Promoter: Ioanna Gavriilidi
​Supervisor: Joey Cabasan
Subject: Interspecific hybridization can generate substantial phenotypic variation, particularly when hybrids express novel trait combinations that extend beyond the range observed in either parental species. When such novel phenotypes provide a fitness advantage, hybrids may persist and potentially influence the evolutionary trajectories of the parental lineages.
Cichlid fishes provide a particularly interesting system for studying the evolutionary and ecological consequences of hybridization. Hybridization occurs naturally among cichlid species and has been proposed to contribute to phenotypic diversification and adaptation. While its role in shaping morphological and life-history traits is well recognized, its effects on brain morphology and cognitive traits remain largely unknown.
This project investigates whether and how hybridization shapes cognitive traits in cichlids. By comparing the cognitive performance and brain characteristics of hybrid individuals with those of their parental species, this project aims to (1) investigate differences in learning performance and behavioural flexibility during a novel foraging task, (2) determine whether hybrids preferentially associate with, and acquire behaviours or ecological information from, individuals belonging to one of the parental species or from other hybrids, and (3) examine whether differences in cognitive abilities are reflected in brain morphology.