Simon Reader

Associate Professor,
McGill University

Department of Biology
E-mail: simon.reader@mcgill.ca
Institution page




Education

  • 1996-2000. Sub-dept. of Animal Behaviour, University of Cambridge, UK. PhD, ‘Social learning and innovation: Individual differences, diffusion dynamics and evolutionary issues’.
  • 1992-1995. Robinson College, University of Cambridge, UK. BA Hons Natural Sciences (Biological). College Scholarship awarded.


Research

I study the causes and consequences of innovation and social learning in animals and humans. In particular, I have been looking at:
(i) the neuro-cognitive processes underlying the creation and acquisition of novel behaviour patterns
(ii) the diffusion dynamics of acquired information
(iii) the relationship between asocial and social learning
(iv) the causes of individual, population and species-level variation in innovation and social learning propensities
(v) the role of innovation and social learning in brain evolution
(vi) the evolutionary consequences of behavioural flexibility and the active role of behaviour in evolution.


QCBS students

Alex Berger

Ph.D.
(Start: 2021)
Environment and experience: Using guppies to understand individual differences in exploration and social learning

Previous students (since 2009)

Sarah Turner

Postdoctoral fellow
Other (co-)supervisor: Dr. Simon Reader, McGill University
(Start: 2012, End: 2016)
Other QCBS (co-)supervisor: Colin Chapman
Infant disability and infant handling in free-ranging Japanese macaques
Personal page

María J. Cabrera Álvarez

Ph.D.
(Start: 2012, End: 2018)
A Neurobehavioural Analysis of Teleost Social Behaviour

Paul Sims

Ph.D.
(Start: 2012, End: 2021)
Causes and Consequences of Intraspecific Variation in Cognition
Link to thesis (pdf)
Personal page

Maria Creighton

M.Sc.
(Start: 2018, End: 2020)
Determinants of evolutionary diversification in primates: Testing the behavioural drive hypothesis

Raina Fan

M.Sc.
Other (co-)supervisor: Jon Sakata, McGill University
(Start: 2018, End: 2018)
Are social and asocial learning mediated by similar neural mechanisms?

Wyatt Toure

M.Sc.
(Start: 2018, End: 2021)
Examining the consequences of experience and behavioural syndromes on exploration propensities
Personal page

Examples of species studied

Macaca fascicularis
Poecilia reticulata


Publications

81- Insights into adaptive behavioural plasticity from the guppy model system
Journal Article
Fox J A , Toure M W , Heckley A , Fan R , Reader S M , Barrett R D H ,
2024 Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (Date Added: 2024-03-21)

80- Alarm cues and alarmed conspecifics: neural activity during social learning from different cues in Trinidadian guppies
Journal Article
Fan R , Reader S M , Sakata J T ,
2022 Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (Date Added: 2022-09-12)

79- Wild guppies from populations exposed to higher predation risk exhibit greater vasotocin brain gene expression
Journal Article
Reddon A R , Aubin‐Horth N , Reader S M ,
2021 Journal of Zoology (Date Added: 2021-11-24)

78- Colour biases in learned foraging preferences in Trinidadian guppies
Journal Article
Toure M W , Reader S M ,
2021 Ethology (Date Added: 2021-10-29)

77- Submission signals in animal groups
Journal Article
Reddon A R , Ruberto T , Reader S M ,
2021 Behaviour (Date Added: 2021-10-10)

76- An investigation of population variation in maze exploration and its predictors in wild Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata)
Journal Article
Sims P Q , Reader S M ,
2021 Behavioural Processes (Date Added: 2021-08-29)

75- Accelerating the Evolution of Nonhuman Primate Neuroimaging
Conference Article
Milham M , Petkov C I , Margulies D S , Schroeder C E , Basso M A , Belin P , Fair D A , Fox A , Kastner S , Mars R B , Messinger A , Poirier C , Vanduffel W , Van Essen D C , Alvand A , Becker Y , Ben Hamed S , Benn A , Bodin C , Boretius S , Cagna B , Coulon O , El-Gohary S H , Evrard H , Forkel S J , Friedrich P , Froudist-Walsh S , Garza-Villarreal E A , Gao Y , Gozzi A , Grigis A , Hartig R , Hayashi T , Heuer K , Howells H , Ardesch D J , Jarraya B , Jarrett W , Jedema H P , Kagan I , Kelly C , Kennedy H , Klink P C , Kwok S C , Leech R , Liu X , Madan C , Madushanka W , Majka P , Mallon A , Marche K , Meguerditchian A , Menon R S , Merchant H , Mitchell A , Nenning K , Nikolaidis A , Ortiz-Rios M , Pagani M , Pareek V , Prescott M , Procyk E , Rajimehr R , Rautu I , Raz A , Roe A W , Rossi-Pool R , Roumazeilles L , Sakai T , Sallet J , García-Saldivar P , Sato C , Sawiak S , Schiffer M , Schwiedrzik C M , Seidlitz J , Sein J , Shen Z , Shmuel A , Silva A C , Simone L , Sirmpilatze N , Sliwa J , Smallwood J , Tasserie J , Thiebaut de Schotten M , Toro R , Trapeau R , Uhrig L , Vezoli J , Wang Z , Wells S , Williams B , Xu T , Xu A G , Yacoub E , Zhan M , Ai L , Amiez C , Balezeau F , Baxter M G , Blezer E L , Brochier T , Chen A , Croxson P L , Damatac C G , Dehaene S , Everling S , Fleysher L , Freiwald W , Griffiths T D , Guedj C , Hadj-Bouziane F , Harel N , Hiba B , Jung B , Koo B , Laland K N , Leopold D A , Lindenfors P , Meunier M , Mok K , Morrison J H , Nacef J , Nagy J , Pinsk M , Reader S M , Roelfsema P R , Rudko D A , Rushworth M F , Russ B E , Schmid M C , Sullivan E L , Thiele A , Todorov O S , Tsao D , Ungerleider L , Wilson C R , Ye F Q , Zarco W , Zhou Y ,
2020 Neuron (Date Added: 2020-02-21)

74- Social information use
Book Chapter
Morand-Ferron J , Doligez B , Dall S , Reader S ,
2019 Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior (Date Added: 2020-02-21)

72- An Open Resource for Non-human Primate Imaging
Journal Article
Milham M P , Ai L , Koo B , Xu T , Amiez C , Balezeau F , Baxter M G , Blezer E L , Brochier T , Chen A , Croxson P L , Damatac C G , Dehaene S , Everling S , Fair D A , Fleysher L , Freiwald W , Froudist-Walsh S , Griffiths T D , Guedj C , Hadj-Bouziane F , Ben Hamed S , Harel N , Hiba B , Jarraya B , Jung B , Kastner S , Klink P C , Kwok S C , Laland K N , Leopold D A , Lindenfors P , Mars R B , Menon R S , Messinger A , Meunier M , Mok K , Morrison J H , Nacef J , Nagy J , Rios M O , Petkov C I , Pinsk M , Poirier C , Procyk E , Rajimehr R , Reader S M , Roelfsema P R , Rudko D A , Rushworth M F , Russ B E , Sallet J , Schmid M C , Schwiedrzik C M , Seidlitz J , Sein J , Shmuel A , Sullivan E L , Ungerleider L , Thiele A , Todorov O S , Tsao D , Wang Z , Wilson C R , Yacoub E , Ye F Q , Zarco W , Zhou Y , Margulies D S , Schroeder C E ,
2018 Neuron (Date Added: 2018-10-24)

71- Wild and laboratory exposure to cues of predation risk increases relative brain mass in male guppies
Journal Article
Reddon A R , Chouinard-Thuly L , Leris I , Reader S M ,
2018 Functional Ecology (Date Added: 2018-07-15)

70- Primate Brain Anatomy: New Volumetric MRI Measurements for Neuroanatomical Studies
Journal Article
Navarrete A , Blezer E , Pagnotta M , de Viet E , Todorov O , Lindenfors P , Laland K , Reader S ,
2018 Brain, Behavior and Evolution (Date Added: 2018-06-24)

69- Developmental plasticity of the stress response in female but not in male guppies
Journal Article
Chouinard-Thuly L , Reddon A R , Leris I , Earley R L , Reader S M ,
2018 Royal Society Open Science (Date Added: 2018-03-27)

68- Coevolution of cultural intelligence, extended life history, sociality, and brain size in primates
Journal Article
Street, SE, Navarrete, AF, Reader, SM, Laland, KN
2017 Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (Date Added: 2019-03-11)

67- Wilde at Oxford: A truce with facts
Book Chapter
Reader S ,
2017 Philosophy and Oscar Wilde (Date Added: 2018-06-29)

66- Forebrain activation during social exposure in wild-type guppies
Journal Article
Cabrera-Álvarez M J , Swaney W T , Reader S M ,
2017 Physiology and Behavior (Date Added: 2018-03-11)

65- Technical and conceptual considerations for using animated stimuli in studies of animal behavior
Journal Article
Chouinard-Thuly L , Gierszewski S , Rosenthal G G , Reader S M , Rieucau G , Woo K L , Gerlai R , Tedore C , Ingley S J , Stowers J R , Frommen J G , Dolins F L , Witte K ,
2017 Current Zoology (Date Added: 2017-03-23)

64- Animal and human innovation: novel problems and novel solutions
Journal Article
Reader, SM, Morand-Ferron, J, Flynn, E
2016 Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences (Date Added: 2017-08-15)

63- Animal social learning: Associations and adaptations [version 1; referees: 2 approved]
Journal Article
Reader S M ,
2016 F1000Research (Date Added: 2017-02-10)

62- Evolutionary and immediate effects of crude-oil pollution: depression of exploratory behaviour across populations of Trinidadian guppies
Journal Article
Jacquin, L, Dybwad, C, Rolshausen, G, Hendry, AP, Reader, SM
2016 Animal Cognition (Date Added: 2016-09-08)

61- Age and early social environment influence guppy social learning propensities
Journal Article
Leris, I, Reader, SM
2016 Animal Behaviour (Date Added: 2016-08-29)

60- Parallel and nonparallel behavioural evolution in response to parasitism and predation in Trinidadian guppies
Journal Article
Jacquin, L, Reader, SM, Boniface, A, Mateluna, J, Patalas, I, Perez-Jvostov, F, Hendry, AP
2016 Journal of Evolutionary Biology (Date Added: 2016-08-04)

59- The coevolution of innovation and technical intelligence in primates
Journal Article
Navarrete, AF, Reader, SM, Street, SE, Whalen, A, Laland, KN
2016 Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences (Date Added: 2016-03-14)

58- Nonapeptide influences on social behaviour: effects of vasotocin and isotocin on shoaling and interaction in zebrafish
Journal Article
Lindeyer, CM, Langen, EMA, Swaney, WT, Reader, SM
2015 Behaviour (Date Added: 2016-06-28)

57- Does all teaching rest on evolved traits?
Journal Article
Chouinard-Thuly, L, Reader, SM
2015 Behavioral and Brain Sciences (Date Added: 2016-06-23)

56- Infectious disease, behavioural flexibility and the evolution of culture in primates
Journal Article
McCabe, CM, Reader, SM, Nunn, CL
2015 Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (Date Added: 2016-05-09)

55- Demasculinization of male guppies increases resistance to a common and harmful ectoparasite
Journal Article
Dargent, F, Reddon, AR, Swaney, WT, Fussmann, GF, Reader, SM, Scott, ME, Forbes, MR
2015 Parasitology (Date Added: 2015-10-20)

54- Behavioural responses of feral and domestic guppies (Poecilia reticulata) to predators and their cues
Journal Article
Swaney, WT, Cabrera-Alvarez, MJ, Reader, SM
2015 Behavioural Processes (Date Added: 2015-07-07)

53- Causes of Individual Differences in Animal Exploration and Search
Journal Article
Reader, SM
2015 Topics in Cognitive Science (Date Added: 2015-05-28)

52- The evolution of self-control
Journal Article
MacLean, EL
2014 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (Date Added: 2016-06-22)

51- Experiential effects on mirror systems and social learning: Implications for social intelligence
Journal Article
Reader, SM
2014 Behavioral and Brain Sciences (Date Added: 2016-06-22)

50- What shapes social decision making?
Journal Article
Reader, SM, Leris, I
2014 Behavioral and Brain Sciences (Date Added: 2014-03-31)

49- Evolution of cognition
Journal Article
Reader, SM
2014 Oxford Bibliographies in Evolutionary Biology (Date Added: 2014-02-10)

48- Individual consistency and flexibility in human social information use
Journal Article
Toelch, U, Bruce, MJ, Newson, L, Richerson, PJ, Reader, SM
2013 Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (Date Added: 2014-02-09)

47- Innovating innovation rate and its relationship with brains, ecology and general intelligence
Journal Article
Lefebvre, L, Reader, SM, Sol, D
2013 Brain, Behavior and Evolution (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

46- Early maternal care predicts reliance on social learning about food in adult rats
Journal Article
Lindeyer, CM, Meaney, MJ, Reader, SM
2013 Developmental Psychobiology (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

45- An analysis of gaze following to a hidden location in long-tailed macaques (Macaca fascicularis)
Journal Article
Goossens, BMA, Van Den Berg, LM, Reader, SM, Stercka, EHM
2012 Behaviour (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

44- The limits of chimpanzee-human comparisons for understanding human cognition.
Journal Article
Reader, SM, Hrotic, SM
2012 The Behavioral and brain sciences (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

43- Spatial discounting of food and social rewards in guppies (Poecilia reticulata)
Journal Article
Mühlhoff, N, Stevens, JR, Reader, SM
2011 Frontiers in Psychology (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

42- The evolution of primate general and cultural intelligence
Journal Article
Reader, SM, Hager, Y, Laland, KN
2011 Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

41- Social performance cues induce behavioral flexibility in humans
Journal Article
Toelch, U, Bruce, MJ, Meeus, MTH, Reader, SM
2011 Frontiers in Psychology (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

40-Comparative perspectives on human innovation
Book Chapter
Laland, KN, Reader, SM
2010 Innovation in Cultural Systems: Contributions from Evolutionary Anthropology ( Date Added: 2014-02-10)

39-Social information use
Book Chapter
Morand-Ferron, J, Doligez, B, Dall, SRX, Reader, SM
2010 Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior ( Date Added: 2014-02-10)

38-Innovation in animals
Book Chapter
Laland, KN, Reader, SM
2010 Encyclopedia of Animal Behavior ( Date Added: 2014-02-10)

37- The evolution of encephalization
Book Chapter
Lefebvre, L, Reader, SM, Boire, D
2010 (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

36- Social learning of escape routes in zebrafish and the stability of behavioural traditions
Journal Article
Lindeyer, CM, Reader, SM
2010 Animal Behaviour (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

35- Large-brained mammals live longer
Journal Article
González-Lagos, C, Sol, D, Reader, SM
2010 Journal of Evolutionary Biology (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

34- Experimental identification of social learning in wild animals
Journal Article
Reader, SM, Biro, D
2010 Learning and Behavior (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

33- Humans copy rapidly increasing choices in a multiarmed bandit problem
Journal Article
Toelch, U, Bruce, MJ, Meeus, MTH, Reader, SM
2010 Evolution and Human Behavior (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

32- Decreased environmental variability induces a bias for social information use in humans
Journal Article
Toelch, U, van Delft, MJ, Bruce, MJ, Donders, R, Meeus, MTH, Reader, SM
2009 Evolution and Human Behavior (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

31- Social learning of novel route preferences in adult humans
Journal Article
Reader, SM, Bruce, MJ, Rebers, S
2008 Biology Letters (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

30- The origin and spread of innovations in starlings
Journal Article
Boogert, NJ, Reader, SM, Hoppitt, W, Laland, KN
2008 Animal Behaviour (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

29- Gaze following in monkeys is modulated by observed facial expressions
Journal Article
Goossens, BMA, Dekleva, M, Reader, SM, Sterck, EHM, Bolhuis, JJ
2008 Animal Behaviour (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

28- Brain size predicts the success of mammal species introduced into novel environments
Journal Article
Sol, D, Bacher, S, Reader, SM, Lefebvre, L
2008 American Naturalist (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

27- Integrating animal temperament within ecology and evolution
Journal Article
Réale, D, Reader, SM, Sol, D, McDougall, PT, Dingemanse, NJ
2007 Biological Reviews (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

26- Environmentally invoked innovation and cognition
Journal Article
Reader, SM
2007 Behavioral and Brain Sciences (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

25- Wildlife conservation and animal temperament: Causes and consequences of evolutionary change for captive, reintroduced, and wild populations
Journal Article
McDougall, PT, Réale, D, Sol, D, Reader, SM
2006 Animal Conservation (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

24- The relation between social rank, neophobia and individual learning in starlings
Journal Article
Boogert, NJ, Reader, SM, Laland, KN
2006 Animal Behaviour (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

23- Evo-devo, modularity, and evolvability: Insights for cultural evolution
Journal Article
Reader, SM
2006 Behavioral and Brain Sciences (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

22- Brain size in primates as a function of behavioral innovation
Book Chapter
Reader, SM
2006 (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

21- Comparing cognition across species [3] (multiple letters)
Journal Article
Reader, SM, Sol, D, Lefebvre, L
2005 Trends in Cognitive Sciences (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

20- Dunking behaviour in Carib grackles
Journal Article
Morand-Ferron, J, Lefebvre, L, Reader, SM, Sol, D, Elvin, S
2004 Animal Behaviour (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

19- Distinguishing social and asocial learning using diffusion dynamics
Journal Article
Reader, SM
2004 Learning and Behavior (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

18- Brains, innovations and evolution in birds and primates
Journal Article
Lefebvre, L, Reader, SM, Sol, D
2004 Brain, Behavior and Evolution (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

17- Don't call me clever
Magazine Article
Reader, SM
2004 New Scientist (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

16-Animal innovation: an introduction
Book Chapter
Reader, SM, Laland, KN
2003 Animal Innovation ( Date Added: 2014-02-10)

15-Environmental variability and primate behavioural flexibility
Book Chapter
Reader, SM, MacDonald, K
2003 Animal Innovation ( Date Added: 2014-02-10)

14-Animal Innovation
Book Whole
Reader, SM, Laland, KN
2003 ( Date Added: 2014-02-10)

13-Relative brain size and the distribution of innovation and social learning across the nonhuman primates
Book Chapter
Reader, SM
2003 The Biology of Traditions: Models and Evidence ( Date Added: 2014-02-10)

12- Innovation and social learning: Individual variation and brain evolution
Journal Article
Reader, SM
2003 Animal Biology (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

11- Social learning of foraging sites and escape routes in wild Trinidadian guppies
Journal Article
Reader, SM, Kendal, JR, Laland, KN
2003 Animal Behaviour (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

10- Erratum: Interactions between shoal size and conformity in guppy social foraging (Animal Behaviour (2001) 62 (917-925))
Journal Article
Day, RL, MacDonald, T, Brown, C, Laland, KN, Reader, SM
2002 Animal Behaviour (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

9- Locale-specific sugar packet opening by Lesser Antillean Bullfinches in Barbados
Journal Article
Reader, SM, Nover, D, Lefebvre, L
2002 Journal of Field Ornithology (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

8- Social intelligence, innovation, and enhanced brain size in primates
Journal Article
Reader, SM, Laland, KN
2002 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

7- Primate innovation: Sex, age and social rank differences
Journal Article
Reader, SM, Laland, KN
2001 International Journal of Primatology (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

6- Social learning and sociality
Journal Article
Reader, SM, Lefebvre, L
2001 Behavioral and Brain Sciences (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

5- Interactions between shoal size and conformity in guppy social foraging
Journal Article
Day, RL, MacDonald, T, Brown, C, Laland, KN, Reader, SM
2001 Animal Behaviour (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

4- Diffusion of foraging innovations in the guppy
Journal Article
Reader, SM, Laland, KN
2000 Animal Behaviour (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

3- Foraging innovation in the guppy
Journal Article
Laland, KN, Reader, SM
1999 Animal Behaviour (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

2- Do animals have memes?
Journal Article
Reader, SM, Laland, KN
1999 Journal of Memetics (Date Added: 2014-01-29)

1- Foraging innovation is inversely related to competitive ability in male but not in female guppies
Journal Article
Laland, KN, Reader, SM
1999 Behavioral Ecology (Date Added: 2014-01-29)