RECENT ADVANCES IN UNDERSTANDING INVERTEBRATE COGNITION

While it was once assumed that large brains were needed for cognitive complexity, it is now appreciated that that brain size has less of a role in determining cognitive capacity than once supposed (Chittka & Niven, 2009; Perry et al., 2017). Instead, structural features of brain architecture like modularity and interconnectivity have a greater role (Chittka & Niven, 2009). 

Findings that the structure of the brain is more important than brain size challenges previous assumptions that because many invertebrates have small brains they have little cognitive complexity, and raises the possibility of more cognitive complexity in invertebrates than previously assumed (Chittka & Niven, 2009). 

Further evidence for the role of brain architecture in dictating cognitive capacity comes from the study of complex behaviours now known to occur in invertebrate systems. Invertebrates display many behaviours once thought to be exclusive to larger brained organisms, including ability to complete complex social learning tasks, recognise multiple individuals of the same species and even use tools (Perry et al., 2017). 

However, it is still not understood whether invertebrate cognition extends to pain, defined as ‘a subjective experience of discomfort, despair and other negative affective states’ (Adamo, 2016) and consciousness, defined as ‘marked by the presence of subjective experience’ (Barron & Klein, 2016).

Drinkwater, E., Robinson, E. J., & Hart, A. G. (2019). Keeping invertebrate research ethical in a landscape of shifting public opinion. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 10(8), 1265-1273.

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