Comparative Cognition Needs Big Team Science: How Large-Scale Collaborations Will Unlock the Future of the Field

Comparative cognition research investigates the evolutionary background and functions of cognitive skills that enable individuals and species to adapt to and act in their environment. Traditionally, research in this field has been confined to isolated facilities and individual research teams focusing on one or just a handful of species. While this approach has yielded valuable insights, it has also introduced severe limitations, such as varying definitions of key concepts across disciplines, small sample sizes at both the cross-species and -taxon levels leading to underpowered study designs, and conflicting empirical results. As a result, the traditional research model has proven inadequate for addressing broader questions related to behavior and cognition, especially those encompassing numerous species and taxa. In response to these challenges, we introduce Big Team Science (BTS) as a complementary, collaborative, and grassroots approach to comparative cognition research. BTS brings together a diverse array of researchers from across different countries, all driven by the shared goal of achieving high-quality datasets capable of tackling questions beyond the reach of individual teams. Here—as a group of researchers currently involved in the ManyManys BTS collaboration—we identify and describe key distinct advantages that BTS offers for comparative cognition research, highlighting its potential for (i) increasing sample size and diversity, (ii) balancing cross-species standardization and species-fair design, (iii) advancing theories, and (iv) improving welfare standards and conservation initiatives. BTS represents a profound shift in how comparative cognition research is conducted—one that has the power to unlock the future of the field.