Biology subjects

Sol, D.

Publications and source records attributed to Sol, D..

3 recordsLinked to original sources

bioRxiv2020

Brain size predicts learning abilities in bees

A large brain is widely considered a distinctive feature of intelligence, a notion that mostly derives from studies in mammals. However, studies in insects demonstrates that cognitively sophisticated processes, such as social learning and tool use, are still possible with very small brains. Even after accounting for the allometric effect of body size, substantial variation in brain size still remains unexplained. A plausible advantage of a disproportionately larger brain might be an enhanced ability to learn new behaviors to cope with novel or complex challenges. While this hypothesis has received ample support from studies in birds and mammals, similar evidence is not available for small-brained animals like insects. Our objective is to compare the learning abilities of different bee species with their brain size investment. We conducted an experiment in which field-collected individuals had to associate an unconditioned stimulus (sucrose), with a conditioned stimulus (colored strip). We show that the probability of learning the reward-colour association was related to both absolute and relative brain size. This study shows that other bee species aside from the long studied honeybees and bumblebees, can be used in cognitive experiments and opens the door to explore the importance of relative brain sizes in cognitive tasks for insects and its consequences for species survival in a changing world.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2019

Innovation in solitary bees is driven by exploration, shyness and activity levels

Behavioural innovation is widely considered an important mechanism by which animals respond to novel environmental challenges, including those induced by human activities. Despite its functional and ecological relevance, much of our current understanding of the innovation process comes from studies in vertebrates. Understanding innovation processes in insects has lagged behind partly because they are not perceived to have the cognitive machinery required to innovate. This perception is however challenged by recent evidence demonstrating sophisticated cognitive capabilities in insects despite their small brains. Here, we study the innovation capacity of a solitary bee (Osmia cornuta) in the laboratory by exposing naive individuals to an obstacle removal task. We also studied the underlying cognitive and non-cognitive mechanisms through a battery of experimental tests designed to measure learning, exploration, shyness and activity levels. We found that solitary bees can innovate, with 11 of 29 individuals (38%) being able to solve a new task consisting in lifting a lid to reach a reward. The propensity to innovate was uncorrelated with learning capacities, but increased with exploration, boldness and activity. These results provide solid evidence that non-social insects can innovate, and highlight the importance of interpreting innovation in the light of non-cognitive processes.

animal behavior and cognition↗

bioRxiv2018

Bees use anthropogenic habitats despite strong natural habitat preferences

Habitat loss and alteration is widely considered one of the main drivers of the current loss of pollinator diversity. Unfortunately, we still lack a comprehensive analysis of habitat importance, use and preference for major groups of pollinators. Here, we address this gap analysing a large dataset of 15,762 bee specimens (more than 400 species) across northeast USA. We found that natural habitats sustain the highest bee diversity, with many species strongly depending on such habitats. By characterizing habitat use and preference for the 45 most abundant species, we also show that many bee species can use human-altered habitats despite exhibiting strong and clear preferences for forested habitats. However, only a few species appear to do well when the habitat has been drastically modified. We conclude that although altered environments may harbor a substantial number of species, preserving natural areas is still essential to guarantee the conservation of bee biodiversity.

ecology↗