When a bigger brain is better: The case of bee olfactory learning
Abstract
Whether bigger brains provide enhanced cognitive capacities is a long-lasting and controversial question. While big brains may not be required for producing sophisticated behavior, they could facilitate information processing and memory storage. Here, we report a positive relationship between head size and learning performance in two model bee species, using data from 2,141 individuals. Among honey bees, head size varied by about 30%, and those with larger heads showed higher olfactory learning performance for associative tasks that varied in difficulty. Microcomputed tomography measures indicated that this relationship was linked to brain size variation: The best odor learners had the largest antennal lobes. We made similar observations in bumblebees, suggesting that natural brain size variation is associated with individual cognitive variation in these social bees.
Article Details
Journal Info
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
National Academy of Sciences
Authors (12)
Coline Monchanin
Univ Toulouse, CNRS, Centre de Recherche sur la Cognition Animale
Tamara Gómez-Moracho
Univ Toulouse, CNRS, Centre de Recherche sur la Cognition Animale
Cristian Pasquaretta
Univ Toulouse, CNRS, Centre de Recherche sur la Cognition Animale
Alexis Buatois
Department of Environmental Toxicology, Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology
Louise Bestea
Univ Toulouse, CNRS, Centre de Recherche sur la Cognition Animale
Paul Marchal
INSERM U1314, CNRS UMR5284, Institut NeuroMyoGene, MeLiS
Philipp D. Lösel
Department of Materials Physics, Research School of Physics, The Australian National University
Renaud Lebrun
Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier, CC64, Université de Montpellier
Fabrice Lihoreau
Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution de Montpellier, CC64, Université de Montpellier
Andrew B. Barron
School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University
Jean-Marc Devaud
Univ Toulouse, CNRS, Centre de Recherche sur la Cognition Animale
Mathieu Lihoreau
Univ Toulouse, CNRS, Centre de Recherche sur la Cognition Animale