Eamonn Wooster

Predator–prey interactions as drivers of cognitive evolution Nature Reviews Biodiversity, Published online: 26 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s44358-026-00141-5The drivers of cognitive variation remain elusive. In this Perspective, Wooster et al. propose the predatory intelligence hypothesis, positing that the complex interactions between predator and prey promote cognitive variation on individual, developmental and evolutionary levels.

ICYMI: New online! Predator–prey interactions as drivers of cognitive evolution

Mute Swan (Cygnus olor) nesting on a small pond island in one of Prague’s largest parks, Czechia (photo credit: Peter Mikula; 24 April 2021)

Anthropogenic change is causing behavioral traits to converge across individuals, populations, and species, often in urban environments. @birder158.bsky.social &co describe these changes and discusses their ecological and evolutionary consequences.
🧪 #EcoSky #GlobalChangeBiology
plos.io/4b6FcRb

Socially learnt predator recognition in nestling jackdaws Abstract. Recognizing whether other species pose a threat is critical to survival. Learning from others avoids the need for dangerous encounters, so it can

Jackdaws on the Biology Letters cover! Our new paper, led by brilliant MbyRes student Hannah Broad, shows that nestlings listen to adults’ responses to learn about novel predators. Pic: Céline Giorgetti. tinyurl.com/mwd8n2jh @guillmcivor.bsky.social @uniexecec.bsky.social @royalsocietypublishing.org

Reflecting on a wonderful week at the Predator-prey Interactions Gordon Research Conference in Lucca, Italy. Thanks to the @gulbali-institute.bsky.social Kickstarter Collaboration Fund for funding!

Thanks for the input : )

Predator–prey interactions as drivers of cognitive evolution Nature Reviews Biodiversity, Published online: 26 February 2026; doi:10.1038/s44358-026-00141-5The drivers of cognitive variation remain elusive. In this Perspective, Wooster et al. propose the predatory intelligence hypothesis, positing that the complex interactions between predator and prey promote cognitive variation on individual, developmental and evolutionary levels.

New online! Predator–prey interactions as drivers of cognitive evolution

Thanks for sharing : )

A really fun collaboration with @lizardlab.bsky.social, @biodiversityguy.bsky.social, @ferransayol.bsky.social, @biologynerd.bsky.social, Lauren Stanton and Ben Ashton.

How and why does cognition vary so greatly between individuals and species? In @natrevbiodiv.nature.com, we propose the "Predatory Intelligence Hypothesis" which posits that the cognitive challenges associated with predator–prey interactions drive a cognitive co-evolutionary arms race

rdcu.be/e5KIj

🚨 #DiscoveryProjects EOI #DPEI27 announcement:

❗️Outcomes for Expressions of Interest should now be available in your RMS account ▶️ rms.arc.gov.xn--au-lmy

ARC should also email Lead CIs with their outcomes (may take a while & be staggered).

Full apps open 2 Mar, due 22 Apr.

Social and ecological factors associated with innovation in urban sulphur-crested cockatoos (Cacatua galerita) Cities are challenging places for wildlife, but some species, like sulfur-crested cockatoos, adapt by finding new ways to feed and solve problems. We studi

New paper alert! 🦜

We gave wild cockatoos puzzle boxes across Canberra’s urban gradient. The finding? Urban birds approach faster, but are not better solvers.

Our results suggest that urbanization shapes neophobia independently from cognitive performance. Read it here:

doi.org/10.1093/behe...

Don’t deprioritize curiosity-driven research Around the world, governments are demanding that research funding follow broader political priorities. They should be careful what they wish for.

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

The value of close replications and how to get more of them: interview with Kate Laskowski Welcome to our latest interview with the author of a recent interesting paper. Today’s interview was conducted by email with behavioral ecologist Kate Laskowski, first author ofLaskowski et a…

Stoked about the new Replication Studies section in Behavioral Ecology? Me too!

Jeremy Fox over at Dynamic Ecology interviewed me about our recent commentary on this topic and I'd love to hear the community's thoughts!

dynamicecology.wordpress.com/2026/02/17/t...

Humans alter the daily timing of animal activity, potentially reshaping predator–prey interactions. This meta-analysis reveals that large predators overlap less with their prey, and large prey overlap more with their predators.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Replication studies: a win-win for early-career training and behavioral ecology Replicating previous research builds confidence that results are real and meaningful. But close replications are rare due to limitations in resources and d

How do we know our research results are REAL? We replicate them! Most folks agree but lament on how hard it is to publish these replications.

My dearest gentle reader, lament no more! Delighted to unveil: Replication Studies, a new section of Behavioral Ecology 1/

academic.oup.com/beheco/artic...

Birds That Don't Exist: Niche Pre‐Emption as a Constraint on Morphological Evolution in the Passeroidea We use topological data analysis to reveal a persistent morphological gap in a major group of songbirds (superfamily Passeroidea). The gap remained unoccupied for millions of years, even though nearb...

Birds That Don't Exist: Niche Pre‐Emption as a Constraint on Morphological Evolution in the Passeroidea - Chia - 2026 - Ecology Letters - Wiley Online Library onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

That being, that in areas of high human disturbance, large predators overlap LESS with their prey and large prey overlap MORE with their predators.

The "in press" version of the manuscript is currently live. Email or DM me for a version with figures in line.

Does human disturbance disrupt predator-prey temporal niche partitioning? Today in @natcomms.nature.com
we show that while there is no overall effect, the larger species of the dyad "loses" the temporal response race to humans.

www.nature.com/articles/s41...

Work is a pretty liberal term for typing prompts into the slop engine

Go work with Shinichi and his wonderful team : )

Inspiring to see people standing up for the integrity of our work. Resist GenAI !

Poster advertising the inaugural Gordon Research Conference on Urban Evolution and Ecology held January 31-February 5, 2027 in Ventura Beach, California

We are pleased to announce the inaugural Gordon Research Conference on Urban Evolution and Ecology which will be held from Jan. 31 - Feb. 5, 2027. Please save the dates, and we look forward to welcoming you to beautiful Ventura Beach, California!

New paper out! 🐦📊

We realease AVONICHE, a global dataset with detailed information on the proportional use of 32 foraging niches, combining dietary categories with the behaviours and substrates used to access resources.

Openly access the paper and data in GEB: doi.org/10.1111/geb....

PhD Opportunity in Plant Ecophysiology – Adelaide University We are looking for an PhD candidate to join an exciting research project focused on understanding heat and drought combined impacts on threatened plants’ mortality. Key Objectives: Describe drought sensitivity in juvenile and mature individuals of threatened plant species. Disentangle the effects of elevated temperature, soil dryness, and atmospheric water demand on the sensitivity of threatened species to hotter droughts. Model threatened species’ risk of mortality under current and future hotter droughts. Eligibility: Australians and international applicants with a completed Master's degree (GPA > 5.0) and/or a completed 4-year Bachelor with Honours (GPA > 5.0) in Plant Biology or related areas; Proof of English proficiency (e.g. IELTS score > 6.5 or equivalent qualification), only for applicants who speak English as a second language. Strong analytical and programming skills in R or Python. Genuine interest in studying plants with previous experience in plant ecology and/or physiology. Effective writing skills; a passion for reading, writing, and continually improving as a communicator. Ability to drive in Australia is desirable but not essential. Start Date: April 2026 (negotiable) Duration: 3.5 years Benefits: PhD scholarship (tax-exempt stipend of $36,500 AUD p.a. + $3,000 AUD p.a. top up); Higher stipend rate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander candidates ($ 53,608 p.a.); Relocation allowances for both domestic and international candidates; Single Overseas Student Health cover for international applicants. 100% tuition fee waiver. How to Apply: Email the following documents to ilaine.matos@adelaide.edu.au before the 15th of February 2026. Women and people underrepresented in research are encouraged to apply. 1-page cover letter explaining why you are interested in this position and your previous experiences relevant for this opportunity. Curriculum Vitae in the Adelaide University format.

✨ PhD opportunity studying drought and heatwave effects on threatened plants ✨🔥

Funded by an ARC DECRA awarded to the amazing Dr Ilaíne Matos and co-supervised by Dr Sami Rifai and me!

Limited by the character limit here, so please see the attached flyer for all the details - please share widely!

Culture is critical in driving orangutan diet development past individual potentials - Nature Human Behaviour Howard-Spink et al. develop an empirically based model of orangutan diet development, which suggests that social learning is vital for orangutans to acquire varied diets.

Our New Paper is out in Nature Human Behaviour: 🚨 Culture is critical in driving orangutan diet development past individual potentials! 🦧 www.nature.com/articles/s41.... See 🧵

i appreciate niche soulsborne takes on academic bluesky

More than half of researchers now use AI for peer review — often against guidance A survey of 1,600 academics found that more than 50% have used artificial-intelligence tools while peer reviewing manuscripts.

Just decline the peer review invitation.

What are you people even doing?

Come work with us! #PhD position on #ecosystem and #biodiversity effects of large #herbivores on the Eurasian steppes now announced: www.euraxess.de/jobs/395512

Nice combination of fieldwork and meta-analysis, co-supervised by @jonastrepel.bsky.social and ejlundgren.github.io

we wrote about this in less inuititve but nerdier terms here: ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...

JOB ALERT! Collection Manager job going in Palaeontology at the Australian Museum in Sydney, Australia iworkfor.nsw.gov.au/job/collecti...