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Dealing with the unexpected: the effect of environmental variability on behavioural flexibility in a Mediterranean lizard.

Dealing with the unexpected: the effect of environmental variability on behavioural flexibility in a Mediterranean lizard.

Authors :
De Meester, Gilles
Sfendouraki-Basakarou, Alkyoni
Pafilis, Panayiotis
Van Damme, Raoul
Source :
Behaviour. 2021, Vol. 158 Issue 12/13, p1193-1223. 31p.
Publication Year :
2021

Abstract

Harsh and variable environments have been hypothesized to both drive and constrain the evolution towards higher cognitive abilities and behavioural flexibility. In this study, we compared the cognitive abilities of island and mainland Aegean wall lizards (Podarcis erhardii), which were expected to live in respectively a more variable and a more stable habitat. We used four proxies of behavioural flexibility: a neophobia assay, a problem-solving test and a spatial + reversal learning task. Surprisingly, the two populations did not differ in neophobia or problem-solving. Insular lizards, however, outperformed mainland conspecifics in an initial spatial learning task, but were less successful during the subsequent reversal learning. Our results thus seem to indicate that the effect of environmental variability on cognition is complex, as it may favour some, but not all aspects of behavioural flexibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
00057959
Volume :
158
Issue :
12/13
Database :
Academic Search Index
Journal :
Behaviour
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
152976855
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1163/1568539X-bja10088