Dissertation Research: The links between cognitive ability and individual variation in parental behavior

University Of Kentucky Research Foundation, Lexington KY

Investigators

Abstract

Parenting behavior, an important trait in many organisms, exhibits a curious pattern - individual parents are often flexible in response to variable conditions (e.g., time of season, number and age of offspring, and the behavior of other caregivers), yet also exhibit consistently different levels of care. Individual differences in care could be due to differences in cognitive skill at finding food. This project will measure between-individual differences and within-individual adjustments in care using a wild population of house sparrows (Passer domesticus). A capstone experiment will provide subjects with an array of foraging tests allowing assessment of individual food-finding skills. The resulting data will test the idea that individuals who perform well on novel foraging tasks exhibit higher levels of care. The experiment would provide the first evidence from free-living animals that cognitive abilities impact individual variation in parental care. This would advance our understanding of diversity in parental behavior and the evolution of cognition in animal groups exhibiting care, including humans. The findings also may provide insight into the mechanisms leading to the success of some animals, especially the invasive house sparrow, at adapting to human-induced changes in habitat. Finally, this project will enhance the conceptual and empirical training of a talented young scientist. It will provide opportunities to mentor undergraduate students from diverse backgrounds; these students will experience the scientific method in a field setting, learn modern techniques in studying behavior, and gain expertise in statistical analysis.