Evidence from four lemur species that ringtailed lemur social cognition converges with that of haplorhine primates
Many haplorhine primates flexibly exploit social cues when competing for food. Whether strepsirrhine primates possess similar abilities is unknown. To explore the phylogenetic origins of such skills among primates, we tested ringtailed lemurs, Lemur catta, for their ability to exploit social cues while competing for food. We found that in two contexts ringtailed lemurs spontaneously […]
Serial reversal learning and the evolution of behavioral flexibility in three species of North American corvids (Gymnorhinus cyanocephalus, Nucifraga columbiana, Aphelocoma californica)
In serial reversal learning, subjects learn to respond differentially to 2 stimuli. When the task is fully acquired, reward contingencies are reversed, requiring the subject to relearn the altered associations. This alternation of acquisition and reversal can be repeated many times, and the ability of a species to adapt to this regimen has been considered […]
Social games between bonobos and humans: Evidence for shared intentionality?
Triadic social games are interesting from a cognitive perspective because they require a high degree of mutual social awareness. They consist of two agents incorporating an object in turn-taking sequences and require individuals to coordinate their attention to the task, the object, and to one another. Social games are observed commonly in domesticated dogs interacting […]