The fitness consequences of age-dependent changes in cognitive abilities

This project aims to investigate health-related topics in invasive fish. The evolution of large brains suggests that smarter individuals have more offspring due to natural and sexual selection. But very few studies have rigorously tested if the ability to perform cognitively challenging tasks predicts reproductive success. One expected project outcome is to test this prediction. In addition, many life history traits show a trade-off between early and late life performance. This project will test this prediction to see if individuals with above average cognitive performance when young are below average when old (i.e. faster 'cognitive senescence' or whether some individuals stay relatively smarter than others throughout their lives.