Challenges in Linking Cognition and Survival: A Review

Céline Rochais,Tasmin L Rymer,Neville Pillay

doi:10.3389/fevo.2022.729546

Céline Rochais, Tasmin L Rymer + Show 1 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.729546

Copy DOI

Abstract

Linking cognitive performance with fitness outcomes, measured using both reproductive and survival metrics, of free-living animals is crucial for understanding the evolution of cognition. Although there is increasing evidence showing a link between cognitive traits and reproductive success metrics, studies specifically exploring the link between cognition and survival are scarce. We first explore which cognitive traits related to survival have been investigated in free-living animals. We also discuss the challenges associated with investigating the links between cognition and survival. We then review studies that specifically consider survival of animals of known cognitive abilities that are either free-living or in captivity and later released into the wild. We found nine studies exploring cognitive traits in wild populations. The relationships between these cognitive traits and survival were equivocal. We found a further nine studies in captive-reared populations trained to predator cues and later released into the wild. Training to recognize predator cues was correlated with increased survival in the majority of studies. Finally, different individual intrinsic characteristics (i.e., age, body condition, personality, sex) showed varied effects between studies. We argue that finding ecologically relevant cognitive traits is crucial for gaining a better understanding of how selection impacts certain cognitive traits, and how these might contribute to an individual’s survival. We also suggest possible standardized, easy to implement, cognitive tests that can be used in long-term studies, which would generate large sample sizes, take into account intrinsic characteristics, and provide an opportunity to understand the mechanisms, development and evolution of cognition.

Highlights

Cognition refers to the processes by which animals collect, retain and use information from their environment (Shettleworth, 2010)
We found one study on the common pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) that aimed to relate the performance of two cognitive traits with survival when these pheasants were later reintroduced to the wild (Table 2)
We found nine studies linking cognition and survival in freeliving animals (Table 1) and nine studies in captive reared animals reintroduced to the wild (Table 2)

Summary

Introduction

Cognition refers to the processes by which animals collect, retain and use information from their environment (Shettleworth, 2010). An array of cognitive functions impact an animal’s behavior in the wild, including perception, attention, learning, memory, decision-making and executive functions (flexibility, categorization, problem-solving; Cauchoix and Chaine, 2016). Individuals vary in their cognitive abilities, which likely influences how they react to changes in their environment (Mazza et al, 2018). The relationship between cognition and fitness, both survival and reproductive success, is likely to differ between species, and may depend on the physical/social environment and/or life-history traits. Exploring individual variation in cognition, and its relationship with different fitness components, could aid in understanding how and why cognitive abilities have evolved (Boogert et al, 2018)

Objectives

Methods

Results

Conclusion