Social dominance has limited effects on spatial cognition in a wild food-caching bird.

ABSTRACT: Social dominance has long been used as a model to investigate social stress. However, many studies using such comparisons have been performed in captive environments. These environments may produce unnaturally high antagonistic interactions, exaggerating the stress of social subordination and any associated adverse consequences. One such adverse effect concerns impaired cognitive ability, often thought to be associated with social subordination. Here, we tested whether social dominance rank is associated with differences in spatial learning and memory, and in reversal spatial learning (flexibility) abilities in wild food-caching mountain chickadees at different montane elevations. Higher dominance rank was associated with higher spatial cognitive flexibility in harsh environments at higher

SUBMITTER: Heinen VK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8596002 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature