This ability of picking the best quality food patch by comparing how successful others are at getting food from it against their personal experience has not been shown before in animals, say the scientists.

The team of researchers, which was funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, suggests that in the case of the nine-spined stickleback it is likely to be a case of 'needs must' as the anatomy of this particular species of fish does not offer significant protection from predators to forage alone safely. They may have been 'forced' to learn from others about where to feed while hiding from predators as they themselves cannot risk looking for food sites in the open.

The scientists say the findings, published in the academic journal Behavioral Ecology, show that the cognitive mechanisms underlying cumulative cultural evolution may be more prevalent in nonhuman animals than currently believed. The findings show that big brains, like those in humans, are not necessarily needed as a pre-requisite for cumulative culture.