Did tool-use evolve with enhanced physical cognitive abilities?

The use and manufacture of tools have been considered to be cognitively demanding and thus a possible driving factor in the evolution of intelligence. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that enhanced physical cognitive abilities evolved in conjunction with the use of tools, by comparing the performance of naturally tool-using and non-tool-using species in a suite of physical and general learning tasks. We predicted that the habitually tool-using species, New Caledonian crows and Galápagos woodpecker finches, should outperform their non-tool-using relatives, the small tree finches and the carrion crows in a physical problem but not in general learning tasks. We only found a divergence in the predicted direction for corvids. That only one of our comparisons supports the predictions under this hypothesis might be attributable to different complexities of tool-use in the two tool-using species. A critical evaluation is offered of the conceptual and methodological problems inherent in comparative studies on tool-related cognitive abilities

Discovery of species-wide tool use in the Hawaiian crow

Funding from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, UK (BBSRC; grant BB/G023913/2 to C.R., and studentship to B.C.K.), the University of St Andrews (C.R.), JASSO (S.S.), and the Royal Society of London (M.B.M.). Funding for thecaptive ‘Alala propagation programme was provided by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Hawai‘i Division of Forestry and Wildlife, Moore Family Foundation, Marisla Foundation, several anonymous donors, and San Diego Zoo Global.Only a handful of bird species are known to use foraging tools in the wild1. Amongst them, the New Caledonian crow (Corvus moneduloides) stands out with its sophisticated tool-making skills2, 3. Despite considerable speculation, the evolutionary origins of this species’ remarkable tool behaviour remain largely unknown, not least because no naturally tool-using congeners have yet been identified that would enable informative comparisons4. Here we show that another tropical corvid, the ‘Alalā (C. hawaiiensis; Hawaiian crow), is a highly dexterous tool user. Although the ‘Alalā became extinct in the wild in the early 2000s, and currently survives only in captivity5, at least two lines of evidence suggest that tool use is part of the species’ natural behavioural repertoire: juveniles develop functional tool use without training, or social input from adults; and proficient tool use is a species-wide capacity. ‘Alalā and New Caledonian crows evolved in similar environments on remote tropical islands, yet are only distantly related6, suggesting that their technical abilities arose convergently. This supports the idea that avian foraging tool use is facilitated by ecological conditions typical of islands, such as reduced competition for embedded prey and low predation risk4, 7. Our discovery creates exciting opportunities for comparative research on multiple tool-using and non-tool-using corvid species. Such work will in turn pave the way for replicated cross-taxonomic comparisons with the primate lineage, enabling valuable insights into the evolutionary origins of tool-using behaviour.PostprintPeer reviewe

Bestial boredom: a biological perspective on animal boredom and suggestions for its scientific investigation

Boredom is likely to have adaptive value in motivating exploration and learning, and many animals may possess the basic neurological mechanisms to support it. Chronic inescapable boredom can be extremely aversive, and understimulation can harm neural, cognitive and behavioural flexibility. Wild and domesticated animals are at particular risk in captivity, which is often spatially and temporally monotonous. Yet biological research into boredom has barely begun, despite having important implications for animal welfare, the evolution of motivation and cognition, and for human dysfunction at individual and societal levels. Here I aim to facilitate hypotheses about how monotony affects behaviour and physiology, so that boredom can be objectively studied by ethologists and other scientists. I cover valence (pleasantness) and arousal (wakefulness) qualities of boredom, because both can be measured, and I suggest boredom includes suboptimal arousal and aversion to monotony. Because the suboptimal arousal during boredom is aversive, individuals will resist low arousal. Thus, behavioural indicators of boredom will, seemingly paradoxically, include signs of increasing drowsiness, alongside bouts of restlessness, avoidance and sensation-seeking behaviour. Valence and arousal are not, however, sufficient to fully describe boredom. For example, human boredom is further characterized by a perception that time ‘drags’, and this effect of monotony on time perception can too be behaviourally assayed in animals. Sleep disruption and some abnormal behaviour may also be caused by boredom. Ethological research into this emotional phenomenon will deepen understanding of its causes, development, function and evolution, and will enable evidence-based interventions to mitigate human and animal boredom

Stadt und (Jugend-)Kultur: Jugendliche als Zielgruppe und Akteure städtischen Wandels

'Im Zuge der sozialen Aufwertung innenstadtnaher Wohngebiete und Konsumzonen in europäischen und US-amerikanischen Städten in den letzten beiden Jahrzehnten werden städtische Konsum-, Freizeit- und Kulturangebote zunehmend auch auf ein jugendliches und jung-erwachsenes Publikum hin ausgerichtet. Jugendliche profitieren also in gewisser Hinsicht von gegenwärtigen Prozessen städtischen Wandels. Die (Wieder-) Eroberung und Belebung von öffentlichem Raum durch Jugendliche erfolgt aber auch durch jugendkulturelle Präsenz in den Straßen (z.B. durch Streetpartys) oder Straßensport (Inline Skaten, Skate Boarden, Street Basketball). Eine negative Konsequenz der kulturellen und ökonomischen Aufwertung von Stadtgebieten bzw. ihrer kulturellen Ausrichtung auf ein junges Publikum ist jedoch, dass einkommensschwächere StadtbewohnerInnen sowohl aufgrund steigender Mietpreise in den Innenstadtgebieten als auch kulturell an den Stadtrand verdrängt werden. Vor allem künstlerische Avantgarde, Kulturindustrie und Jugendkultur spielen in diesen Verdrängungsprozessen nicht selten sogar eine Pionierfunktion. Zunehmend ausgeschlossen werden aber auch unerwünschte Gruppen wie Obdachlose, Bettler oder marginalisierte/ unangepasste Jugendliche, die dem Klischee der sauberen und sicheren Stadt widersprechen.' (Autorenreferat

Parental food provisioning and nestling growth under Philornis downsi parasitism in the Galapagos Green Warbler-Finch, classified as 'vulnerable' by the IUCN.

In the Galapagos Islands, many endemic landbird populations are declining due to habitat degradation, food availability, introduced species and other factors. Given nestlings typically lack efficient defense mechanisms against parasites, hematophagous ectoparasites such as the larvae of the introduced Avian Vampire Fly, Philornis downsi, can impose high brood mortality and cause threatening population declines in Darwin finches and other landbirds. Here, we assess whether the food compensation hypothesis (i.e., the parents' potential to compensate for deleterious parasite effects via increased food provisioning) applies to the Green Warbler-Finch. We differentiated nests with low or high infestation levels by P. downsi and quantified food provisioning rates of male and female parents, time females spent brooding nestlings, and nestling growth. Male provisioning rates, total provisioning rates and female brooding time did not significantly vary in relation to infestation levels, nor by the number of nestlings. Opposed to the predictions of the food compensation hypothesis, females showed significantly reduced provisioning rates at high infestation levels. Nestling body mass was significantly lower and there was a reduction of skeletal growth, although not significantly, in highly infested nests. The females' response to high infestation may be due to parasites directly attacking and weakening brooding females, or else that females actively reduce current reproductive effort in favor of future reproduction. This life-history trade-off may be typical for Darwin finches and many tropical birds with long lifespans and therefore high residual reproductive value. Conservation strategies may not build on the potential for parental food compensation by this species

Residency and a broad feeding spectrum are related to extensive spatial exploration in parrots

Resident and nomadic species differ substantially in their mobility, with the former spending most of their lives in a restricted area and the latter encountering many areas while tracking spatiotemporal unpredictable resources. Earlier studies have shown that information gathering differs alongside this mobility axis—resident species pay more attention to changes in their familiar environment than nomadic ones. However, little is known about spatial exploration in resident and nomadic species. We investigated spatial exploration in 10 closely related parrot species that differed in their mobility by giving them access to two unfamiliar aviaries left and right of the familiar aviary. For analyses, mobility and some diet and habitat variables were related to spatial exploration. Nomadic species spent less time exploring the novel aviaries and also started tactile exploration later than resident/nomadic and pure resident species. Furthermore, diet specialists visited more new locations in relation to their overall movements than diet generalists. The variables were not correlated with the molecular phylogeny (mitochondrial cytochrome b) of the species. The results indicate that nomads invest less in spatial exploration than residents possibly because they stay only for limited periods of time in one particular area or use easier-to-assess cues. Residents, in contrast, assess a novel environment in detail as they may collect information about future breeding sites for which they need short- and long-term information. Finally, diet specialists may pay attention to fewer environmental cues than generalists, which allows them to move faster through a novel environment

LA AUTOFUMIGACIÓN COMO MÉTODO DE CORTO PLAZO PARA MITIGAR EL IMPACTO DE LA MOSCA VAMPIRO AVIAR

La invasiva mosca vampiro aviar (Philornis downsi) es una grave amenaza para la avifauna endémica de Galápagos. En los últimos años se han estudiado varias medidas a corto plazo para reducir el impacto de P. downsi; entre ellas, la autofumigación. Esta consiste en la incorporación en los nidos, por parte de las propias aves, de material tratado con una baja dosis de insecticida. Nuestro objetivo fue mejorar este método para utilizarlo como método independiente para reducir la intensidad parasitaria de P. downsi y para mejorar el éxito reproductivo de las pequeñas aves terrestres endémicas de Galápagos. En particular, nos propusimos proteger al Pinzón Cantor Certhidea olivacea y al Pinzón Pequeño de Árbol Camarhynchus parvulus, cuyas poblaciones han estado disminuyendo durante años. Colocamos dispensadores con diferentes tipos de material tratado con insecticida en el bosque de Scalesia de la isla Santa Cruz, en 2022 y 2023. Probamos dos tipos de insecticida: en 2022 usamos Cyromazina, un inhibidor del crecimiento larvario, y en 2023 usamos Permacap, un insecticida de liberación lenta a base de permetrina. Medimos la prevalencia de material y el volumen por nido, y relacionamos esto con el número de larvas que infestaban los nidos. Encontramos un impacto negativo significativo del tratamiento sobre la intensidad de las larvas de P. downsi para ambos productos. Sin embargo, la efectividad de Cyromazina no fue suficiente para aumentar el éxito reproductivo. Permacap tuvo un fuerte efecto negativo en el número de larvas, lo que se tradujo en un aumento en el éxito de anidación. Las optimizaciones del método en 2023 nos permitieron repetir el estudio con menos mano de obra, lo que lo convierte en un método de control más adecuado. Concluimos que el tratamiento de autofumigación con Permacap podría utilizarse como una herramienta de manejo eficaz para mantener la estabilidad de las poblaciones de la avifauna amenazada de Galápagos a mayor escala