Project description
A closer look at predation and adaptation
What compels the evolution of cognitive abilities in the face of environmental challenges? Predation is often cited as a driving force behind cognitive evolution, with the ability to learn and adapt playing a pivotal role in an animal’s survival. Yet, the impact of environmental predation risk on prey cognition remains a mystery. With the support of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the INVASIVE_ARMS_RACE project will explore the picturesque island of Ibiza. Here, invasive alien snakes have disrupted the equilibrium, altering predation dynamics for the endemic lizards. The research aims to unravel how predation pressure shapes the cognition of these prey, investigating cognitive variations within and between populations, and the uncharted territory of the learning speed versus accuracy trade-off.
Objective
Cognition is often assumed to be beneficial, as it allows individuals to adjust to all kind of environmental challenges. However, which exact environmental challenges drive the evolution of animal cognition remains an open question. Predation is often raised as an important driver of cognitive evolution, because animals that can improve their antipredator behaviour through learning may survive better, especially in dangerous environments. How environmental predation risk influences prey cognition is, however, only scarcely studied, with conflicting results. Here, I plan to make use of an unique opportunity to investigate the role of predation in cognitive evolution. I will examine how changes in predation pressure, caused by an invasion of alien snakes into the island of Ibiza, affect the cognition of endemic lizards. I will test how predation risk affects cognitive variation among and within populations of prey, and specifically the trade-off between learning speed versus accuracy (i.e. cognitive style), an understudied aspect of cognition in this context. Another gap in our knowledge is how exactly cognitive abilities help individuals to avoid being predated, and hence as a second goal I will test whether individual's cognitive performance and style relate to their ability to recognize and respond to predators. Finally, one aspect that has rarely been taken into consideration in the past, is how the cognitive abilities of the predator itself affect prey cognition and vice versa. As a final goal, I will test the exciting unexplored hypothesis of a cognitive arms race between predator and prey. In addition, this project will also integrate neuroscience with cognitive ecology, and delve deeper into the genetic and neural mechanisms underlying cognitive changes in prey and predator.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
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CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences biological sciences neurobiology
- natural sciences biological sciences ecology
- natural sciences biological sciences biological behavioural sciences ethology biological interactions
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Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Topic(s)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2022-PF-01
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
08193 BELLATERRA
Spain
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