Personal profile
Research
My research focuses on the evolution of cognition – through study of mechanism, development, phylogeny and fitness value – in crocodilians, palaeognaths (ratites and tinamous), corvids and primates.
It comprises three overlapping projects: independent cognitive evolution in primates and corvids; reconstructing the minds of early birds and non-avian dinosaurs; and the origins of pyrocognition (fire-related cognition) in animals, extinct hominins and modern humans.
Subject classification (UKÄ)
- Behavioural Sciences Biology
- Psychology (excluding Applied Psychology)
- Zoology
- Philosophy
- Ecology (including Biodiversity Conservation)
Free keywords
- Animal Cognition
- Comparative Psychology
- cognitive zoology
- Cognitive science
- Pyrocognition
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Collaborations the last five years
Research output
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The Presence and Behaviour of Birds at Two Prescribed Fires in Sweden
Jacobs, I., 2026 May 30, In: Ecology and Evolution. 16, 6, 6 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
The presence and behaviour of birds at two prescribed fires in Sweden
Jacobs, I., 2026, Authorea.Research output: Working paper/Preprint › Preprint (in preprint archive)
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Model-based animal cognition slips through the sequence bottleneck
Jacobs, I., Persson, T. & Gärdenfors, P., 2025, In: Trends in Cognitive Sciences. 29, 10, p. 872-873 2 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Letter
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Physio-behavioural manifestations of ‘surprise’ in two parrot species: kea (Nestor notabilis) and Goffin’s cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana)
Smith, G. E., Folkertsma, R., Duran, E., Shair Ali, E. G., Jacobs, I., Seed, A. M., Auersperg, A. M. & Lambert, M. L., 2025, In: Royal Society Open Science. 12Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access -
T. rex cognition was T. rex-like: A critical outlook on diverging views of the neurocognitive evolution in dinosaurs
Jensen, T. R., Jacobs, I., Kverková, K., Lalic, L., Polonyiová, A., Stehlík, P., Reber, S. A. & Osvath, M., 2025, (E-pub ahead of print) In: The anatomical record. 19 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open Access
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LUCS Cognitive Zoology Group
Osvath, H. (Project coordinator), Anikin, A. (Researcher), Grendeus, S. (Researcher), Boehly, T. (Researcher), Jacobs, I. (Researcher), Jensen, T. R. (Researcher), Kabadayi, C. (Researcher), Lambert, M. (Researcher), Osvath, M. (Researcher), Persson, T. (Researcher), Reber, S. (Researcher), Sauciuc, G.-A. (Researcher), Bobrowicz, K. (Researcher), Bååth, R. (Researcher), Madsen, E. A. (Researcher), Zeiträg, C. A. (Researcher) & Reber, S. (Researcher)
2013/01/22 → …
Project: Network
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The cradle of avian social cognition – the sociality of extinct dinosaurs
Jensen, T. R. (Research student), Osvath, M. (PI), Osvath, H. (Research assistant), Zeiträg, C. A. (Research student) & Jacobs, I. (Assistant supervisor)
2020/09/01 → 2024/08/31
Project: Research
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Pyrocognition: the evolution of understanding fire and cooking
Jacobs, I. (PI), Osvath, M. (Researcher) & Osvath, H. (Research assistant)
2020/01/01 → 2024/12/31
Project: Research
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DINOSAUR COGNITION - reconstructing the cradle of the avian mind
Osvath, M. (PI), Jacobs, I. (Researcher), Reber, S. (Researcher) & Osvath, H. (Research assistant)
2017/01/01 → 2020/12/31
Project: Research
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INGREDIENTS OF COMPLEX PHYSICAL COGNITION – comparisons between crow birds and great apes
Jacobs, I. (Researcher) & Osvath, M. (PI)
2013/01/01 → 2016/12/31
Project: Research
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Journal of Comparative Psychology (Journal)
Jacobs, I. (Role not specified)
2025 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Journal editor
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Animal Cognition (Journal)
Jacobs, I. (Role not specified)
2025 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Journal editor
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Journal of Comparative Psychology (Journal)
Jacobs, I. (Role not specified)
2024 Jan 1 → 2024 Dec 31Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Journal editor
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Frontiers in Psychology (Journal)
Jacobs, I. (Role not specified)
2022 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Journal editor
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Behavioural Brain Research (Journal)
Jacobs, I. (Role not specified)
2018Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work › Journal/Manuscript peer review