Abstract
Play behaviour and tool using in birds, two well-delineated and amply researched behaviours, have generally been associated with cognitive abilities. In this study, these behaviours were related to relative brain mass in a sample of Australian native birds. Despite suggestive research results so far between cognition and tool using, this study found no significant difference in relative brain mass or in lifespan between tool-using birds and non-tool users. By contrast, in play behaviour, subdivided into social players and non-social players, the results showed statistically very clear differences in relative brain mass between social, non-social and non-players. Social play was associated with both the largest brain mass to body mass ratios and with the longest lifespans. The results show that play behaviour is a crucial variable associated with brain enlargement, not tool using. Since many of the tool using species tested so far also play, this study suggests that false conclusions can be drawn about the connection between tool using and cognitive ability when the silent variable (play behaviour) is not taken into account.
Highlights
Play behaviour and tool using in birds, two well-delineated and amply researched behaviours, have generally been associated with cognitive abilities
This paper reports on an investigation of potential associations between relative brain mass and lifespan on one hand and two well-known and studied behaviours in birds, those of play behaviour and tool use, on the other
There is no significant difference in lifespan between non-social players and the group that performs no play of any kind, non-players (2-tailed T test: t = 0.334, df = 56, p = 0.3304)
Summary
Play behaviour and tool using in birds, two well-delineated and amply researched behaviours, have generally been associated with cognitive abilities. In this study, these behaviours were related to relative brain mass in a sample of Australian native birds. This paper reports on an investigation of potential associations between relative brain mass and lifespan on one hand and two well-known and studied behaviours in birds, those of play behaviour and tool use, on the other. Opinions are divided as to answering any of Tinbergen’s four questions about ultimate causes (adaptive value and evolution) as well as proximate causes (mechanism/causation and development) related to play behaviour This is partly so because play behaviour is not ubiquitous and as a biological expression of a developing or adult organism, cannot be framed as a universal biological principle. As a comparison to play behaviour the category of tool using behaviour, a well circumscribed behaviour which at times has been considered a sign of complex c ognition[16], was examined in relation to relative brain mass and to lifespan
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