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Parental provisioning drives brain size in birds
Michael Griesser1,2,3,4, Szymon M Drobniak5,6, Sereina M Graber4
1Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany.
Summary
Parental provisioning significantly influences bird brain size evolution by overcoming energetic costs. This strategy enables larger brains, enhancing survival and population stability in birds.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary biology
- Neuroscience
- Ornithology
Background:
- Large brains offer cognitive advantages but incur high energetic costs.
- Juveniles face energetic challenges in developing large brains.
- Parental provisioning may be key to overcoming these developmental energetic constraints.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of parental provisioning in the evolution of adult brain size in birds.
- To explain the correlation between developmental strategies (precocial vs. altricial) and relative brain size.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis across 1,176 bird species.
- Examined measures of parental provisioning (hatching state, egg mass, provisioning time).
- Correlated provisioning strategies with relative brain size.
Main Results:
- Parental provisioning measures strongly predict relative brain size.
- Explains why altricial birds possess larger brains than precocial birds.
- Cognitive abilities primarily support parental provisioning, not directly adult brain size.
Conclusions:
- Parental provisioning evolved as a mechanism to overcome energetic constraints on brain development.
- This facilitated the evolution of larger brains, improving species' survival and stability.
- Cognitive adaptations for provisioning enhance overall reproductive success and survival.
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