Sociality does not drive the evolution of large brains in eusocial African mole-rats

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F60076658%3A12310%2F18%3A43897219" target="_blank" >RIV/60076658:12310/18:43897219 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/00216208:11310/18:10379251

Result on the web

<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-26062-8" target="_blank" >https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-26062-8</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-26062-8" target="_blank" >10.1038/s41598-018-26062-8</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Sociality does not drive the evolution of large brains in eusocial African mole-rats

Original language description

The social brain hypothesis (SBH) posits that the demands imposed on individuals by living in cohesive social groups exert a selection pressure favouring the evolution of large brains and complex cognitive abilities. Using volumetry and the isotropic fractionator to determine the size of and numbers of neurons in specific brain regions, here we test this hypothesis in African mole-rats (Bathyergidae). These subterranean rodents exhibit a broad spectrum of social complexity, ranging from strictly solitary through to eusocial cooperative breeders, but feature similar ecologies and life history traits. We found no positive association between sociality and neuroanatomical correlates of information-processing capacity. Solitary species are larger, tend to have greater absolute brain size and have more neurons in the forebrain than social species. The neocortex ratio and neuronal counts correlate negatively with social group size. These results are clearly inconsistent with the SBH and show that the challenges coupled with sociality in this group of rodents do not require brain enlargement or fundamental reorganization. These findings suggest that group living or pair bonding per se does not select strongly for brain enlargement unless coupled with Machiavellian interactions affecting individual fitness.

Czech name

—

Czech description

—

Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10613 - Zoology

Project

<a href="/en/project/GA14-21758S" target="_blank" >GA14-21758S: Evolution of brain complexity and processing capacity in birds: Cracking the problem using novel methodological approaches</a><br>

Continuities

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Publication year

2018

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Scientific Reports

ISSN

2045-2322

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

8

Issue of the periodical within the volume

JUN 2018

Country of publishing house

GB - UNITED KINGDOM

Number of pages

14

Pages from-to

—

UT code for WoS article

000435338900043

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85048719035