Department of Psychology, St. Francis College, 179 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA.
Center for the Study of Pinniped Ecology and Cognition, St. Francis College, 179 Livingston Street, Brooklyn, NY, 11201, USA.
Anim Cogn. 2022 Oct;25(5):1077-1090. doi: 10.1007/s10071-022-01658-w. Epub 2022 Jul 28.
Comparative cognition, as an interdisciplinary field, should utilize a holistic approach for studying cognitive mechanisms. We suggest that research with species of interest should employ both work with animals under human care and in the field. This complimentary approach allows for a better understanding of functional cognitive mechanisms themselves (i.e., comparative cognition regarding processes), and how these skill sets can relate to a particular species' ecological niche. We suggest that research evidence for equivalence classification, learning by exclusion, and long-term memory in pinnipeds can provide a foundation for discussion and implementation of a two-pronged methodological approach utilizing 'lab' and field' work. First, we describe evidence from research with pinnipeds under human care supporting each of these cognitive abilities, then follow this with evidence for implications of these mechanisms from complimentary field research. Lastly, we provide a brief discussion of implementation of a purposeful and two-pronged research approach as an understanding of pinnipeds' high levels of cognitive flexibility may underlie their success for navigating the ever-changing, and often human-altered, natural environment.
比较认知作为一个跨学科领域，应该采用整体方法来研究认知机制。我们建议，对感兴趣的物种的研究应该同时使用在人类照顾下的动物和野外的动物进行研究。这种互补的方法可以更好地理解功能认知机制本身（即关于过程的比较认知），以及这些技能如何与特定物种的生态位相关。我们建议，在鳍足类动物中进行关于等价分类、排除性学习和长期记忆的研究证据，可以为讨论和实施利用“实验室”和“野外”工作的双管齐下的方法学方法提供基础。首先，我们描述了在人类照顾下的鳍足类动物研究中支持这些认知能力的证据，然后接着描述了这些机制对补充野外研究的影响的证据。最后，我们简要讨论了实施有目的的双管齐下的研究方法，因为对鳍足类动物高度认知灵活性的理解可能是它们成功适应不断变化、经常被人类改变的自然环境的基础。
