R. Bshary

Coral reef fish resilience and recovery following major environmental disturbances caused by cyclones and coral bleaching: A case study at Lizard Island

This study tracks coral reef fish recovery at Lizard Island after cyclones and coral bleaching, showing resilience and recovery to pre-disturbance levels by 2022.

Social bond dynamics and the evolution of helping

This paper develops a game theory model to explore how social bonds between group members can promote cooperation through reciprocal helping, finding that small social neighborhoods are needed for evolutionary stability.

The role of learning in the evolution of status signalling: a modeling approach

The paper uses simulations to show that learning can maintain honest signaling in evolutionary models, allowing for polymorphic populations with both honest and dishonest signalers.

Flexibility of learning in complex worlds

The paper compares fixed and flexible learning rates in volatile environments, finding flexible rates improve reversal learning but not learning set formation.

Serotonin blocker Ketanserin reduces coral reef fish Ctenochaetus striatus aggressive behaviour during between-species social interactions

This study shows that serotonin blockade with ketanserin reduces aggressive behavior in coral reef fish during interspecific interactions, but the effect varies by species.

Nutrients and flow shape the cyclic dominance games between Escherichia coli strains

This study combines experiments and modeling to show that nutrients and flow rates influence cyclic dominance among three Escherichia coli strains, with toxin retention predicting competition outcomes.

Effects of local versus global competition on reproductive skew and sex differences in social dominance behaviour

The paper uses game theory and simulations to show that local competition promotes reproductive skew and mating interference, while global competition reduces aggression but not skew.

Field and experimental data together with computational models reveal how cleaner fish adjust decisions in a biological market

The paper uses computational models and experimental data to show cleaner fish make decisions based on future consequences rather than punishment.

Spatial scales of competition and a growth-motility tradeoff interact to determine bacterial coexistence

This study shows that spatial competition scales and a growth-motility tradeoff influence bacterial coexistence, with regional competition and dispersal networks promoting coexistence.

Reproductive skew, fitness costs, and winner-loser effects in social-dominance evolution

The paper uses game theory and simulations to study how social hierarchies affect reproductive skew, fitness costs, and winner-loser effects in group-living animals.

A role for ecologically-tuned chunking in the evolution of advanced cognition demonstrated by modelling the cleaner fish market problem

The paper models how chunking ability evolves in cleaner fish by simulating ecological challenges, showing that fine-tuned chunking parameters are adaptive.

A farewell to EQ: A new brain size measure for comparative primate cognition

The paper introduces a new brain size measure for primates, cognitive equivalence, which provides a more accurate estimate of cognitive brain size than the encephalization quotient (EQ).

Relative brain size and cognitive equivalence in fishes

This study evaluates brain-body slope and cognitive equivalence in fishes, finding similar slopes to ectotherms but higher than endotherms, with no cognitive performance correlation to body size.

No evidence for general intelligence in a fish

The paper tests for general intelligence (g) in cleaner fish and finds no evidence of g in ecologically non-relevant tasks, suggesting g may require a minimal brain size.