Learning is negatively associated with strength of left/right paw preference in wild grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis)
dc.contributor.author | Leaver, L | |
dc.contributor.author | Ford, S | |
dc.contributor.author | Miller, C | |
dc.contributor.author | Yeo, M | |
dc.contributor.author | Fawcett, T | |
dc.date.accessioned | 2020-01-08T11:43:39Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2020-01-21 | |
dc.description.abstract | Cerebral laterality, via hemispheric specialisation, has been evidenced across the animal kingdom and linked to cognitive performance in a number of species. Previously it has been suggested that cognitive processing is more efficient in brains with stronger hemispheric differences in processing, which may be the key fitness benefit driving the evolution of laterality. However, evidence supporting a positive association between cognitive performance and lateralization is mixed: data from studies of fish and birds show a positive relationship whereas more limited data from studies of mammals suggest a weak or even negative relationship, suggesting the intriguing possibility of a mammal/non-mammal divide in the nature of this relationship. Here, we report an empirical test examining the relationship between lateralization and cognitive performance in wild grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) by measuring left/right paw preference as a behavioural assay of cerebral lateralization and learning speed as an assay of cognitive efficiency. We carried out a motor-based laterality test using a reaching paradigm and measured learning speed on a problem-solving task. In accordance with the suggestion of a mammal/non-mammal divide, we found a negative relationship between strength of paw preference and performance on the learning task. We discuss this finding in light of niche-specific adaptations, task-specific demands and cognitive flexibility. | en_GB |
dc.identifier.citation | Published online 21 January 2020 | en_GB |
dc.identifier.doi | 10.3758/s13420-019-00408-2 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/10871/40303 | |
dc.language.iso | en | en_GB |
dc.publisher | Springer | en_GB |
dc.rights | © The Author(s) 2020. Open Access. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/. | |
dc.subject | laterality | en_GB |
dc.subject | lateralization | en_GB |
dc.subject | paw preference | en_GB |
dc.subject | learning | en_GB |
dc.subject | cognition | en_GB |
dc.subject | comparative cognition | en_GB |
dc.title | Learning is negatively associated with strength of left/right paw preference in wild grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) | en_GB |
dc.type | Article | en_GB |
dc.date.available | 2020-01-08T11:43:39Z | |
dc.identifier.issn | 0090-4996 | |
dc.description | This is the final version. Available on open access from Springer via the DOI in this record. | en_GB |
dc.identifier.journal | Learning and Behavior | en_GB |
dc.rights.uri | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ | en_GB |
dcterms.dateAccepted | 2019-12-28 | |
rioxxterms.version | VoR | en_GB |
rioxxterms.licenseref.startdate | 2019-12-28 | |
rioxxterms.type | Journal Article/Review | en_GB |
refterms.dateFCD | 2020-01-07T18:46:43Z | |
refterms.versionFCD | AM | |
refterms.dateFOA | 2020-01-22T09:07:42Z | |
refterms.panel | A | en_GB |
Files in this item
This item appears in the following Collection(s)
Except where otherwise noted, this item's licence is described as © The Author(s) 2020. Open Access. This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons licence, and indicate if changes were made. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article's Creative Commons licence, unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If material is not included in the article's Creative Commons licence and your intended use is not permitted by statutory regulation or exceeds the permitted use, you will need to obtain permission directly from the copyright holder. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/.