Play behaviour, not tool using, relates to brain mass in a sample of birds

Abstract Play behaviour and tool using in birds, two well-delineated and amply researched behaviours, have generally been associated with cognitive abilities. In this study, these behaviours were related to relative brain mass in a sample of Australian native birds. Despite suggestive research resul...

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Autor principal:	Gisela Kaplan
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2020
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/17d82a099eea453a9c90420fe845d39b
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:17d82a099eea453a9c90420fe845d39b2021-12-02T12:33:44ZPlay behaviour, not tool using, relates to brain mass in a sample of birds10.1038/s41598-020-76572-72045-2322https://doaj.org/article/17d82a099eea453a9c90420fe845d39b2020-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-76572-7https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Play behaviour and tool using in birds, two well-delineated and amply researched behaviours, have generally been associated with cognitive abilities. In this study, these behaviours were related to relative brain mass in a sample of Australian native birds. Despite suggestive research results so far between cognition and tool using, this study found no significant difference in relative brain mass or in lifespan between tool-using birds and non-tool users. By contrast, in play behaviour, subdivided into social players and non-social players, the results showed statistically very clear differences in relative brain mass between social, non-social and non-players. Social play was associated with both the largest brain mass to body mass ratios and with the longest lifespans. The results show that play behaviour is a crucial variable associated with brain enlargement, not tool using. Since many of the tool using species tested so far also play, this study suggests that false conclusions can be drawn about the connection between tool using and cognitive ability when the silent variable (play behaviour) is not taken into account.Gisela KaplanNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 10, Iss 1, Pp 1-15 (2020)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Gisela Kaplan Play behaviour, not tool using, relates to brain mass in a sample of birds
description	Abstract Play behaviour and tool using in birds, two well-delineated and amply researched behaviours, have generally been associated with cognitive abilities. In this study, these behaviours were related to relative brain mass in a sample of Australian native birds. Despite suggestive research results so far between cognition and tool using, this study found no significant difference in relative brain mass or in lifespan between tool-using birds and non-tool users. By contrast, in play behaviour, subdivided into social players and non-social players, the results showed statistically very clear differences in relative brain mass between social, non-social and non-players. Social play was associated with both the largest brain mass to body mass ratios and with the longest lifespans. The results show that play behaviour is a crucial variable associated with brain enlargement, not tool using. Since many of the tool using species tested so far also play, this study suggests that false conclusions can be drawn about the connection between tool using and cognitive ability when the silent variable (play behaviour) is not taken into account.
format	article
author	Gisela Kaplan
author_facet	Gisela Kaplan
author_sort	Gisela Kaplan
title	Play behaviour, not tool using, relates to brain mass in a sample of birds
title_short	Play behaviour, not tool using, relates to brain mass in a sample of birds
title_full	Play behaviour, not tool using, relates to brain mass in a sample of birds
title_fullStr	Play behaviour, not tool using, relates to brain mass in a sample of birds
title_full_unstemmed	Play behaviour, not tool using, relates to brain mass in a sample of birds
title_sort	play behaviour, not tool using, relates to brain mass in a sample of birds
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2020
url	https://doaj.org/article/17d82a099eea453a9c90420fe845d39b
work_keys_str_mv	AT giselakaplan playbehaviournottoolusingrelatestobrainmassinasampleofbirds
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Play behaviour, not tool using, relates to brain mass in a sample of birds

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