Consistent individual differences in early exploratory behaviour of male great tits

Verbeek, M.E.M.; Drent, Piet J.; Wiepkema, P.R.

doi:10.1006/anbe.1994.1344

Cited by 664 publications

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“…This result is in line with predictions derived from Guillette et al (2015) that fast-exploring birds would be more expert discriminators compared to slowexploring birds. Verbeek previously found that fast-exploring birds did not alter their behaviour in reaction to environmental stimuli; rather they form a routine and stick to it (e.g., Verbeek et al 1994). If a fast-exploring pigeon learned the rule "peck to the S+ and only the S+" they could perform with a high discrimination ratio in the training phase.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fast- and slow-exploring pigeons differ in how they use previously learned rules

Guillette

Baron

Sturdy

2017

Behavioural Processes

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Please cite this article as: Guillette, L.M., Baron, D.M., Sturdy, C.B., Spetch, M.L., Fastand slow-exploring pigeons differ in how they use previously learned rules.Behavioural Processes http://dx.doi.org/10. 1016/j.beproc.2016.07.006 This is a PDF file of an unedited manuscript that has been accepted for publication. As a service to our customers we are providing this early version of the manuscript. The manuscript will undergo copyediting, typesetting, and review of the resulting proof before it is published in its final form. Please note that during the production process errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain. AbstractSeveral studies report a correlation between exploratory behaviour and performance on tests of cognitive ability. Exploration may influence learning because less exploratory animals are less likely to come in contact with to-be-learned stimuli. Alternatively, the way information available in the environment is processed could influence the rate of exploration. Pigeons are one of the most-studied species used to examine the mechanisms underlying cognitive abilities, but have not been used to examine the relationship between these abilities and animal personality. Here, twelve pigeons were first tested in a novel environment to assess repeatability in exploratory behaviour. Pigeons were then trained to discriminate between two visual stimuli: lines oriented at 90° (vertical, the S+) and 135° (the S-). After training pigeons underwent generalization testing with ten additional visual line orientation stimuli. We found exploratory behaviour was related to generalization performance: fast-explorers had steeper generalization gradients compared to slow-explorers. This effect was only seen in the direction towards the S-. These results suggest that birds with different exploratory styles differ in how they use previously learned information. Further testing is needed to confirm which cue(s) (S+ or S-) control the behaviour of fast-explorers.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fast- and slow-exploring pigeons differ in how they use previously learned rules

Guillette

Baron

Sturdy

2017

Behavioural Processes

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“…EB assays were conducted during the non-breeding season (winter, November to March), the morning after being captured in the wild and the problem-solving assay completed, and were initiated by opening the trapdoor connecting the individual cage with the novel environment room. The novel environment assay room was based on the design used in other studies [92]: the room was split into five equally sized three-dimensional zones, each of which contained an artificial 'tree' (1.5 m high) with four artificial branches. Principal components analysis was used to reduce 12 different behavioural variables to a single component and was used as the combined measure of activity, novel object and area exploration, which we refer to as EB [44].…”

Section: Materials and Methods (A) Assaying Innovative Problem-solvingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Environmental and genetic determinants of innovativeness in a natural population of birds

Quinn

Cole

Reed

et al. 2016

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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One contribution of 15 to a theme issue 'Innovation in animals and humans: understanding the origins and development of novel and creative behaviour'. Much of the evidence for the idea that individuals differ in their propensity to innovate and solve new problems has come from studies on captive primates. Increasingly, behavioural ecologists are studying innovativeness in wild populations, and uncovering links with functional behaviour and fitnessrelated traits. The relative importance of genetic and environmental factors in driving this variation, however, remains unknown. Here, we present the results of the first large-scale study to examine a range of causal factors underlying innovative problem-solving performance (PSP) among 831 great tits (Parus major) temporarily taken into captivity. Analyses show that PSP in this population: (i) was linked to a variety of individual factors, including age, personality and natal origin (immigrant or local-born); (ii) was influenced by natal environment, because individuals had a lower PSP when born in poor-quality habitat, or where local population density was high, leading to cohort effects. Links with many of the individual and environmental factors were present only in some years. In addition, PSP (iii) had little or no measurable heritability, as estimated by a Bayesian animal model; and (iv) was not influenced by maternal effects. Despite previous reports of links between PSP and a range of functional traits in this population, the analyses here suggest that innovativeness had weak if any evolutionary potential. Instead most individual variation was caused by phenotypic plasticity driven by links with other behavioural traits and by environmentally mediated developmental stress. Heritability estimates are population, time and context specific, however, and more studies are needed to determine the generality of these effects. Our results shed light on the causes of innovativeness within populations, and add to the debate on the relative importance of genetic and environmental factors in driving phenotypic variation within populations.

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“…Over trials, HR pigs showed a decrease in locomotion and alertness, whereas LR pigs were more constant in their locomotor behaviour over the three trials and even showed an increase in standing alert. This divergence in 'explorative strategy' has been identiWed as a major distinguishing factor between individuals diVering in behavioural style in many species (Verbeek et al 1994;Cools and Gingras 1998;Wilson 1998;Benus 2001).…”

Section: Exploration Trialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial learning in pigs: effects of environmental enrichment and individual characteristics on behaviour and performance

et al. 2008

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This study investigated the eVects of both environmental enrichment and individual behavioural characteristics on spatial cognitive capabilities of pigs, using a novel latent spatial learning paradigm based on Tolman's detour experiments (1948). Pigs were housed either in 'barren' pens or in pens enriched with straw bedding from birth. Pigs were restrained in a Backtest at 10 and 17 days postpartum. Based on their escape behaviour in this test, which has been shown to reXect their behavioural style, six 'high-resisting'(HR) and six 'low-resisting' (LR) pigs were selected from each housing environment (n = 24 in total). At 12 weeks of age, pairs of pen mates (LR and HR) were exposed to a maze three times (exploration trials). Pigs were then placed individually in the maze, and social reinstatement proved to be a strong incentive to Wnd the exit leading to the home pen. We subsequently blocked the direct route to the exit, forcing animals to Wnd a detour (memory test 1, MT1). This test was repeated once to investigate the relative improvement, i.e. detour learning (memory test 2, MT2). Housing condition and Backtest response strongly aVected exploration patterns. In spite of this, no eVects on performance during the subsequent memory tests were found. Performance was substantially improved in MT2, indicating that once a goal is apparent, pigs are able to solve a complex spatial memory task easily. In conclusion, social reinstatement provided a good incentive to complete a spatial task, and the substantial improvement in performance between MT1 and MT2 stresses the need for task complexity when testing spatial memory in pigs. Housing conditions or individual behavioural style did not aVect spatial memory during MT1 or MT2. However, housing environment and behavioural style strongly aVected explorative behaviour of pigs in an unfamiliar maze during both exploration trials and memory tests. This implicates that apparent eVects of environmental enrichment on spatial learning and memory in pigs might reXect diVerences in explorative patterns rather than in cognitive processes.

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Consistent individual differences in early exploratory behaviour of male great tits

Cited by 664 publications

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Fast- and slow-exploring pigeons differ in how they use previously learned rules

Fast- and slow-exploring pigeons differ in how they use previously learned rules

Environmental and genetic determinants of innovativeness in a natural population of birds

Spatial learning in pigs: effects of environmental enrichment and individual characteristics on behaviour and performance

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