Search Here

Fatherly fish have bigger brains than their unloving counterparts, according to a new study.

Scientists from the University of British Columbia studied stickleback fish and found that those who protect their young have bigger brains than other males who don't care for offspring.

Researchers focused on stickleback fish because fathers, rather than mothers, take care of offspring. Male sticklebacks also have bigger brains than their female counterparts.

Investigators wanted to understand if the difference in brain size has something to do with their role as caregiver.

The latest study compared regular male sticklebacks to male white sticklebacks, which do not take care of their offspring, and found that giving up caring for young happened at the same time white stickleback evolved smaller brains.

"This suggests that regular sticklebacks have bigger brains to handle the brain power needed to care for and protect their young," lead author Kieran Samuk, a PhD student in University of British Columbia's Dept. of Zoology, said in a news release. "This is one of the first studies to link parental care with brain size."

"Our study tells us that brains might change in very drastic ways in a relatively short period of time. This helps us understand how physical changes such as brain size can lead to more complex behavioral changes," concluded Samuk.

The findings are published in the journal Ecology and Evolution.