Geographic differences in individual recognition linked with social but not nonsocial cognition

Cognition is a complex trait with multiple components that may vary
independently or in concert. Thus far, we know little about how geographic
differences in behavior are linked with different aspects of cognition.
Behavioral differences could be linked with cognition in three ways: with
multiple aspects of cognition, some but not other aspects of cognition, or
no cognitive differences. Here, we compare cognitive performance in two
populations of Polistes fuscatus wasps that differ in their capacity for
individual face recognition. Individual recognition involves keeping track
of multiple individual relationships and responding appropriately, so it
is thought to increase social complexity. As a result, we predicted
Michigan wasps that use individual recognition may have better cognitive
performance than Pennsylvania wasps that are not able to individually
recognize conspecifics. We find that Michigan wasps are more adept at
individual face learning than Pennsylvania wasps. However, the populations
perform similarly on other cognitive tasks, including color learning and
memory, reversal learning, and odor learning and memory. Therefore,
population differences in social behavior affect individual face learning,
but are not linked with generalized differences in cognition. These
findings suggest that socially complex societies may influence the
evolution of social cognition specifically.