**PhD topic:** Investigating domestic hens’ socio-cognitive abilities in relation to humans.

**Supervisors:** Ludovic CALANDREAU and Nadia AGUILLON-HERNANDEZ

Domestication appears to have shaped the development of cognitive abilities in domestic animals, particularly farm animals, by favouring those involved in interactions with humans. This hypothesis has been investigated in farm animals primarily through studies of species such as pigs and horses. However, there is a notable lack of research on farmed birds such as domestic chickens, whose global population exceeded 30 billion in 2023.

This project aims to address this gap by investigating laying hens’ socio-cognitive abilities in relation to humans. Combining behavioural approaches with innovative tools for studying cognition, such as touchscreens, the project will examine a broad range of cognitive abilities of increasing complexity. These will range from the basic ability to discriminate between human faces to more complex skills, such as forming concepts based on the interpretation of emotions expressed in human faces. We will also explore whether hens can process human cues, such as gaze and gestures, and adjust their behaviour accordingly.

The findings could broaden our understanding of the evolution of cognitive abilities in the context of domestication, while also influencing the status of these animals and how they are perceived.