Should dispersers be fast learners? Modelling the role of cognition in
dispersal syndromes
Abstract
Both cognitive abilities and dispersal tendencies can vary strongly
between individuals. Since cognitive abilities may help dealing with
unknown circumstances it is conceivable that dispersers may rely more
heavily on learning abilities than residents. However, cognitive
abilities are costly and leaving a familiar place might result in losing
the advantage of having learned to deal with local conditions. Thus,
individuals which invested in learning to cope with local conditions may
be more reluctant to leave their natal place. In order to disentangle
the complex relationship between dispersal and learning abilities we
implemented individual-based simulations. By allowing for developmental
plasticity, individuals could either develop a ‘resident´ or ‘dispersal´
cognitive phenotype. In line with our expectations, the correlation
between learning abilities and dispersal could take any direction,
depending how much time individuals had to recoup their investment in
cognition. Both, longevity and the timing of dispersal within lifecycles
determine the time individuals have to recoup that investment and thus
crucially influence this correlation. We therefore suggest that species´
life-history will strongly impact the expected cognitive abilities of
dispersers, relative to their resident conspecifics, and that cognitive
abilities might be an integral part of dispersal syndromes.