DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Individual recognition and long-term memory of third-party relationships in a social bird

非技术摘要：越来越多的证据表明，智力的进化主要是由驾驭复杂社会关系的需要推动的。然而，一个物种的社会制度是如何影响智力发展的，人们却知之甚少。虽然众所周知，一些动物知道个体之间的关系，而不是自己之间的关系，但之前的研究主要集中在关于单个社会群体内关系的短期知识上。这种狭隘的关注限制了不同社会制度如何塑造智力的推论。这个项目将测试橡子啄木鸟是否能记住彼此之间的关系多年，这一能力在任何非人类物种中都没有被研究过。橡子啄木鸟是一种群居鸟类，即使在多年的分离之后，亲戚们仍然保持着关系，而不再生活在一起的亲戚可能会在冲突时期充当盟友。因此，如果橡子啄木鸟能够多年来识别并记住他们邻居的亲戚，它们就可以通过跟踪竞争对手的盟友而受益。这项研究旨在确定他们是否具有这种能力。该项目将为两名外地助理创造带薪职位，并将指导几名本科生，通过协助数据收集和分析来学习可转让的技能。调查人员还将继续对服务不足社区的青年进行科学宣传和教育工作。通过提高对社会性和认知之间关系的科学理解，该项目可以为一般智力的进化提供视角。技术摘要：该项目的目标是通过测试橡子啄木鸟能够记住他人之间关系至少两年的假设来扩大我们对社会认知的理解。研究人员将创造回放刺激，模拟两只鸟异口同声的叫声，橡子啄木鸟只有在自己群体中的现任或前任成员才会自然地这样做。啄木鸟将收到以下模拟声音交流的回放：1)两年前生活在一起的两只相关鸟类，2)从未生活在一起的两只相关鸟类，以及3)从未生活在一起的两只不相关的鸟。在所有情况下，呼叫者都将与主题无关。如果橡子啄木鸟还记得两年前生活在一起的鸟类之间的关系，它们应该认识到刺激1比刺激2和3更具社会一致性，因此应该对刺激1表现出更长的反应潜伏期，这表明对预期的违背较少。如果他们通过声音提示识别来电者之间的关系，而不是通过记忆，他们对刺激1和2的反应潜伏期应该比刺激3更长。这项工作也将为本科生提供相关的培训和指导。结果将通过出版物传达给科学界，并通过外联努力传达给一般非科学界。

Non-technical Abstract:There is mounting evidence that the evolution of intelligence is primarily driven by the need to navigate complex social relationships. However, the way in which a species' social system influences developing intelligence is less well understood. While it is known that some animals are aware of the relationships between individuals other than themselves, previous studies have concentrated on short-term knowledge about relationships within a single social group. This narrow focus limits the inferences that can be drawn about how different social systems shape intelligence. This project will test whether acorn woodpeckers can remember the relationships between others for years, an ability that has not been investigated in any non-human species. Acorn woodpeckers are a group-living bird in which relatives maintain a relationship even after years of separation, and kin who no longer live together may act as allies in times of conflict. Thus, if acorn woodpeckers can recognize and remember their neighbors' kin for years, they could benefit by keeping track of competitors' allies. This study aims to identify whether they have this ability. The project will create paid positions for two field assistants and several undergraduates will be mentored and learn transferable skills by assisting in data collection and analysis. The investigators will also continue their scientific outreach and education efforts with youth from under-served communities. By improving scientific understanding of the relationship between sociality and cognition, this project could provide perspective on the evolution of intelligence in general.Technical Abstract:The goal of this project is to expand our understanding of social cognition by testing the hypothesis that acorn woodpeckers can remember the relationships between others for at least two years. The investigators will create playback stimuli that simulate two birds calling in unison, which acorn woodpeckers only do naturally with current or former members of their own group. Woodpeckers will then receive playbacks of the following simulated vocal exchanges: 1) two related birds who formerly lived together two years ago, 2) two related birds who never lived together, and 3) two unrelated birds who never lived together. In all cases, the callers will be unrelated to the subject. If acorn woodpeckers remember the relationships between birds that lived together two years ago, they should recognize Stimulus 1 as being more socially congruent than 2 and 3, and should thus exhibit a longer response latency to Stimulus 1, indicating less violation of expectation. If they recognize the relationship between callers via an acoustic cue of relatedness rather than by memory, they should show a longer response latency to both Stimuli 1 and 2 compared to 3. This work will also provide relevant training and mentoring to undergraduate students. Results will be communicated to the scientific community through publications and the general non-scientific community through outreach efforts.