Elaborate courtship dances of zebra finches seem to say more about their physical condition than about their intelligence, conclude an international team of researchers after a curious “dance contest” in a laboratory.
The study analyzed 164 dance displays performed by 16 domesticated males, simultaneously assessing their cognitive ability, physical condition, and the degree of attraction they exerted on the females — measured by the time the females spent beside each male.
To the scientists’ surprise, the complexity and duration of the choreographies showed little to no relation to the birds’ intelligence, except for a faint link to the ability to learn movements. By contrast, males that performed more elaborate dances were in better physical condition and proved more attractive to the females.
The authors argue that, in light of these results, the dances of zebra finches function mainly as signals of robustness and vitality — and not so much as demonstrations of “brain power”.
In a Royal Society statement, the researchers emphasize that the complexity of the dance, and not the time the males spend dancing, is associated with better physical condition, greater attractiveness, and, to a lesser extent, greater motor learning ability. According to the team, these complex movements appear to convey relevant information about the males’ health, though they may also reflect some cognitive abilities specific to motor control.
