The Evolution of Intelligence in Response to Social Complexity

摘要PI：Holekamp提案编号IBN96-30667：智力对社会复杂性的反应本研究的主要目的是检验一种假说的预测，该假说认为哺乳动物的智力进化是由与复杂社会环境中的生活相关的选择压力驱动的。如果这一假设是正确的，那么在灵长类动物身上观察到的一些或所有令人印象深刻的认知能力也应该出现在生活在类似灵长类社会的非灵长类哺乳动物身上。斑点鬣狗(Crocuta Crocuta)是一种大型食肉动物，生活在像东半球猴子一样的社会群体中。因此，社会复杂性假说预测，斑点鬣狗应该拥有许多或所有与这些灵长类动物相同的社会智力特征。在这里，我们建议确定斑点鬣狗对它们的社会世界了解多少，它们如何使用这些知识，以及这些知识与早期工作人员对猴子的描述有何不同。研究对象是肯尼亚一个大鬣狗家族的成员。所有出生的动物都知道年龄、性别、亲属关系和社会地位，大多数成年部落成员都戴着无线电项圈，这样他们就可以定期重新安置和观察。利用鬣狗受试者对所记录发声回放的录像反应，我们将确定鬣狗是否能像猴子一样，根据群体成员、亲属关系和联想模式来区分相同的发声。这项研究的第二个目标是继续对自由生活的鬣狗的激素-行为关系进行研究，并对它们免疫系统功能的变化模式进行初步分析。这项研究将产生三种类型的有用信息：(1)阐明动物智力在自然栖息地中的作用，以及有利于其进化的选择压力；(2)产生罕见的数据，记录野生动物疾病暴露和免疫能力的变化程度；(3)加强对食肉动物社会行为和免疫能力的了解，以帮助野生动物管理者和其他与非洲生态系统生物多样性和保护有关的人员做出决策。

ABSTRACT PI: Holekamp Proposal Number IBN96-30667: The evolution of intelligence in response to social complexity The primary purpose of this research is to examine predictions of an hypothesis suggesting that the evolution of intelligence in mammals has been driven by selection pressures associated with life in a complex social environment. If this hypothesis is correct, then some or all of the impressive cognitive abilities observed in primates should also occur in non-primate mammals living in primate-like societies. Spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) are large carnivores that live in social groups like those of old-world monkeys. Thus the social complexity hypothesis predicts that spotted hyenas should possess many or all of the same features of social intelligence as do these primates. Here we propose to determine what spotted hyenas know about their social worlds, how they use this knowledge, and how it differs from that described for monkeys by earlier workers. Subject animals are members of one large hyena clan in Kenya. Age, sex, kin relations, and social status are known for all natal animals, and most adult clan members wear radio collars so they can be regularly relocated and observed. Using videotaped responses of hyena subjects to playbacks of recorded vocalizations, we will determine whether hyenas, like monkeys, can discriminate among conspecific vocalizations based on group membership, kinship, and association patterns. A secondary goal of this research is to continue on-going work on hormone-behavior relationships in free- living hyenas, and to supplement this with preliminary analyses of patterns of variation in their immune system function. This research will generate three types of useful information: it will (1) elucidate the functions of animal intelligence in the natural habitat, as well as the selection pressures favoring its evolution, (2) yield rare data documenting the extent of variation in disease exposure and immunocompetence among wild animals, and (3) enhance understanding of carnivore social behavior and immunocompetence to facilitate decision-making by wildlife managers and others concerned with biodiversity and conservation of African ecosystems.