L12 - Intelligence

Question 1

What else other than intelligence does completing tasks require?

Answer 1

Motivation

Question 2

What has previously been used as a proxy for animal intelligence?

Answer 2

Brain size

Question 3

What was brain size found to be linked with in primates?

Answer 3

Diet

Question 4

Which animal has good individual recognition?

Answer 4

Paper wasps

Question 5

What is a big difficulty when assessing intelligence?

Answer 5

Apparent intelligence - when an animal does something which we perceive as intelligent but in reality it is based on something quite simple e.g decided by genetics

Question 6

What is the social brain hypothesis?

Answer 6

The idea that social complexity drives the evolution of intelligence. If one animal is more intelligent in a group this drives a positive feedback loop between individuals in social intelligence. Intelligence is also needed to deal with the novel challenges that social living brings

Question 7

What novel challenges does social living bring?

Answer 7

Maintaining group cohesion during conflict
Communication
Individual recognition skills
Linked to parental care & long-lasting pair bonds

Question 8

What is the relationship between size of neocortex and mean group size in primates?

Answer 8

As group size increases so does neocortex size

Question 9

What is the relationship between brain size and pair bonding in species?

Answer 9

Brain size is bigger when pair bonding is used as a mating system in a species

Question 10

What was shown about “guilty” dogs?

Answer 10

We are unable to predict when they are guilty, seems to be more of a response to being told off

Question 11

Which animals have shown responses to being marked and seeing it in a mirror?

Answer 11

Great apes, dolphins, asian elephants, magpies

Question 12

What do scrub jays do which could be interpreted as evidence for knowing what other animals are thinking?

Answer 12

Scrub jays store food for winter by burying it, they will not bury this food if there is another scrub jay watching

Question 13

What is theory of mind?

Answer 13

We all assume that other individuals have emotions and feel the same way that we do

Question 14

What is a reason theory of mind could have evolved?

Answer 14

Social organisation revolves around cooperative breeding (we are the only great ape that shows this behaviour)

Question 15

What is evidence for theory of mind in primates?

Answer 15

They show some understanding of intentionality - more interested in intentional movements than accidental

Question 16

What are the limitations of non-human language?

Answer 16

• Language is not communication. Need syntax (rules for formation of grammatical sentences)
• Apes mainly communicate requests
• Little evidence for metaphor or creativity
• Human language used for “time-travel” (express tense)