Consequences of selection for cognitive ability

How does cognitive ability evolve and what are the organismal consequences of evolutionary shifts in cognition?

Despite centuries of research to understand the causes and consequences of variation in cognitive abilities, these remain largely unanswered questions.

In particular, there is virtually no direct experimental data available on how fast cognitive abilities can evolve, if cognitive abilities evolve in concert, and what the costs and benefits that stem from such changes are.

Here I aim to bridge this empirical void through an artificial selection experiment on a suite of cognitive abilities, using the guppy (Poecilia reticulata) as the model organism.

I will base selection on variation in key aspects of cognition such as associative learning, reversal learning and spatial cognition, and use individual performance across these assays to form replicated up-selected and control selection lines.

Following 2-3 generations of selection, I will quantify a large number of neural, cognitive, life-history, metabolic, and behavioural aspects with state-of-the-art assays to reveal the organismal consequences of evolutionary changes in cognitive ability. The work will occur in my fish-facilities including >5000 aquaria and a large number of set-ups for relevant assays.

The project will obtain unique experimental data on the costs and benefits of directional selection on cognition and answer many general questions in the fields of animal cognition, behaviour and physiology.