Your ability to comprehend English, this article and even the device you're reading it on have been made possible thanks to our exceptional brain. However, despite the endless list of achievements made possible thanks to our noggin, did you know that having a bigger brain could still be a double-edged sword?
No, we're not referring to the cruel bullying smarter students face in teenage drama flicks. In the animal world, birds and other animals with larger brains often display parental and growing behaviour fundamentally different from smaller-brained species.
For instance, species that lay larger eggs relative to their body sizes don't have to focus on feeding their young, since their egg yolk tends to naturally possess the nutrition required for the unhatched, developing offspring. This is observed in chickens, where adults don't feed their young. And you already know what they say about being chicken-brained.
On the other hand, crows, ravens and jays have to actively feed the young after hatching — up to two years in some species, in fact. This supplement in eating habits after hatching helps prolong the time the body can take to grow the brain. This is why birds like crows, parrots and owls enjoy a reputation for being extremely intelligent due to their relatively larger brains.
However, climate change — like usual — has begun to affect this as well, notes an article by The Conversation.
Global warming has led to localised climate changes over the world. Naturally, food availability for the regional wild fauna has also been impacted as a result.
For example, decreased rainfall can lower the availability of grass seed, which is an important food source for many bird and rodent species. Due to this, it may become exceptionally hard for adult birds to feed their fletchings, inhibiting their growth in the process.
Larger brains require an exceptional amount of day-to-day nutrition; therefore, this food scarcity could strain their own brains, reducing their ability to function effectively.
In colder climates, rising temperatures could rot the food animals and birds have hoarded for the winter season. This was observed in Canada Jays, who had to endure significant starvation for the same reason.
While the cleverness of larger-brained species might equip them to adapt more flexibly to changing conditions, the fact remains that climate change has stacked the cards against these birds for sure.
Clutching away the ability to effectively forage for food for the younguns could have disastrous consequences for population numbers. Ultimately, we could be in for a world of smaller-brained animals if those with larger brains aren't able to big-brain their way out of this one.
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