Dear All,
We would like to invite you to the following talk by Kata Horváth (Eötvös Loránd
University & Lund University), organized as part of the ELTE Cognitive Seminar series.
Time and date: 16:30 (CET), Thursday, November 24th 2022
Speaker: Kata Horváth (Eötvös Loránd University & Lund University)
Title: Adaptation via innovation in the animal kingdom
Abstract:
Over the course of evolution, the human race has achieved a number of remarkable
innovations, that have enabled us to adapt to and benefit from the environment ever more
effectively. The ongoing environmental threats and health disasters of our world have now
made it crucial to understand the cognitive mechanisms behind innovative behaviours. In my
talk, I will present two research projects with examples of innovation-based behavioural
adaptation from the taxonomic kingdom of animals, serving as a comparative psychological
model for mapping the evolution of innovation. The first project focuses on the challenge
of overcoming physical disability. In this study, we investigated an injured kea (Nestor
notabilis) that exhibits an efficient, intentional, and innovative tool-use behaviour to
compensate his disability, showing evidence for innovation-based adaptation to a physical
disability in a non-human species. The second project focuses on the evolution of fire use
from a cognitive perspective. Fire has been one of the most dominant ecological forces in
human evolution; however, it is still unknown what capabilities and environmental factors
could have led to the emergence of fire use. In the core study of this project, we
investigated a captive population of Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) that has been
regularly exposed to campfires during the cold winter months for over 60 years. Our
results suggest that macaques are able to take advantage of the positive effects of fire
while avoiding the dangers of flames and hot ashes, and exhibit calm behaviour around the
bonfire. In addition, I will present a research proposal targeting the foraging behaviour
of predatory birds in parts of Australia frequently affected by bushfires. Anecdotal
reports suggest that some birds use burning sticks to spread the flames, a behaviour that
has not been scientifically observed and evaluated. In summary, the two projects explore
innovative behaviours along three different species groups, three different habitats, and
three different ecological drivers, providing insights into the cognitive and behavioural
mechanisms of adaptation through innovation.
Zoom Meeting
https://ppk-elte-hu.zoom.us/j/96481843393?pwd=Zm56d3FXbUhjb3NSaGgvYjI5SUdTU…
Passcode: 683829
Meeting ID: 964 8184 3393
If you have questions about the event, please contact us via email
(szabo.eszter.dora(a)ppk.elte.hu).
We look forward to seeing you at the event,
Eszter Dóra Szabó
organizer
ELTE Department of Cognitive Psychology