The evolution of corvid intelligence: development mechanisms and function of cognitive abilities in wild jackdaws
Lead Research Organisation:
UNIVERSITY OF EXETER
Department Name: Biosciences
Abstract
Contrary to their 'bird-brained' reputation, recent studies show that some bird species are capable of surprising feats of mental ability. Corvids, members of the crow family, for instance, have brains of a similar size to chimpanzees (relative to the size of their bodies) and are known to make and use tools, recognise themselves in mirrors, deceive one another and plan for the future. However, as almost all research has been conducted in captivity, we have little idea of the factors that favoured the evolution of corvid intelligence in nature. Studies of corvids in their natural environment are essential to allow us to better understand the evolution of intelligence in the animal kingdom. I will set up the first long-term, dedicated field study of corvid intelligence, using jackdaws. Jackdaws are highly sociable, inquisitive corvids that tolerate the close presence of humans, making them ideal for studies of intelligence. They also have the practical advantage over other corvid species that they will readily take to nest boxes, so they can be easily monitored and fitted with colour-rings to allow identification of individuals. I will set up multiple nest box colonies and use experiments and detailed observations of individual behaviour over five years to examine the cognitive challenges and benefits of life in jackdaw societies. One of the main driving forces behind the evolution of primate intelligence is thought to be the need to navigate the challenges of social life in complex and dynamic societies. I will play back recordings of jackdaw calls and examine their responses to determine whether they, like social primates, can recognise multiple individuals and keep track of the relationships between them. By following the behaviour of individuals throughout their lives, I will be able to determine whether jackdaws that invest heavily in forming and maintaining social relationships reap rewards in terms of their ability to compete for resources and rear offspring. Living in groups may provide important advantages because individuals can gain useful information from one another. Like children, young animals may acquire important skills by interacting with their elders. One particularly important skill may be the ability to recognise predators. I will investigate whether hearing recordings of adult alarm calls at the same time as coming across a model of a novel predator will make young jackdaws learn to avoid that predator in the future. I will also train individual jackdaws to open food puzzles in different ways and examine whether other individuals in their groups acquire the same technique and whether techniques spread between groups when jackdaws aggregate in flocks. I will then be able to investigate whether some individuals are more likely to learn than others, and whether the spread of information through groups is affected by the relationships of the individuals within them, as occurs in human societies. Laboratory studies of animal intelligence often find that only a small number of the individuals tested can successfully complete tasks. If we are to understand the evolution of intelligence, we need evidence that greater abilities are beneficial and parents' abilities are passed on to their offspring. I will present jackdaws with a series of food-finding puzzles and examine whether individuals are consistent in their tendency to solve the different puzzles and whether their performance relates to their natural ability to find food and successfully raise chicks. By swapping eggs between nests, I will also be able to investigate whether individuals' abilities are affected by the conditions they faced as chicks and examine the degree to which parental abilities are inherited.
Technical Summary
Recent findings suggest that corvids, members of the crow family, possess sophisticated cognitive abilities comparable to those of primates. However, the vast majority of work to date has been conducted in captivity, limiting our understanding of the factors favouring the evolution of corvid intelligence in nature. I will establish the first dedicated field study of corvid cognition using a nest-box population of individually recognisable wild jackdaws, an inquisitive, voluble and highly social corvid species. Integrating approaches from psychology and evolutionary biology, this project aims to: (1) Assess the applicability of the social intelligence hypothesis for corvids by using playback experiments to determine whether jackdaws, like social primates, recognise multiple individuals, keep track of the relationships between them and derive substantial fitness from their investments in social relationships. (2) Investigate the effects of social learning on individual and group-level behaviour. Experiments will examine social learning of anti-predator behaviour by fledglings and the spread of novel skills within and between groups. Statistical models will identify learning mechanisms and examine the effects of individual characteristics and social relationships on information transmission. (3) Assess the causes and consequences of variation in cognitive ability. I will present jackdaws with novel tasks across a variety of cognitive domains, determine the extent of individual consistency across tasks, derive individual performance scores and investigate whether these correlate with measures of reproductive fitness. Cross-fostering experiments will allow assessment of genetic and developmental influences on cognitive performance. By generating insights in into the development and fitness consequences of wild corvids' cognitive abilities, this project will make an important contribution to our understanding of the evolution of intelligence.
Planned Impact
In addition to its academic impact, this project will generate substantial benefits for the wider community. SCIENTIFIC ENGAGEMENT WITH THE PUBLIC This project addresses the evolutionary origins of intelligence and culture, topics central to our understanding of human characteristics and our relationship with the rest of the natural world. It is therefore perfectly placed to attract public interest and develop scientific engagement with the wider community. As evidenced by the popularity of nature documentaries, there is a great appetite for information about animal behaviour. More specific to this proposal, media coverage has recently generated excitement about the intelligence of corvids. I shall capitalise on this to foster interest in bird behaviour and instil excitement in scientific discovery. I have extensive media experience through my research on meerkats, including numerous newspaper, radio and television interviews (for the BBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, National Public Radio and others), assisted in the production of a documentary for NHK (Japan) and contributed photographs and articles to magazines. Existing media contacts and knowledge gained during Cambridge Rising Stars and BBSRC media training courses will assist me in publicising the project to a wide audience through interviews and articles in newspapers and wildlife magazines. EDUCATION I will work with local schools, museums and the Institute of Continuing Education (ICE) in Madingley to promote education about nature in general and animal behaviour in particular. I have a great deal of teaching experience, having run lecture courses and tutorials for undergraduates from Cambridge and various American Universities (as part of a Cambridge summer school). I have also given lectures to science societies, contributed to educational children's magazines (Highlights and Yes Magazine) and run a children's workshop at the University Zoology Museum. As part of this project, I will distribute leaflets at the ICE in Madingley Hall (located in the centre of the study site), explaining the nature and purpose of my research and providing links for further information. Leaflets will be produced at the start of the project and updated every six months. I will also give an annual talk at the ICE and organise workshops at the Madingley Preparatory School and the Zoology Museum to educate and encourage young naturalists. Finally, the project will provide invaluable training and experience for a research assistant. CONSERVATION Public enthusiasm about the complex behaviour of charismatic animals is critical in highlighting conservation issues. By publicising my findings, I aim to promote widespread public interest in the striking intelligence of local birdlife and thereby foster a deeper appreciation and respect for the natural world. I will work with the Cambridge Conservation Forum, a unique alliance of conservation researchers and practitioners, to generate publicity and maximise the conservation impact of my work. AGRICULTURAL POLICY AND ANIMAL WELFARE Corvids are commonly persecuted as vermin despite their value in controlling populations of invertebrate agricultural pests (Hadjisterkotis, E. 2002 Z. Jagdwiss 49: 50-60). This project will generate data on the agricultural impact of corvid populations and help to change public perceptions. I have already had success in changing local land managers' views about corvids, and hence was granted permission to conduct research. Through an annual public talk in Madingley and continuing to work closely with land managers I will foster a greater tolerance of corvids and, if necessary, help to develop humane deterrents and trapping schemes to minimise their agricultural impact. Regular discussions with facilities managers at the Sub-Department of Animal Behaviour will allow me to apply insights on corvid development and behaviour generated by the project to improve facilities for captive birds.
People |
ORCID iD |
Alex Thornton (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Aplin L
(2015)
Counting conformity: evaluating the units of information in frequency-dependent social learning
in Animal Behaviour
Aplin LM
(2015)
Experimentally induced innovations lead to persistent culture via conformity in wild birds.
in Nature
Ashton BJ
(2018)
Cognitive performance is linked to group size and affects fitness in Australian magpies.
in Nature
Ashton BJ
(2019)
Larger group sizes facilitate the emergence and spread of innovations in a group-living bird.
in Animal behaviour
Ashton BJ
(2019)
Smarter through group living: A response to Smulders.
in Learning & behavior
Ashton BJ
(2018)
An intraspecific appraisal of the social intelligence hypothesis.
in Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences
Coomes JR
(2019)
Evidence for individual discrimination and numerical assessment in collective antipredator behaviour in wild jackdaws (Corvus monedula).
in Biology letters
Davidson G
(2014)
Gaze sensitivity: function and mechanisms from sensory and cognitive perspectives
in Animal Behaviour
Davidson G
(2015)
Wild jackdaws, Corvus monedula , recognize individual humans and may respond to gaze direction with defensive behaviour
in Animal Behaviour
Davidson GL
(2014)
Salient eyes deter conspecific nest intruders in wild jackdaws (Corvus monedula).
in Biology letters
Description | Development: 1) The grant has supported the establishment of the world's largest field site for the study of behaviour and cognition in wild corvids (birds of the crow family), with over 2500 individually recognisable individuals. 2) The grant has supported the development of novel experimental techniques for behavioural and cognitive field research, including psychometric testing, playback experiments and the use of automated RFID-based tracking to characterise patterns of social association in wild birds (Valletta et al. 2017). (3) The findings of the grant have supported successful bids for funding for research into collective behaviour in heterogeneous societies (funder = Human Frontiers Science Program) Discoveries: 1) Contrary to theoretical models of collective behaviour, which assume that individuals are identical, we have found that species differences and social relationships govern the structure of corvid flocks 2) Jackdaw nestlings learn to recognise their parents' calls before fledging. Additional work shows the importance of individual recognition in managing interactions among adults 3) Jackdaws recognise threatening humans and may take into account the direction people are looking. Further work shows that fear of individual humans can be culturally transmitted via social learning. 4) Jackdaws use their salient, pale eyes as a means of deterring intruders from their nests. Further work following from this discovery has used large-scale comparative analyses to show that nesting in exposed sites selects for reduced iris brightness 5) Corvids are highly sensitive to changes in the environment, but adjust their levels of neophobia (fear of novelty) depending on their experiences of human-dominated environments. 6) Among nestling jackdaws, stress hormone levels are linked to brood size and date of hatching, but not parental neophobia levels 7) By learning from others, jackdaws can overcome their fear of new foods and objects. However, the extent to which jackdaws rely on social information varies across seasons and contexts. (8) Agitation may inhibit individuals' abilities to learn from others about novel predators. (9) In group-living birds, group size influences the development of cognitive performance, which in turn affects individuals' reproductive success 10) The identity of the initiator determines the magnitude of collective responses to novel threats. Further work shows that collective responses take into account both the identity and the number of initiators. 11) Jackdaws distinguish between animate and inanimate objects in the wild, and use appraisals of animacy to guide information-gathering. 12) Numerous additional papers in preparation, reporting findings including (i) novel foraging techniques can spread culturally through jackdaw groups; (ii) neophobia and cognitive performance vary substantially between individual jackdaws; (iii) social knowledge and social network structure within jackdaw groups |
Exploitation Route | Findings (1) provide the basis for further research into the evolution of intelligence and culture and (2) have important implications for conservation, agriculture and wildlife management (see recent paper in Science: http://science.sciencemag.org/content/363/6431/1032) |
Sectors | Agriculture, Food and Drink,Environment |
URL | http://www.wildcognitionresearch.com |
Description | (1) Research findings have been widely covered in local, national and international media (2) Research provided the foundations for a successful bid for a Royal Society Schools Partnership Grant, through which school children from Mullion School, Cornwall have become involved in ongoing research on avian cognition. |
First Year Of Impact | 2012 |
Sector | Education |
Impact Types | Cultural,Societal |
Description | Royal Society Schools Partnership Award |
Amount | £2,740 (GBP) |
Funding ID | PG/R2/2014 |
Organisation | The Royal Society |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2015 |
End | 10/2015 |
Description | University of Exeter Strategic Development Fund |
Amount | £15,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | University of Exeter |
Sector | Academic/University |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 07/2015 |
End | 07/2016 |
Title | Evidence for individual discrimination and numerical assessment in collective antipredator behaviour in wild jackdaws (Corvus monedula) |
Description | Collective responses to threats occur throughout the animal kingdom but little is known about the cognitive processes underpinning them. Antipredator mobbing is one such response. Approaching a predator may be highly risky, but the individual risk declines and the likelihood of repelling the predator increases in larger mobbing groups. The ability to appraise the number of conspecifics involved in a mobbing event could therefore facilitate strategic decisions about whether to join. Mobs are commonly initiated by recruitment calls, which may provide valuable information to guide decision-making. We tested whether the number of wild jackdaws responding to recruitment calls was influenced by the number of callers. As predicted, playbacks simulating three or five callers tended to recruit more individuals than playbacks of one caller. Recruitment also substantially increased if recruits themselves produced calls. These results suggest that jackdaws use individual vocal discrimination to assess the number of conspecifics involved in initiating mobbing events, and use this information to guide their responses. Our results show support for the use of numerical assessment in antipredator mobbing responses and highlight the need for a greater understanding of the cognitive processes involved in collective behaviour. |
Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
Year Produced | 2019 |
Provided To Others? | Yes |
Description | UWA Collaboration |
Organisation | University of Western Australia |
Country | Australia |
Sector | Academic/University |
PI Contribution | Research collaboration between myself and Dr Amanda Ridley of the University of Western Australia |
Collaborator Contribution | Securing funding, development of research protocols, conducting field research, publishing research |
Impact | doi:10.1038/nature25503 |
Start Year | 2014 |
Description | BBC Radio Cornwall interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | The producers of the BBC Radio Cornwall Breakfast programme contacted me to say they had received a large volume of calls and messages from members of the public who enjoyed my interview, were intrigued to learn about the cognitive abilities of corvids and were inspired to pay more attention to the birds in their surroundings. BBC Radio Cornwall have asked me to keep in touch with updates about my research. The producers reported a higher than average level of interest from listeners following my interview. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | |
URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p028lygh |
Description | BBC Radio Devon interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | BBC Radio Devon interview sparked further media interest and inquiries from members of the public After the interview I received several emails from members of the public asking about my research, as well as further requests for interviews from freelance journalists |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
URL | http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-england-devon-33793292 |
Description | Science in the Square, Falmouth |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Activities (including public "soapbox science" talks, displays and interactive activities) attracted over 2500 thousand people, and sparked questions and discussions Several members of the public expressed astonishment at the cognitive abilities of corvids, and an increased interest in these birds and animal intelligence in general. There was also coverage of the events in local press. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2015 |
Description | Workshop on corvid cognition, Mullion School |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | Pupils were enormously excited to learn about the astounding intellectual abilities of the corvids. They were eager, full of questions and came up with some ingenious suggestions for future research. This workshop inspired me to work with Mullion school to apply for a Royal Society Schools Partnership Grant. After the workshop, the school asked me to return for similar events in future and made plans for pupils to visit my field sites. We have also made a joint application for funding from the Royal Society to support further activities. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity |