Overview
- A study published in 'Nature Ecology and Evolution' found that male mosquitofish with higher cognitive abilities fathered more offspring than their less intelligent counterparts.
- Researchers tested male fish on spatial tasks, such as navigating mazes, and tracked their reproductive success over two months.
- Over 2,000 paternity tests revealed that smarter males mated with more females and produced significantly more offspring.
- It remains uncertain whether female mosquitofish actively prefer intelligent mates or if smarter males are simply more effective at pursuing them.
- The findings support the idea that sexual selection, alongside natural selection, may play a role in the evolution of intelligence in animals.