As urban centers around the world have grown over the last 300 years, biologists have struggled to explain why some species can invade and thrive despite human-induced environmental change whereas others suffer often to the point of extinction. The Cognitive Buffer Hypothesis proposes that the evolution of big brains and advanced cognitive abilities has enabled some species to exhibit more flexible behavioral responses to anthropogenic disturbances. However, there is a lack of empirical support for this hypothesis due to the challenges of assessing cognition in wild animals. Recently, my students and I have harnessed technological advances to automatically and adaptively test cognitive abilities of urban mesocarnivores. I will present results from my current research program, which is focused on studying the cognition, behavior, and ecology of urban carnivores (particularly raccoons) to understand how cognition is facilitating adaptation of these species to urban environments. Our results inform our understanding on how some urban wildlife species are able to adapt to life in cities, which are some of the most extreme novel environments confronted by contemporary wildlife populations. I will also briefly discuss the implications of our results for human-wildlife conflict mitigation efforts in urban environments.

*This talk is sponsored by the Evolution and Human Adaptation Program (EHAP)