9IÖÆ×÷³§Ãâ·Ñ

Male guppies exposed to predators in the wild or in captivity have heavier brains than those living in relatively predator-free conditions, according to new research published in the journal Functional Ecology.

Behavioural ecologists at 9IÖÆ×÷³§Ãâ·Ñ in Montreal sampled guppies from two rivers in northern Trinidad. In each river, guppies live both above a waterfall, a location that only guppies and a few other small species of fish have managed to colonize, and below the fall, where many predators including pike cichlids live.

Classified as: guppies, brains, ecology, Biology, predators, Simon Reader, behavioural ecologists
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Published on: 4 Jun 2018

Learning from others and innovation have undoubtedly helped advance civilization. But these behaviours can carry costs as well as benefits. And a new study by an international team of evolutionary biologists sheds light on how one particular cost – increased exposure to parasites – may affect cultural evolution in non-human primates.

Classified as: Biology, evolution, innovation, parasites, exploratory, human culture, primates, Royal Society B, Simon Reader, chimpanzees
Published on: 3 Dec 2014
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