PHYSPROSOC · Physiological bases of prosocial behaviors

Physiological bases of prosocial behaviors

Social life combines cooperation and competition, and both factors shape the evolution of social cognition. The complexity of group relationships requires rapid adjustment to changing circumstances through behavioural and physiological flexibility. While primates have been the traditional model for studying these processes, corvids also display advanced socio-cognitive skills, including the formation of long-term affiliative bonds, maintenance of structured dominance hierarchies, and use of both cooperative and competitive strategies. These traits made them a suitable model for investigating the developmental and physiological mechanisms that underlie prosocial behaviour. Behavioural studies in corvids have described many social strategies, yet the real-time physiological dynamics supporting these behaviours remained poorly understood, particularly in naturalistic group settings. The neurovisceral integration framework links behavioural flexibility to the brain’s ability to regulate the autonomic nervous system. Physiological measures such as heart rate, heart rate variability, and body temperature provide a non-invasive means to track this regulation, but their value as indicators of social bonding, cognitive flexibility, and stress coping in birds had not been systematically tested. The project addressed this gap by combining continuous physiological monitoring with detailed behavioural and cognitive observations in free-moving crows, supplemented by limited comparative work in ring doves. Custom-designed wireless biosensors were used to record heart rate, heart rate variability, and body temperature during daily social interactions and in targeted behavioural tests. This approach captured the autonomic signatures of social bonding, cooperation, and alliance formation, and allowed longitudinal tracking of these patterns during development. The work established direct links between individual differences in physiology and variation in prosocial tendencies, social learning and recognition. It demonstrated that early-life experiences and individual predispositions were reflected in measurable physiological patterns. Integrating behavioural ethology, physiology, and neuroscience provided a methodological framework for investigating complex social behaviour in a group setting. Beyond its scientific contribution, the study showed that continuous, little-invasive physiological recording can inform animal welfare assessments and help to evaluate the impact of social isolation on development. These findings have wider relevance for understanding the biological foundations of social behaviour and the consequences of disrupted social contact, a topic that has gained urgency in light of recent global events.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз