The soft-bodied cephalopods including octopus, cuttlefish, and squid are broadly considered to be the most cognitively advanced group of invertebrates. Previous research has demonstrated that these large-brained molluscs possess a suite of cognitive attributes that are comparable to those found in some vertebrates, including highly developed perception, learning, and memory abilities. Cephalopods are also renowned for performing sophisticated feats of flexible behaviour, which have led to claims of complex cognition such as causal reasoning, future planning, and mental attribution. Hypotheses to explain why complex cognition might have emerged in cephalopods suggest that a combination of predation, foraging, and competitive pressures are likely to have driven cognitive complexity in this group of animals. Currently, it is difficult to gauge the extent to which cephalopod behaviours are underpinned by complex cognition because many of the recent claims are largely based on anecdotal evidence. In this review, we provide a general overview of cephalopod cognition with a particular focus on the cognitive attributes that are thought to be prerequisites for more complex cognitive abilities. We then discuss different types of behavioural flexibility exhibited by cephalopods and, using examples from other taxa, highlight that behavioural flexibility could be explained by putatively simpler mechanisms. Consequently, behavioural flexibility should not be used as evidence of complex cognition. Fortunately, the field of comparative cognition centres on designing methods to pinpoint the underlying mechanisms that drive behaviours. To illustrate the utility of the methods developed in comparative cognition research, we provide a series of experimental designs aimed at distinguishing between complex cognition and simpler alternative explanations. Finally, we discuss the advantages of using cephalopods to develop a more comprehensive reconstruction of cognitive evolution.
I cefalopodi coleoidi (polpi, seppie e calamari) sono considerati il gruppo di invertebrati con cognizione complessa più avanzata. Grazie a precedenti ricerche, si è dimostrato che questi molluschi possiedono delle caratteristiche cognitive (percezione acuta, capacità di apprendimento e abilità mnemoniche), così come comportamenti flessibili (l’attribuzione mentale, il ragionamento causale, una comunicazione dinamica e la capacità di prendere decisioni, anche per il futuro) comparabili a quelle di alcuni vertebrati. Sono state studiate le loro strategie anti-predatorie, di foraggiamento e di accoppiamento e sono state avanzate delle ipotesi su quali pressioni evolutive possano aver favorito l'evoluzione dell’intelligenza in questo gruppo. Inoltre, sono stati messi a confronto i loro comportamenti con quelli di specie appartenenti ad altri taxa per cercare di capire se siano effettivamente prova di una cognizione più complessa o se siano dovuti da meccanismi più semplici. Sono stati mostrati metodi standardizzati nel campo della comparazione cognitiva, fornendo i risultati di una serie di esperimenti, con lo scopo di chiarire se un comportamento sia dovuto all’intelligenza dell’animale o a meccanismi alternativi. Infine, sono stati discussi i vantaggi di usare i cefalopodi come modello non tradizionale per approfondire l’evoluzione dell’intelligenza.
L'intelligenza dei cefalopodi.
NOBILIONI, ELEONORA
2020/2021
Abstract
The soft-bodied cephalopods including octopus, cuttlefish, and squid are broadly considered to be the most cognitively advanced group of invertebrates. Previous research has demonstrated that these large-brained molluscs possess a suite of cognitive attributes that are comparable to those found in some vertebrates, including highly developed perception, learning, and memory abilities. Cephalopods are also renowned for performing sophisticated feats of flexible behaviour, which have led to claims of complex cognition such as causal reasoning, future planning, and mental attribution. Hypotheses to explain why complex cognition might have emerged in cephalopods suggest that a combination of predation, foraging, and competitive pressures are likely to have driven cognitive complexity in this group of animals. Currently, it is difficult to gauge the extent to which cephalopod behaviours are underpinned by complex cognition because many of the recent claims are largely based on anecdotal evidence. In this review, we provide a general overview of cephalopod cognition with a particular focus on the cognitive attributes that are thought to be prerequisites for more complex cognitive abilities. We then discuss different types of behavioural flexibility exhibited by cephalopods and, using examples from other taxa, highlight that behavioural flexibility could be explained by putatively simpler mechanisms. Consequently, behavioural flexibility should not be used as evidence of complex cognition. Fortunately, the field of comparative cognition centres on designing methods to pinpoint the underlying mechanisms that drive behaviours. To illustrate the utility of the methods developed in comparative cognition research, we provide a series of experimental designs aimed at distinguishing between complex cognition and simpler alternative explanations. Finally, we discuss the advantages of using cephalopods to develop a more comprehensive reconstruction of cognitive evolution.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12075/8214