelligence, behavioral repertoire, and lifespan
Stefano Ghirlanda1, Magnus Enquist2, Johan Lind2
1Department of Psychology, Brooklyn College, 2900 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11210, USA; Center for the Study of Cultural Evolution, Stockholm University, Lilla frescativ. 7B, S-106 91, Stockholm, Sweden.
Theoretical Population Biology
|September 19, 2013
Summary
Intelligent species learn faster by ignoring unproductive behaviors. This efficiency drives the evolution of larger behavioral repertoires and longer lifespans, optimizing learning across diverse taxa.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Cognitive science
- Animal behavior
Background:
- Positive correlations observed between intelligence (encephalization), behavioral repertoire size, and lifespan across taxa.
- Existing theories do not fully explain these interconnected traits.
Purpose of the Study:
- To propose a theoretical model explaining the correlation between intelligence, behavioral repertoire size, and lifespan.
- To define intelligence as the ability to efficiently learn behavior sequences.
Main Methods:
- Development of a simple theoretical model.
- Operational definition of intelligence as disregarding unrewarding behavior sequences.
- Analysis of trade-offs between repertoire size, learning time, and sequence length.
Main Results:
- Increasing behavioral repertoire size enhances potential rewarding sequences but increases learning time.
- An optimal repertoire size exists, decreasing with longer behavior sequences.
- Intelligence and lifespan are identified as mechanisms to increase behavioral repertoire size.
Conclusions:
- Selection pressures for efficient learning of behavior sequences drive the observed correlations.
- Intelligence and lifespan are adaptive traits that facilitate the expansion of behavioral repertoires.
- The theoretical model provides a unified explanation for the co-evolution of these key traits.
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