Aug 19, 2014 10:08 AM EDT By J Baulkman, UniversityHerald Reporter

Brain size may be associated with parental duties, according to a recent study.

Researchers from the University of British Columbia found that male stickleback fish that protect their young have bigger brains than those who don't care for their offspring.

Stickleback fish are well known in the animal kingdom for the fact that the male of the species, rather than the female, cares for offspring. Male sticklebacks typically have bigger brains than females and researchers wanted to find out if the difference in size might relate to their role as caregivers.

"Our study tells us that brains might change in very drastic ways in a relatively short period of time. This helps us understand how physical changes such as brain size can lead to more complex behavioral changes," Kieran Samuk, lead author of the study, said in a statement.

For the study, researchers compared regular male sticklebacks to male white sticklebacks, which do not tend to their offspring. They found evidence that this change in male behavior -- giving up caring for the young -- occurred at the same time the white stickleback evolved a smaller brain.

The white stickleback is a relatively young species that only diverged from other sticklebacks 10,000 years ago, offering researchers some insight into how quickly brains can evolve.

 "This suggests that regular sticklebacks have bigger brains to handle the brain power needed to care for and protect their young," Samuk said. "This is one of the first studies to link parental care with brain size."

The findings were recently published in the journal Ecology and Evolution.

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