Main Content

Flexibility and Adaptation in Non-Human Animals

Not only humans are capable of adapting to complex and changing conditions through exploration and learning. In collaboration with researchers from biology, we use computational models to better understand the cognitive and evolutionary processes underlying the adaptability of animals.

Overview of participants and the experimental procedure for studying the breeding areas of the large-tailed grackle (Quixcalus mexicanus)
From Breen und Deffner, 2024, eLife, under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
Behavior and mechanisms of reinforcement learning in the large-tailed grackle (Quiscalus mexicanus)
Adapted from Breen und Deffner, 2024, eLife, under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License

Publications

  • Breen, A.J. & Deffner, D. (2024). Leading an urban invasion: risk-sensitive learning is a winning strategy. eLife, 12, RP89315.
    Blaisdell, A., Seitz, B., Rowney, C., Folsom, M., MacPherson, M.,
  • Deffner, D., & Logan, C. J. (2021). Do the more flexible individuals rely more on causal cognition? Observation versus intervention in causal inference in great-tailed grackles. Peer Community Journal, 1.
  • Clark, A. D., Deffner, D., Laland, K., Odling-Smee, J., & Endler, J. (2020). Niche construction affects the variability and strength of natural selection. The American Naturalist, 195(1), 16-30.