Biology subjects

Breen, A. J.

Publications and source records attributed to Breen, A. J..

2 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2025

Dynamic strategic social learning in nest-building zebra finches and its generalisability

Animals often balance asocial and social information strategically, adjusting when and from whom they copy based on context. Yet the cognition driving this dynamic--and its broader implications--remains poorly understood. We tested whether zebra finches use a copy-if-dissatisfied strategy by manipulating the quality of their initial nest-building or reproductive experience, showing them a conspecific nest-builder, and tracking subsequent material choices. Builder-males were more likely to choose the demon-strated social material--particularly at first choice--if they had previously used low-quality material. Using cognitive modelling, we estimated how latent learning mechanisms shaped decisions, identifying two asocial and two social parameters. These estimates provide the first formal evidence for the cognitive basis of nest building. Forward simulations informed--but not predetermined--by these parameters approximated observed behaviour, supporting their causal role. We then used these parameters in exploratory simulations to test how choices might shift under novel payoff contexts. We found that payoff structure--not (dis)satisfaction--was the primary driver of social material use, though higher rewards did not proportionally increase copying. These exploratory simulation results offer preliminary insight into mechanisms underlying material-use variation. Our study illustrates how computational modelling can robustly link behaviour to underlying learning mechanisms and probe the generalisability of animal cognition--a rarity in this field.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2023

Leading an urban invasion: risk-sensitive learning is a winning strategy

In the unpredictable Anthropocene, a particularly pressing open question is how certain species invade urban environments. Sex-biased dispersal and learning arguably influence movement ecology, but their joint influence remains unexplored empirically, and might vary by space and time. We assayed reinforcement learning in wild-caught, temporarily-captive core-, middle- or edge-range great-tailed grackles--a bird species undergoing urban-tracking rapid range expansion, led by dispersing males. We show: across populations, both sexes initially perform similarly when learning stimulus-reward pairings, but, when reward contingencies reverse, male--versus female--grackles finish relearning faster, making fewer choice-option switches. How do male grackles do this? Bayesian cognitive modelling revealed male grackles choice behaviour is governed more strongly by the weight of relative differences in recent foraging payoffs--i.e., they show more pronounced risk-sensitive learning. Confirming this mechanism, agent-based forward simulations of reinforcement learning--where we simulate birds based on empirical estimates of our grackles reinforcement learning--replicate our sex-difference behavioural data. Finally, evolutionary modelling revealed natural selection should favour risk-sensitive learning in hypothesised urban-like environments: stable but stochastic settings. Together, these results imply risk-sensitive learning is a winning strategy for urban-invasion leaders, underscoring the potential for life history and cognition to shape invasion success in human-modified environments.

animal behavior and cognition↗