Cognitive Evolution Research Articles

From stone tools to fMRI, studying human cognitive evolution when the mind doesn't fossilize

From stone tools to fMRI, studying human cognitive evolution when the mind doesn't fossilize

Neurodevelopmental timing and socio-cognitive development in a prosocial cooperatively breeding primate (Callithrix jacchus).

Primate brain development is shaped by inputs received during critical periods. These inputs differ between independent and cooperative breeders: In cooperative breeders, infants interact with multiple caregivers. We study how the neurodevelopmental timing of the cooperatively breeding common marmoset maps onto behavioral milestones. To obtain structure-function co-constructions, we combine behavioral, neuroimaging (anatomical and functional), and neural tracing experiments. We find that brain areas critically involved in observing conspecifics interacting (i) develop in clusters, (ii) have prolonged developmental trajectories, (iii) differentiate during the period of negotiations between immatures and multiple caregivers, and (iv) do not share stronger connectivity than with other regions. Overall, developmental timing of social brain areas correlates with social and behavioral milestones in marmosets and, as in humans, extends into adulthood. This rich social input is likely critical for the emergence of their strong socio-cognitive skills. Because humans are cooperative breeders too, these findings have strong implications for the evolution of human social cognition.

Linking the evolution of two prefrontal brain regions to social and foraging challenges in primates.

The diversity of cognitive skills across primates remains both a fascinating and a controversial issue. Recent comparative studies provided conflicting results regarding the contribution of social vs ecological constraints to the evolution of cognition. Here, we used an interdisciplinary approach combining comparative cognitive neurosciences and behavioral ecology. Using brain imaging data from 16 primate species, we measured the size of two prefrontal brain regions, the frontal pole (FP) and the dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), respectively, involved in metacognition and working memory, and examined their relation to a combination of socio-ecological variables. The size of these prefrontal regions, as well as the whole brain, was best explained by three variables: body mass, daily traveled distance (an index of ecological constraints), and population density (an index of social constraints). The strong influence of ecological constraints on FP and DLPFC volumes suggests that both metacognition and working memory are critical for foraging in primates. Interestingly, FP volume was much more sensitive to social constraints than DLPFC volume, in line with laboratory studies showing an implication of FP in complex social interactions. Thus, our data highlights the relative weight of social vs ecological constraints on the evolution of specific prefrontal brain regions and their associated cognitive operations in primates.

Linking the evolution of two prefrontal brain regions to social and foraging challenges in primates

The diversity of cognitive skills across primates remains both a fascinating and a controversial issue. Recent comparative studies provided conflicting results regarding the contribution of social vs ecological constraints to the evolution of cognition. Here, we used an interdisciplinary approach combining comparative cognitive neurosciences and behavioral ecology. Using brain imaging data from 16 primate species, we measured the size of two prefrontal brain regions, the frontal pole (FP) and the dorso-lateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), respectively, involved in metacognition and working memory, and examined their relation to a combination of socio-ecological variables. The size of these prefrontal regions, as well as the whole brain, was best explained by three variables: body mass, daily traveled distance (an index of ecological constraints), and population density (an index of social constraints). The strong influence of ecological constraints on FP and DLPFC volumes suggests that both metacognition and working memory are critical for foraging in primates. Interestingly, FP volume was much more sensitive to social constraints than DLPFC volume, in line with laboratory studies showing an implication of FP in complex social interactions. Thus, our data highlights the relative weight of social vs ecological constraints on the evolution of specific prefrontal brain regions and their associated cognitive operations in primates.

A multi-trait embodied framework for the evolution of brains and cognition across animal phyla.

Among non-human animals, crows, octopuses and honeybees are well-known for their complex brains and cognitive abilities. Widening the lens from the idiosyncratic abilities of exemplars like these to those of animals across the phylogenetic spectrum begins to reveal the ancient evolutionary process by which complex brains and cognition first arose in different lineages. The distribution of 35 phenotypic traits in 17 metazoan lineages reveals that brain and cognitive complexity in only three lineages (vertebrates, cephalopod mollusks, and euarthropods) can be attributed to the pivotal role played by body, sensory, brain and motor traits in active visual sensing and visuomotor skills. Together, these pivotal traits enabled animals to transition from largely reactive to more proactive behaviors, and from slow and two-dimensional motion to more rapid and complex three-dimensional motion. Among pivotal traits, high-resolution eyes and laminated visual regions of the brain stand out because they increased the processing demands on and the computational power of the brain by several orders of magnitude. The independent acquisition of pivotal traits in cognitively complex (CC) lineages can be explained as the completion of several multi-trait transitions over the course of evolutionary history, each resulting in an increasing level of complexity that arises from a distinct combination of traits. Whereas combined pivotal traits represent the highest level of complexity in CC lineages, combined traits at lower levels characterize many non-CC lineages, suggesting that certain body, sensory and brain traits may have been linked (the trait-linkage hypothesis) during the evolution of both CC and non-CC lineages.

Environmental complexity and regularity shape the evolution of cognition.

The environmental complexity hypothesis suggests that cognition evolves to allow animals to negotiate a complex and changing environment. By contrast, signal detection theory suggests cognition exploits environmental regularities by containing biases (e.g. to avoid dangerous predators). Therefore, two significant bodies of theory on cognitive evolution may be in tension: one foregrounds environmental complexity, the other regularity. Difficulty in reconciling these theories stems from their focus on different aspects of cognition. The environmental complexity hypothesis focuses on the reliability of sensors in the origin of cognition, while signal detection theory focuses on decision making in cognitively sophisticated animals. Here, we extend the signal detection model to examine the joint evolution of mechanisms for detecting information (sensory systems) and those that process information to produce behaviour (decision-making systems). We find that the transition to cognition can only occur if processing compensates for unreliable sensors by trading-off errors. Further, we provide an explanation for why animals with sophisticated sensory systems nonetheless disregard the reliable information it provides, by having biases for particular behaviours. Our model suggests that there is greater nuance than has been previously appreciated, and that both complexity and regularity can promote cognition.

An Assessment of the Evolution of Executive Functions

Cognitive evolution, as the core subject of fields like paleoanthropology, cognitive archeology, and neuropsychology, has begun to gain more interest in psychology in recent years. Executive functions are viewed from the perspective of cognitive evolution as basic advancements that are crucial to the evolution of language and contemporary cognition. As a metaphor, executive functions refer to advanced cognitive processes (working memory, inhibition, organization, cognitive flexibility, etc.) in the context of complex goal-directed behaviors. Sophisticated cognitive traits like executive functions emerged because of solutions to adaptive issues (survival, reproduction, and social group life) that human ancestors confronted over millions of years and passed them on to their offspring. Although it is accepted that Homo sapiens owes its evolutionary success to Paleolithic living conditions, explaining this process has not always been easy. In this review article, general information about executive functions is presented, followed by a review of scientific explanations about the evolution of executive functions. Evaluations have shown that these alternative scientific explanations based on archaeological, anthropological, and neuropsychological evidence for the evolutionary origins of executive functions do not fit all the pieces of the puzzle. It is believed that novel research models will clarify which of these alternative explanations are proximate causes and which are ultimate causes.

Evolutionary potential and direction of evolution

The article defines evolutionary potential as a reserve of resources (substrate, energy and information) of an evolving system and as something that can be «produced» by this system using available reserves under the influence of various factors. In relation to evolutionary processes, the evolutionary potential of the functioning (stability, tolerance) of the species and the evolutionary potential of its development are distinguished. From the point of view of the possibilities (potential) for a species to transition into a new form (new species), we should talk about pluripotent and unipotent (monopotent) species, which probably depends on the potential of the eco-niche occupied (or mastered) by the species. Polypotent species give rise to several species through divergence, and monopotent species are transformed into a new single species when the evolutionary branch does not split. The connection between evolutionary potential and evolutionary orientation is considered, which is proposed to be understood not only (and not so much) as the implementation of internal processes (mechanisms), but also as a consequence of the influence of external factors that adapt the organism “to itself.” The set of potential directions of variability may not contain the desired (adaptive) option. Attention is drawn to the fact that the element of chance to a certain extent neutralizes the nomogenetic character of evolution. On the other hand, the direction of evolution to a certain extent reduces evolutionary chaos, the success of which is most manifested in the cognitive evolution of Man.

GoFish: a foray into open-source, aquatic behavioral automation.

As the most species-rich vertebrate group, fish provide an array of opportunities to investigate the link between ecological interactions and the evolution of behavior and cognition, yet, as an animal model, they are relatively underutilized in studies of comparative cognition. To address this gap, we developed a fully automated platform for behavioral experiments in aquatic species, GoFish. GoFish includes closed-loop control of task contingencies using real-time video tracking, presentation of visual stimuli, automatic food reward dispensers, and built-in data acquisition. The hardware is relatively inexpensive and accessible, and all software components of the platform are open-source. GoFish facilitates experimental automation, allowing for customization of high-throughput protocols and the efficient acquisition of rich behavioral data. We hope this platform proves to be a useful tool for the research community, facilitating refined, reproducible behavioral experiments on aquatic species in comparative cognition, behavioral ecology, and neuroscience.

Long‐term cognitive function changes with non‐vitamin K oral anticoagulants in older patients with atrial fibrillation. A multicenter cohort study

AbstractBackgroundAtrial fibrillation is associated with several comorbidities, particularly cognitive impairment and dementia, especially in older patients. Non‐vitamin K oral anticoagulants (NOACs) or vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) were used to prevent thromboembolic events. However, data on the real benefit of these drugs on cognitive function decline remains controversial. In this study we evaluated the effect of NOACs compared to VKAs on the absolute and relative decline in cognitive function over time.MethodsNine hundred and eighty‐three older patients with nonvalvular AF were enrolled (76 ± 6 years; 291 on VKAs and 692 on NOACs). The cognitive function was assessed with Mini Mental State examination (MMSE) score. The between‐arms difference of cognitive evolution over time was investigated by Linear Mixed Models and group‐based trajectory model analyses.ResultsIn the whole multicenter observational study, after a long follow‐up of 7.2 ± 3.4 years, the patients of the NOACs versus VKAs group had lowest absolute reduction of the MMSE score between baseline and follow‐up (−0.3 ± 0.03 vs.−1.7 ± 0.1, p < 0.001). After stratification into five subgroups according to trajectories of MMSE score over time, the probability to belong to trajectories with lower decline in cognitive functions was higher in patients on NOACs than in those on VKAs (3.93–13.88 times).ConclusionIn older patients with atrial fibrillation, the use of NOACs was associated with a smaller decline of cognitive function over time compared to the VKAs, regardless that patients in the NOACs group were older and with a higher burden of comorbidities.

Cultural Evolutionary Psychology as Generalization by Recursion

AbstractCultural evolutionary psychology (CEP) accounts for the cultural evolution of cognition. It is based on evolutionary psychology and cultural evolutionary theory and aims at a synthetic attempt which is achieved by what we want to call ‘generalization by recursion’. We argue in this paper that the evolutionary psychology program as a whole could greatly benefit from CEP’s generalization. As we will show, there is one theoretical element in particular, that CEP relevantly generalizes in contrast to its predecessors. It comes from cultural evolutionary theory and has been referred to as the ‘dual inheritance argument’. CEP’s novelty consists in showing that not only cognitive products (‘grist’) but also cognitive mechanisms (‘mills’) are subject to cultural evolution and provides lots of empirical evidence for this claim. This account is ‘recursive’, because CEP’s generalization of the dual inheritance argument theoretically employs a recursive feedback-loop between cultural learning and cultural evolution. We also argue that this account might be considered to supersede unificatory and reductionistic efforts of its competitors, because it is stronger than purely structural or analogical unification while at the same time it is not too strong in order to fall prey to implausible reductionism.

Editorial for the special issue on "Prediction, Creativity, and Cultural Evolution in Music Cognition".

Music making across cultures arguably involves a blend of innovation and adherence to established norms. This integration allows listeners to recognise a range of innovative, surprising, and functional elements in music, while also associating them to a certain tradition or style. In this light, musical creativity may be seen to involve the novel recombination of shared elements and rules, which can in itself give rise to new cultural conventions. Put simply, future norms rely on past knowledge and present action; this holds for music as it does for other cultural domains. A key process permeating this temporal transition, with regards to both music making and music listening, is prediction. Recent findings suggest that as we listen to music, our brain is constantly generating predictions based on prior knowledge acquired in a given enculturation context. Those predictions, in turn, can shape our appraisal of the music, in a continual perception-action loop. This dynamic process of predicting and calibrating expectations may enable shared musical realities, that is, sets of norms that are transmitted, with some modification, either vertically between generations of a given musical culture, or horizontally between peers of the same or different cultures. As music transforms through cultural evolution, so do the predictive models in our minds and the expectancy they give rise to, influenced by cultural exposure and individual experience. Thus, creativity and prediction are both fundamental and complementary to the transmission of cultural systems, including music, across generations and societies. For these reasons, prediction, creativity and cultural evolution were the central themes in a symposium we organised in 2022. The symposium aimed to study their interplay from an interdisciplinary perspective, guided by contemporary theories and methodologies. This special issue compiles research discussed during or inspired by that symposium, concluding with potential directions for the field of music cognition in that spirit.

The Semantic Analysis of TOWARDS from the Perspective of Cognitive Linguistics

The utilization of language has contributed to the imperative need for comprehension, selection, and articulation of the semantics of words, phrases, sentences, paragraphs, etc. Indeed, meaning serves as an abstract entity within linguistic expressions, embodying the objects and phenomena of the world. Language signals are derived from human cognition, reflecting individuals' perceptions of the surrounding world. The evolution of cognition is intricately intertwined with and propels the advancement of the conceptual system and semantics, consequently impacting the content and structure of the language system. This article conducts an analysis of the semantic network of the preposition towards in Arthur Conan Doyle's The Complete Sherlock Holmes through cognitive perspective, encompassing spatial and non-spatial connotations. A quantitative method has been employed in this research endeavor to examine the meanings of this preposition. Subsequently, a limited-scale semantic network was established based on the findings. Furthermore, the result of this research can be used as a prototype for subsequent investigations.

Possible evidence for the Law of General Intelligence in honeybees (Apis mellifera)

Finke, Scheiner, Giurfa, and Avarguès-Weber (2023) published correlational data on the performance of honeybees (Apis mellifera) in three learning tasks (associative, reversal, and negative patterning, capturing the domains of operant conditioning, executive-functioning-like ability, and inhibition plus configural processing, respectively) evaluated under both visual and olfactory stimulus conditions. They speculate that general cognitive ability (GCA) may be weakly causing all-positive correlations between performance in these different learning modalities, but do not formally test this possibility. A factor-analytic model applied to Finke et al. (2023) data revealed the presence of two perfectly congruent GCA factors (one for each stimulus condition). Both exhibited all-positive loadings, with the visual factor accounting for 46.8% of the performance variance and the olfactory factor accounting for 52.3%. Diagnostic statistics confirmed that in both stimulus conditions, the correlation matrices were adequate for factor analysis. These findings support extant hypotheses that GCA influences covariation between cognitive measures in honeybees, and constitute the first formal potential demonstration of GCA in an invertebrate. It is argued that GCA might be ubiquitous with respect to metazoans possessing organized nervous systems, perhaps because it convergently evolved multiple times in independent phylogenies, this being a key prediction of Christopher Chabris' Law of General Intelligence. Indeed, GCA has now been identified in insect, avian, mammal, and fish taxa. Some “primordial” aspects of GCA may even by basal to metazoans, and experiments employing Caenorhabditis elegans are suggested that could potentially shed light on such aspects. The findings are also strikingly inconsistent with evolutionary and comparative psychological theories positing a “modules first” understanding of cognitive evolution, such as one recent proposal that smaller brains cannot accommodate structures that give rise to GCA. Other theoretical implications of these findings are discussed.

Rethinking the “we” in “we” intentionality: intention-sharing with—and not simply about—things

ABSTRACT This paper aims to place the general thesis for a species-unique “shared” or “we” intentionality, against the theoretical background of the material engagement approach. We will argue that the human ability to enact and share intentions rests upon a relational and participatory foundation of situated activity where intentional transactions between humans as well as between humans and things (in the broadest sense of material environment) are inseparable from the situational affordances of their engagement. Based on that, the paper advocates for an ecological-enactive account of shared intentionality which understands material engagement as central to the evolution and development of human social cognition.

Cognitive digital twin-enabled multi-robot collaborative manufacturing: Framework and approaches

Multi-robot collaborative manufacturing (MRCMfg) is vital to ensure effective and efficient operation in the manufacturing industry. In recent years, enabled by the new generation of information technology, represented by the digital twin (DT), the digitalization of MRCMfg has progressed steadily. However, more complex manufacturing tasks and more customized manufacturing demands pose challenges to MRCMfg, which limit the applicability of MRCMfg in practice. Recent successes in intelligent manufacturing show that empowering DT with the intelligence and cognition capabilities to adapt to the above challenges is a promising approach. Inspired by that, a cognitive digital twin (CDT) framework with multiple artificial intelligence algorithms for MRCMfg is proposed. The framework consists of three critical spaces: (i) Physical-virtual space: multi-agent system-based DT; (ii) Cognition space: multi-behavior tree (BT) cognition models; (iii) Data space: data-driven cognition evolution. In the data space, multimodal perception is a important way to improve the cognition capabilities of MRCMfg. To alleviate the multimodal data quality requirements as well as to improve the robustness of the perception model, an incomplete multimodal Transformer with deep autoencoder (IMTDAE) approach is proposed. The effectiveness and feasibility of this framework and IMTDAE are verified by case studies. The results provide compelling evidence that this framework has the potential to significantly enhance the intelligence and cognition capabilities of MRCMfg.

Variability and positive selection in FOXP2, a gene associated with the development of language, speech, and cognition

Introduction: the FOXP2 gene has been identified as a key genetic factor in the development of language and human cognition. Mutations in FOXP2 have been associated with language disorders and speech difficulties. Additionally, this gene has been linked to various neuropsychiatric conditions. The objective of this study is to analyze the genetic differentiation of populations in the FOXP2 gene and in the rs10447760, rs1456031, rs2253478 and rs2396753 polymorphisms.Method: data from the "1000 Genomes" Project were used to analyze genetic variability in FOXP2 in 2504 individuals from 26 populations and 5 macro populations. Linkage disequilibrium, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and allele frequencies of the SNPs were evaluated. Genetic differentiation was estimated using the FST statistic.Results: a highly differentiated region was identified in intron 3 of FOXP2 between the African macro population and the rest, with a maximum FST of 0,78. This region contains an epigenetic mark H3K27Ac, suggesting a regulatory role. Hardy-Weinberg imbalances were observed in some populations for the SNPs analyzed. Linkage disequilibrium analysis showed that these SNPs have independent effects.Conclusions: the highly differentiated region in FOXP2 suggests a past natural selection event, supporting an adaptive role of this gene in the evolution of language, speech and cognition. Population differences in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and genetic variability highlight the importance of considering genetic variation in future association studies with FOXP2

Inbreeding and cognition in wild populations: a relationship that remains unnoticed

Anthropogenic activities are causing a steep decline of wildlife populations. Increased inbreeding in shrinking populations can substantially curb individual fitness and population viability. One potentially important but largely ignored component of inbreeding depression may be cognitive decline. Cognition affects an animal's capacity to respond to environmental disturbance, which, in the face of global change, may make the difference between persistence and extinction. While the effects of inbreeding on cognitive performance have been relatively well documented in humans, they remain largely unexplored in natural populations. Here we review the current (limited) knowledge on whether and how inbreeding impinges on animals' cognitive abilities. Insights into the relationship between inbreeding and cognition could prove valuable not only for comprehending the development and evolution of cognition but also for conservation.

The evolution of subjective cognition after meditation training in older people: a secondary analysis of the three-arm age-well randomized controlled trial

ABSTRACT Aging is associated with cognitive changes, even in the absence of brain pathology. This study aimed to determine if meditation training, by comparison to active and passive control groups, is linked to changes in the perception of cognitive functioning in older adults. One hundred thirty-four healthy older participants from the Age-Well Randomized Clinical Trial were included: 45 followed a meditation training, 45 a non-native language training and 44 had no intervention. Subjective cognition was assessed at baseline and following the 18-month intervention period. Perception of attentional efficiency was assessed using internal and external Attentional Style Questionnaire (ASQ) subscale scores. Perception of global cognitive capacities was measured via the total score of Cognitive Difficulties Scale (CDS). Deltas ([posttest minus pretest scores]/standard deviation at pretest) were calculated for the analyses. Generalized mixed effects models controlling for age, sex, education and baseline scores revealed that meditation training decreased the vulnerability score toward external distractors measured by the ASQ compared to non-native language training. However, no between-groups differences on ASQ internal or CDS total scores were observed. Results suggest a beneficial effect of meditation practice on perceived management of external distracting information in daily life. Meditation training may cultivate the ability to focus on specific information (e.g., breath) and ignore stimulation from other kinds of stimuli (e.g., noise).

When to generalise and when to specialise? Climate change and hominin biocultural adaptability in the African early and middle stone age

A growing number of authors have discussed the role of climate change in periods of important biological and cultural transition along the hominin lineage. This paper establishes a biocultural framework elucidating human behavioural adaptations during the African Early and Middle Stone Age, centred on three crucial dimensions of hunter-gatherer adaptation: mobility, social network dynamics, and technology. We contend that landscape properties, specifically resource diversity and seasonal to inter-annual resource variability, can be used to model the specific responses of hominin groups to climate change over time, based on their awareness of these properties. Specifically, we focus on hominin technological generalisation and specialisation, meaning the extent to which there is a high degree of specificity (or fit) between final tool form and the task(s) in which the tool is deployed.In this regard, we argue that the archaeological record reveals punctuated and discontinuous specialisation during certain phases of the Early Stone Age driven by landscape predictability. These periods encourage the expression of relevant innovations and stepwise increases in technological complexity. While some of them become lost to demographic or cultural stochasticity, others end up forming the basis for a standardisation of generalised forms within the context of unexpected climatic deterioration. This is highlighted by the late Acheulean: following a period of greater generalisation in the late Early Pleistocene correlating with repeated and severe orbitally-forced periods of aridity, smaller biface forms become more common (or absent) and regional experimentation with prepared-core technology in Eastern Africa takes place in the context of a return to more humid and stable climatic conditions. The onset of more arid and variable climates associated with the emergence of the Middle Stone Age led to the continental expansion of the prepared-core technological substrate underpinning generalised assemblages. The cycle continues in the Middle Stone Age with a return to climatic stability in the Late Pleistocene and subsequent regional diversification of this techno-complex, in which hominins responded with greater toolkit specialisation in a number of different ways. In this context, we support the existence of a cyclical and non-linear relationship between environmental adaptation and cognitive evolution, as part of a wider biocultural feedback loop, which contributes to explain the evolutionary roots of our “generalist specialist” niche.