Competition and generalization impede cultural formation in wild jackdaws

Area of Science:

• Animal behavior
• Cognitive ecology
• Social learning

Background:

• Animal culture is demonstrated across diverse taxa.
• Previous experiments used artificial conditions with strong demonstrators' preferences.
• Natural conditions involve weaker preferences and competition for resources.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate social and individual learning in wild jackdaws under naturalistic conditions.
• Examine the role of generalization in exploiting novel food resources.
• Determine factors influencing the formation of group-level culture.

Main Methods:

• Wild jackdaws were observed foraging on depleting novel food supplies.
• Individual and social learning strategies were analyzed.
• Innovator preferences and food consumption patterns were recorded.

Main Results:

• Generalization significantly enhanced learning and exploitation of multiple food opportunities.
• Innovators exhibited weak preferences, unlike those in previous studies.
• No strong group-level culture emerged due to widespread food exploitation and lack of preference.

Conclusions:

• Generalization is crucial for animals to adapt to new opportunities.
• Natural competitive dynamics and weak innovator preferences can hinder culture formation.
• Social learning in jackdaws primarily followed a 'learn from adults' strategy.