My master thesis in Cognitive Science will address social cognition in jackdaws (Corvus monedula). My research interest lies in investigating the challenges social life can have on cognition. Many species of animal form stable social groups ranging from primates to insects. What I find particularly fascinating is studying how certain cognitive abilities have evolved such as individual recognition, cooperation and theory of mind.

More specifically, I am going to consider what potential trade-off there might be in gathering information from conspecifics during the breeding season. For this purpose, I am joining The Cornish Jackdaw project group in the University of Exeter under the supervision of Alex Thornton. The goal will be to assess how prospecting affects biparental care in monogamous pairs of wild jackdaws in terms of reproductive fitness. Hopefully, the results will shed light on the costs and benefits of cooperation in a reproductive system.  

Contact

floriana.stanca@unine.ch