Evolutionary ecology of intraspecific brain size variation: a review

A Gonda, G Herczeg, J Merilä - Ecology and Evolution, 2013 - Wiley Online Library
The brain is a trait of central importance for organismal performance and fitness. To date,
evolutionary studies of brain size variation have mainly utilized comparative methods …

Artificial selection on relative brain size in the guppy reveals costs and benefits of evolving a larger brain

A Kotrschal, B Rogell, A Bundsen, B Svensson… - Current Biology, 2013 - cell.com
The large variation in brain size that exists in the animal kingdom has been suggested to
have evolved through the balance between selective advantages of greater cognitive ability …

Social plasticity in the fish brain: Neuroscientific and ethological aspects

K Maruska, MC Soares, M Lima-Maximino… - Brain Research, 2019 - Elsevier
Social plasticity, defined as the ability to adaptively change the expression of social behavior
according to previous experience and to social context, is a key ecological performance trait …

Social cognition

RM Seyfarth, DL Cheney - Animal Behaviour, 2015 - Elsevier
Highlights•Social cognition in animals relies on a suite of increasingly complex skills.•These
skills are targets of selection.•They reflect the selective pressures acting on individuals in …

Brain size affects female but not male survival under predation threat

A Kotrschal, SD Buechel, SM Zala… - Ecology …, 2015 - Wiley Online Library
There is remarkable diversity in brain size among vertebrates, but surprisingly little is known
about how ecological species interactions impact the evolution of brain size. Using guppies …

A larger brain confers a benefit in a spatial mate search learning task in male guppies

A Kotrschal, A Corral-Lopez, M Amcoff… - Behavioral …, 2015 - academic.oup.com
Brain size varies dramatically among vertebrates, and selection for increased cognitive
abilities is thought to be the key force underlying the evolution of a large brain. Indeed …

Predation pressure shapes brain anatomy in the wild

A Kotrschal, AE Deacon, AE Magurran, N Kolm - Evolutionary Ecology, 2017 - Springer
There is remarkable diversity in brain anatomy among vertebrates and evidence is
accumulating that predatory interactions are crucially important for this diversity. To test this …

Rearing-group size determines social competence and brain structure in a cooperatively breeding cichlid

S Fischer, M Bessert-Nettelbeck… - The American …, 2015 - journals.uchicago.edu
Social animals can greatly benefit from well-developed social skills. Because the frequency
and diversity of social interactions often increase with the size of social groups, the benefits …

Artificial selection on relative brain size reveals a positive genetic correlation between brain size and proactive personality in the guppy

A Kotrschal, EJP Lievens, J Dahlbom, A Bundsen… - …, 2014 - academic.oup.com
Animal personalities range from individuals that are shy, cautious, and easily stressed (a
“reactive” personality type) to individuals that are bold, innovative, and quick to learn novel …

Seasonality and brain size are negatively associated in frogs: evidence for the expensive brain framework

Y Luo, MJ Zhong, Y Huang, F Li, WB Liao… - Scientific reports, 2017 - nature.com
The challenges of seasonal environments are thought to contribute to brain evolution, but in
which way is debated. According to the Cognitive Buffer Hypothesis (CBH) brain size should …