Many North American migratory birds are shrinking in size as temperatures have warmed over the past 40 years. But those with very big brains, relative to their body size, did not shrink as much as smaller-brained birds, according to biologist Justin Baldwin of Washington University in St. Louis.
His new study in the journal Ecology Letters is the first to directly link animal cognitive power to a physical response to climate warming.
“Larger-brained species are declining less strongly than small-brained species,” Baldwin said.
Relative brain size is often considered a proxy for behavioral flexibility in birds. The idea is controversial when it is applied to some other animals, but it works well for birds.
“Relative brain size correlates with increased learning ability, increased memory, longer lifespans and more stable population dynamics,” Baldwin said.
“In this case, a bigger-brained species of bird might be able to reduce its exposure to warming temperatures by seeking out microhabitats with cooler temperatures, for example,” he said.
* Read the full news release on The Source.
* Read the publication in Ecology Letters.
* Contact Justin Baldwin: [email protected]
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