Selection for general intelligence in carnivores by novel environments

了解人类和其他动物的智力是如何以及为什么进化的，这在生物学上是一个巨大的挑战。动物智力很大程度上是由对环境中特定压力做出反应的特殊能力组成的。然而，许多最近的发现表明，类似于人类智商的非特定的一般智力也会进化。大多数关于智力进化的假说表明，一般智力的进化是对更专业的认知能力进行选择的副作用。相比之下，认知缓冲假说表明，当动物应对新的环境时，自然选择直接有利于一般智力。对于今天的大多数动物来说，城市环境在进化上是新的，并给它们带来了许多新的认知挑战。这项工作通过对生活在非洲农村、城市和过渡栖息地的野生斑点鬣狗进行一系列简单的测试来测试认知缓冲假说的预测，这与人类的智商测试非常相似。测试组中每项特定任务的表现将在三种栖息地类型的鬣狗之间进行比较，但一般智力指标也将根据个体测试分数计算出来，并与每个栖息地的自然选择强度有关。这项工作将确定一般智力的选择强度是否在祖先、历史上的城市和快速城市化的环境中有所不同。更广泛的影响包括对学生的国际培训，与电影摄制组密切合作制作电视纪录片，以及制作一本关于鬣狗研究的儿童书籍。智力的进化是生物学中最大的挑战之一。动物智力在很大程度上是由应对特定选择压力而进化的特殊能力组成的，但最近的研究表明，领域通用过程也会进化。认知缓冲假说认为，自然选择直接有利于一般智力，以帮助动物应对新的环境。对于大多数动物来说，城市环境在进化上是新的，这给它们带来了许多新的认知挑战。在这里，认知缓冲假说的预测将在城市化的背景下进行检验，方法是向175只居住在非洲农村、城市和过渡栖息地的野生斑点鬣狗展示一组测试，重点是七种基本的认知能力。每项具体任务的表现将在3种栖息地类型之间进行比较，但心理测量因素分析方法也将允许统计得出每种栖息地类型内的个体的一般智力测量g，并阐明鬣狗智力的结构。因为每个栖息地都有关于生存和繁殖的数据，所以可以在三种不同的环境中比较对g的选择强度。比较不同生境类型在g上的选择梯度，可以评估在每种环境中定向选择对一般智力的作用强度。这项工作可以确定在祖先、历史上的城市和快速城市化的环境中，对g的选择强度是否有所不同。更广泛的影响包括对学生的国际培训，与电影摄制组密切合作制作电视纪录片，以及制作一本关于鬣狗研究的儿童书籍。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Understanding how and why intelligence has evolved in humans and other animals is a grand challenge in biology. Animal intelligence is composed largely of specialized abilities that respond to specific pressures in the environment. However, many recent discoveries suggest that non-specific, general intelligence, similar to IQ in humans, also evolves. Most hypotheses about the evolution of intelligence suggest that general intelligence evolves as a side effect of selection for more specialized cognitive abilities. In contrast, the Cognitive Buffer hypothesis suggests that general intelligence is directly favored by natural selection when animals are coping with novel environments. Urban environments are evolutionarily novel to most animals today, and present them with many new cognitive challenges. This work tests predictions of the Cognitive Buffer Hypothesis by presenting wild spotted hyenas living in rural, urban, and transitional habitats in Africa with a battery of simple tests, much like IQ testing in humans. Performance on each specific task in the test battery will be compared among hyenas in the three habitat types, but a general intelligence measure will also be calculated from the individual test scores, and related to the strength of natural selection acting in each habitat. This work will permit determination of whether or not the strength of selection on general intelligence varies among ancestral, historically urban and rapidly-urbanizing environments. Broader impacts include international training of students, working closely with film crews to create television documentaries, and production of a children's book on hyena research.The evolution of intelligence represents one of the greatest challenges in biology. Animal intelligence is composed largely of specialized abilities evolving in response to specific selection pressures, but recent work suggests that domain-general processes also evolve. The Cognitive Buffer hypothesis posits that general intelligence is favored directly by natural selection to help animals cope with novel environments. Urban environments are evolutionarily novel to most animals, presenting them with many new cognitive challenges. Here, predictions of the Cognitive Buffer hypothesis will be tested in the context of urbanization by presenting a test battery, focusing on seven elementary cognitive abilities, to 175 wild spotted hyenas occupying rural, urban, and transitional habitats in Africa. Performance on each specific task will be compared among the 3 habitat types, but a psychometric factor-analytical approach will also permit statistical derivation of a general intelligence measure, g, for individuals within each habitat type, and elucidation of the structure of hyena intelligence. Because data are available in each habitat on survival and reproduction, the strength of selection on g can be compared among the three different environments. Comparing selection gradients on g among habitat types permits assessment of the strength of directional selection acting on general intelligence in each environment. This work permits determination of whether the strength of selection on g varies among ancestral, historically urban and rapidly-urbanizing environments. Broader impacts include international training of students, working closely with film crews to create television documentaries, and production of a children's book on hyena research.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.