Evolution of cognition: A comparative approach

Evolutionary biology has uncovered remarkable anatomical and physiological similarities among animal species (including humans). The most parsimonious assumption is that they may also share some cognitive and behavioural traits. This idea was put forward by Charles Darwin, who suggested that humans are not separated from the animal kingdom in terms of cognition, but rather, that there is mental continuity across species. This hypothesis has now transformed into the flourishing field of Cognitive Biology, which examines the cognitive abilities of nonhuman animals from a comparative perspective. In this chapter we describe the historical roots of the field and discuss why an evolutionary account alone is insufficient for a full understanding of cognition in animals. We emphasize the importance of studying a behaviour at four different levels: phylogeny (history), adaptation (ultimate function), proximate mechanisms (neurosciences) and development (ontogeny) before it can be entirely understood. Finally we review a selected subset of recent results and discuss their implications for our understanding of the evolution of cognition.