Cookies on this website

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you click 'Accept all cookies' we'll assume that you are happy to receive all cookies and you won't see this message again. If you click 'Reject all non-essential cookies' only necessary cookies providing core functionality such as security, network management, and accessibility will be enabled. Click 'Find out more' for information on how to change your cookie settings.

A recent paper by Chen et al. (2019, Science, 363 (6423), 166–167) found that female budgerigars, Melopsittacus undulatus, show a preference for males that are successful problem solvers. Is this result sufficient to conclude that mate choice influences the evolution of cognitive abilities? Here, we consider what we currently know about the relationship between problem solving and cognition. We argue that it is premature to conclude, based on these findings, that cognitive abilities have evolved in part through sexual selection by female choice.

Original publication

DOI

10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.03.017

Type

Journal article

Journal

Animal Behaviour

Publication Date

01/07/2020

Volume

165

Pages

e1 - e3