Persistence associated with extractive foraging explains variation in innovation in Darwin's finches.

ABSTRACT: The capacity to create new behaviors is influenced by environmental factors such as foraging ecology, which can lead to phylogenetic variation in innovativeness. Alternatively, these differences may arise due to the selection of the underlying mechanisms, collaterally affecting innovativeness. To understand the evolutionary pathways that might enhance innovativeness, we examined the role of diet breadth and degree of extractive foraging, as well as a range of intervening cognitive and behavioral mechanisms (neophilia, neophobia, flexibility, motivation, and persistence). Darwin's finches are very suitable to this purpose: the clade is composed of closely related species that vary in their feeding habits and capacity to develop food innovations. Using a multi-access box, we conducted an int

SUBMITTER: Ibanez de Aldecoa P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10773301 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jan-Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature