News release

From: The Royal Society

Cognitive abilities show distinct developmental trajectories in wild meerkats

Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences

Growing up in the wild requires the right mental tools at the right time. In the first detailed longitudinal study of its kind, researchers tracked wild meerkat pups to measure how distinct cognitive skills develop. They discovered that abilities like spatial memory, self-control, and physical problem-solving develop independently rather than together. While problem-solving skills emerged early-on to prepare pups for independent foraging, individual meerkats varied wildly in their baseline spatial and problem-solving skills. This reveals that animal minds are shaped by a complex mix of species-wide survival demands and unique individual differences.