Brain size predicts bees' tolerance to urban environments.

ABSTRACT: The rapid conversion of natural habitats to anthropogenic landscapes is threatening insect pollinators worldwide, raising concern regarding the negative consequences on their fundamental role as plant pollinators. However, not all pollinators are negatively affected by habitat conversion, as certain species find appropriate resources in anthropogenic landscapes to persist and proliferate. The reason why some species tolerate anthropogenic environments while most find them inhospitable remains poorly understood. The cognitive buffer hypothesis, widely supported in vertebrates but untested in insects, offers a potential explanation. This theory suggests that species with larger brains have enhanced behavioural plasticity, enabling them to confront and adapt to novel challenges. To investigat

SUBMITTER: Lanuza JB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10684341 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature