Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology - Towards a Cognitive Ecology of Invertebrates
Guest Editors
Aurore Avarguès-Weber, Center for Research on Animal Cognition (CRCA) (UMR CNRS 5169), Center for Integrative Biology of Toulouse, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
Mathieu Lihoreau, Center for Research on Animal Cognition (CRCA) (UMR CNRS 5169), Center for Integrative Biology of Toulouse, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France
Themes & Objectives
Our representation of intelligence is confronted to a novel cognitive revolution with the accumulation of evidence on the unexpected capacities of invertebrate model species. Indeed, abstraction faculties, emotion-like behaviours, social imitation, or tool use, among other capacities, were long considered as the prerogative of large-brained vertebrates but now proven to have evolved in invertebrates although to a limited extent.
The initial curiosity effect was turned by the scientific community into a fruitful and stimulating debate on the role of large brains, the definition of intelligence or the ecological significance and necessary computational resources of higher cognitive functions. However, the data are still scarce and too restricted to few model species to allow understanding the evolutionary pressure and ecological conditions that stimulate the emergence of elaborated cognitive functions.
With this collection, we aim to highlight the diversity of the cognitive competences across invertebrate species, especially in non-classical models. The challenge is to engage a true comparative perspective and attempt to link cognitive skills with clear ecological functions.
We invited submissions that address these issues as well as those on experimental or modelling studies especially Reviews and Perspectives papers (this opens in a new tab).
EXPECTED PUBLICATION: Spring 2024
About the Guest Editors
Dr. Aurore Avarguès-Weber is a researcher in cognitive ethology and specialist in bee cognition at the Center for Research on Animal Cognition (CRCA) (UMR CNRS 5169) at the Center for Integrative Biology of Toulouse at University Paul Sabatier. Please read more about her academic background here (this opens in a new tab).
Dr. Mathieu Lihoreau is a CNRS researcher at the Center for Research on Animal Cognition (CRCA) (UMR CNRS 5169) at the Center for Integrative Biology of Toulouse at University Paul Sabatier interested in the evolutionary relationships between brains, cognition and sociality. What are the cognitive demands imposed by social life? How much information must be treated and processing power required? How does it scale up at the collective level? To what extent environmental stressors affect these phenomena? He uses a comparative approach to answer these questions in animals with tiny brains exhibiting a wide range of social complexities such as bees, cockroaches and fruit flies. Please read more about Dr. Lihoreau and his behavioral and cognitive ecology lab here (this opens in a new tab).
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