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Problem solving in European bison (Bison bonasus): two experimental approaches.

Alvaro L Caicoya^1,2, Montserrat Colell^1,2, Conrad Ensenyat³

¹Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.

Royal Society Open Science

|May 19, 2021

Summary

European bison demonstrated limited problem-solving skills in novel situations. They struggled with tasks requiring tool use or understanding cause-and-effect, suggesting cognitive constraints in this ungulate species.

Keywords:

Bison bonasus European bison Köhler insight problem solving ungulates

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Area of Science:

Animal Cognition
Behavioral Ecology
Ungulate Studies

Background:

Problem-solving is vital for survival and fitness.
Research on problem-solving abilities often overlooks species with lower encephalization quotients.
European bison, a non-domesticated ungulate, present an understudied model for cognitive research.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the novel problem-solving capabilities of European bison.
To assess their ability to adapt to new challenges using two distinct experimental tasks.

Main Methods:

Five European bison participated in two tasks: accessing food from a hanging barrel (requiring manipulation of a tree stump) and using a novel bucket to retrieve food.
Tasks involved both experimental conditions (requiring novel actions) and control conditions.

Main Results:

In the tree stump task, no bison successfully manipulated the stump to access food.
In the novel bucket task, two bison successfully retrieved food by pushing the bucket within reach, demonstrating some adaptive behavior.

Conclusions:

European bison exhibit limited capacity for solving novel problems, particularly those requiring complex manipulation or tool use.
The findings suggest potential cognitive limitations influencing their ability to adapt to new environmental challenges.