Mechanisms of social learning across species boundaries

Abstract

Social learning involves the acquisition of information from other individuals and is a behavioural strategy found in a wide range of taxa from insects to humans. Traditionally, research in this field has concentrated on learning from members of the same species; however, there is increasing evidence for social learning across species boundaries. Owing to the ecological overlap of many species, it makes sense that such heterospecific social learning is common, and in some cases, information from another species may be more profitable than that provided by members of the same species. Here, we review the existing literature about learning from individuals of different species. We discuss the cognitive mechanisms underlying this form of information gathering and highlight the importance of past experience and innate predispositions in the formation of interspecific learning events. In many cases, seemingly complex forms of 'copying' from members of other species can be explained by relatively simple forms of conditioning.

Heterospecific Nest Site Copying Behavior in a Wild Bird: Assessing the Influence of Genetics and Past Experience on a Joint Breeding Phenotype

“…The massive evidence for social information use in breeding site selection (reviewed by Valone, 2007;Avarguès-Weber et al, 2013) suggests that this behavior is often favored by natural selection, but very little is known about its genetic basis. The only study (to our knowledge) that provided evidence for the role of genetics in social information use was conducted in a laboratory population of Drosophila melanogaster and involved genetic polymorphism at one locus (Foucaud et al, 2013).…”

Social Information Links Individual Behavior to Population and Community Dynamics

“…Interestingly, evolution and learning can fine-tune signals to increase the efficacy of useful information shared about resources. Field studies suggest that, when species overlap in foraging niche, simple conditioning results in seemingly complex heterospecific copying behavior [61]. As an example, signals produced among competing species in bird flocks converge on similar forms, as opposed to previously expected divergence into readily distinguishable forms [62].…”

Causes and Consequences of Behavioral Interference between Species

“…It can enhance competitor recognition [88] and modify the frequency of interactions through effects on niche overlap [89]. Second, learned recognition allows for rapid behavioral responses to novel species interactions [88][89][90][91]. For example, song learning has enabled some bird species to converge in territorial signals more rapidly than intergenerational responses due to selection, gene flow, or drift [89,92].…”

“…First, learning affects the opportunity for interference interactions. It can enhance competitor recognition [88] and modify the frequency of interactions through effects on niche overlap [89]. Second, learned recognition allows for rapid behavioral responses to novel species interactions [88][89][90][91].…”

“…Second, learned recognition allows for rapid behavioral responses to novel species interactions [88][89][90][91]. For example, song learning has enabled some bird species to converge in territorial signals more rapidly than intergenerational responses due to selection, gene flow, or drift [89,92]. Third, learned recognition can reduce the frequency and costs of interference during reproduction [93][94][95] and over territories [87].…”