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Ge Y, Yu Y, Huang S, Huang X, Wang L, Jiang Y. Life motion signals bias the perception of apparent motion direction. Br J Psychol 2024; 115:115-128. [PMID: 37623746 DOI: 10.1111/bjop.12680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2022] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/26/2023]
Abstract
Walking direction conveyed by biological motion (BM) cues, which humans are highly sensitive to since birth, can elicit involuntary shifts of attention to enhance the detection of static targets. Here, we demonstrated that such intrinsic sensitivity to walking direction could also modulate the direction perception of simultaneously presented dynamic stimuli. We showed that the perceived direction of apparent motion was biased towards the walking direction even though observers had been informed in advance that the walking direction of BM did not predict the apparent motion direction. In particular, rightward BM cues had an advantage over leftward BM cues in altering the perception of motion direction. Intriguingly, this perceptual bias disappeared when BM cues were shown inverted, or when the critical biological characteristics were removed from the cues. Critically, both the perceptual direction bias and the rightward advantage persisted even when only local BM cues were presented without any global configuration. Furthermore, the rightward advantage was found to be specific to social cues (i.e., BM), as it vanished when non-social cues (i.e., arrows) were utilized. Taken together, these findings support the existence of a specific processing mechanism for life motion signals and shed new light on their influences in a dynamic environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yiping Ge
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Yiwen Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Suqi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Xinyi Huang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
| | - Yi Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Psychology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing, China
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2
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Matsushima T, Izumi T, Vallortigara G. The domestic chick as an animal model of autism spectrum disorder: building adaptive social perceptions through prenatally formed predispositions. Front Neurosci 2024; 18:1279947. [PMID: 38356650 PMCID: PMC10864568 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2024.1279947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Equipped with an early social predisposition immediately post-birth, humans typically form associations with mothers and other family members through exposure learning, canalized by a prenatally formed predisposition of visual preference to biological motion, face configuration, and other cues of animacy. If impaired, reduced preferences can lead to social interaction impairments such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD) via misguided canalization. Despite being taxonomically distant, domestic chicks could also follow a homologous developmental trajectory toward adaptive socialization through imprinting, which is guided via predisposed preferences similar to those of humans, thereby suggesting that chicks are a valid animal model of ASD. In addition to the phenotypic similarities in predisposition with human newborns, accumulating evidence on the responsible molecular mechanisms suggests the construct validity of the chick model. Considering the recent progress in the evo-devo studies in vertebrates, we reviewed the advantages and limitations of the chick model of developmental mental diseases in humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toshiya Matsushima
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Japan
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Health Science University of Hokkaido, Tobetsu, Japan
- Centre for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Rovereto, Italy
| | - Takeshi Izumi
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Science, Health Science University of Hokkaido, Tobetsu, Japan
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3
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Torabian S, Grossman ED. When shapes are more than shapes: perceptual, developmental, and neurophysiological basis for attributions of animacy and theory of mind. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1168739. [PMID: 37744598 PMCID: PMC10513434 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1168739] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Among a variety of entities in their environment, what do humans consider alive or animate and how does this attribution of animacy promote development of more abstract levels of mentalizing? By decontextualizing the environment of bodily features, we review how physical movements give rise to perceived animacy in Heider-Simmel style animations. We discuss the developmental course of how perceived animacy shapes our interpretation of the social world, and specifically discuss when and how children transition from perceiving actions as goal-directed to attributing behaviors to unobservable mental states. This transition from a teleological stance, asserting a goal-oriented interpretation to an agent's actions, to a mentalistic stance allows older children to reason about more complex actions guided by hidden beliefs. The acquisition of these more complex cognitive behaviors happens developmentally at the same time neural systems for social cognition are coming online in young children. We review perceptual, developmental, and neural evidence to identify the joint cognitive and neural changes associated with when children begin to mentalize and how this ability is instantiated in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sajjad Torabian
- Visual Perception and Neuroimaging Lab, Department of Cognitive Sciences, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States
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4
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Rogers LJ. Unfolding a sequence of sensory influences and interactions in the development of functional brain laterality. Front Behav Neurosci 2023; 16:1103192. [PMID: 36688123 PMCID: PMC9852852 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2022.1103192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Evidence of sensory experience influencing the development of lateralized brain and behavior is reviewed. The epigenetic role of light exposure during two specific stages of embryonic development of precocial avian species is a particular focus of the research discussed. Two specific periods of light sensitivity (in early versus late incubation), each depending on different subcellular and cellular processes, affect lateralized behavior after hatching. Auditory and olfactory stimulation during embryonic development is also discussed with consideration of interactions with light-generated visual lateralization.
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5
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Pusch R, Clark W, Rose J, Güntürkün O. Visual categories and concepts in the avian brain. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:153-173. [PMID: 36352174 PMCID: PMC9877096 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01711-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Revised: 10/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Birds are excellent model organisms to study perceptual categorization and concept formation. The renewed focus on avian neuroscience has sparked an explosion of new data in the field. At the same time, our understanding of sensory and particularly visual structures in the avian brain has shifted fundamentally. These recent discoveries have revealed how categorization is mediated in the avian brain and has generated a theoretical framework that goes beyond the realm of birds. We review the contribution of avian categorization research-at the methodical, behavioral, and neurobiological levels. To this end, we first introduce avian categorization from a behavioral perspective and the common elements model of categorization. Second, we describe the functional and structural organization of the avian visual system, followed by an overview of recent anatomical discoveries and the new perspective on the avian 'visual cortex'. Third, we focus on the neurocomputational basis of perceptual categorization in the bird's visual system. Fourth, an overview of the avian prefrontal cortex and the prefrontal contribution to perceptual categorization is provided. The fifth section outlines how asymmetries of the visual system contribute to categorization. Finally, we present a mechanistic view of the neural principles of avian visual categorization and its putative extension to concept learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Pusch
- Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - William Clark
- Neural Basis of Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Jonas Rose
- Neural Basis of Learning, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Biopsychology, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany.
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6
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Lemaire BS, Rosa-Salva O, Fraja M, Lorenzi E, Vallortigara G. Spontaneous preference for unpredictability in the temporal contingencies between agents' motion in naive domestic chicks. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221622. [PMID: 36350221 PMCID: PMC9653227 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/12/2022] [Indexed: 08/24/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to recognize animate agents based on their motion has been investigated in humans and animals alike. When the movements of multiple objects are interdependent, humans perceive the presence of social interactions and goal-directed behaviours. Here, we investigated how visually naive domestic chicks respond to agents whose motion was reciprocally contingent in space and time (i.e. the time and direction of motion of one object can be predicted from the time and direction of motion of another object). We presented a 'social aggregation' stimulus, in which three smaller discs repeatedly converged towards a bigger disc, moving in a manner resembling a mother hen and chicks (versus a control stimulus lacking such interactions). Remarkably, chicks preferred stimuli in which the timing of the motion of one object could not be predicted by that of other objects. This is the first demonstration of a sensitivity to the temporal relationships between the motion of different objects in naive animals, a trait that could be at the basis of the development of the perception of social interaction and goal-directed behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bastien S. Lemaire
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza Manifattura, 1, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Orsola Rosa-Salva
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza Manifattura, 1, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Margherita Fraja
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza Manifattura, 1, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Elena Lorenzi
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza Manifattura, 1, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Giorgio Vallortigara
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza Manifattura, 1, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
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7
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Pavlova MA, Romagnano V, Kubon J, Isernia S, Fallgatter AJ, Sokolov AN. Ties between reading faces, bodies, eyes, and autistic traits. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:997263. [PMID: 36248653 PMCID: PMC9554539 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.997263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
While reading covered with masks faces during the COVID-19 pandemic, for efficient social interaction, we need to combine information from different sources such as the eyes (without faces hidden by masks) and bodies. This may be challenging for individuals with neuropsychiatric conditions, in particular, autism spectrum disorders. Here we examined whether reading of dynamic faces, bodies, and eyes are tied in a gender-specific way, and how these capabilities are related to autistic traits expression. Females and males accomplished a task with point-light faces along with a task with point-light body locomotion portraying different emotional expressions. They had to infer emotional content of displays. In addition, participants were administered the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test, modified and Autism Spectrum Quotient questionnaire. The findings show that only in females, inferring emotions from dynamic bodies and faces are firmly linked, whereas in males, reading in the eyes is knotted with face reading. Strikingly, in neurotypical males only, accuracy of face, body, and eyes reading was negatively tied with autistic traits. The outcome points to gender-specific modes in social cognition: females rely upon merely dynamic cues while reading faces and bodies, whereas males most likely trust configural information. The findings are of value for examination of face and body language reading in neuropsychiatric conditions, in particular, autism, most of which are gender/sex-specific. This work suggests that if male individuals with autistic traits experience difficulties in reading covered with masks faces, these deficits may be unlikely compensated by reading (even dynamic) bodies and faces. By contrast, in females, reading covered faces as well as reading language of dynamic bodies and faces are not compulsorily connected to autistic traits preventing them from paying high costs for maladaptive social interaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina A. Pavlova
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- *Correspondence: Marina A. Pavlova,
| | - Valentina Romagnano
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Julian Kubon
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Sara Isernia
- IRCCS Fondazione Don Carlo Gnocchi ONLUS, Milan, Italy
| | - Andreas J. Fallgatter
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Alexander N. Sokolov
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tübingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), Medical School and University Hospital, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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8
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Ma X, Yuan X, Liu J, Shen L, Yu Y, Zhou W, Liu Z, Jiang Y. Gravity-Dependent Animacy Perception in Zebrafish. RESEARCH (WASHINGTON, D.C.) 2022; 2022:9829016. [PMID: 36128180 PMCID: PMC9470206 DOI: 10.34133/2022/9829016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Biological motion (BM), depicted by a handful of point lights attached to the major joints, conveys rich animacy information, which is significantly disrupted if BM is shown upside down. This well-known inversion effect in BM perception is conserved in terrestrial vertebrates and is presumably a manifestation of an evolutionarily endowed perceptual filter (i.e., life motion detector) tuned to gravity-compatible BM. However, it remains unknown whether aquatic animals, living in a completely different environment from terrestrial animals, perceive BM in a gravity-dependent manner. Here, taking advantage of their typical shoaling behaviors, we used zebrafish as a model animal to examine the ability of teleosts to discriminate between upright (gravity-compatible) and inverted (gravity-incompatible) BM signals. We recorded their swimming trajectories and quantified their preference based on dwelling time and head orientation. The results obtained from three experiments consistently showed that zebrafish spent significantly more time swimming in proximity to and orienting towards the upright BM relative to the inverted BM or other gravity-incompatible point-light stimuli (i.e., the non-BM). More intriguingly, when the recorded point-light video clips of fish were directly compared with those of human walkers and pigeons, we could identify a unique and consistent pattern of accelerating movements in the vertical (gravity) direction. These findings, to our knowledge, demonstrate for the first time the inversion effect in BM perception in simple aquatic vertebrates and suggest that the evolutionary origin of gravity-dependent BM processing may be traced back to ancient aquatic animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaohan Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Xiangyong Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Jiahuan Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Li Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Yiwen Yu
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Wen Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
| | - Zuxiang Liu
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei 230088, China
| | - Yi Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Brain and Cognitive Science, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Chinese Institute for Brain Research, Beijing 102206, China
- Institute of Artificial Intelligence, Hefei Comprehensive National Science Center, Hefei 230088, China
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9
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Abstract
Faces hold a substantial value for effective social interactions and sharing. Covering faces with masks, due to COVID-19 regulations, may lead to difficulties in using social signals, in particular, in individuals with neurodevelopmental conditions. Daily-life social participation of individuals who were born preterm is of immense importance for their quality of life. Here we examined face tuning in individuals (aged 12.79 ± 1.89 years) who were born preterm and exhibited signs of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL), a dominant form of brain injury in preterm birth survivors. For assessing the face sensitivity in this population, we implemented a recently developed experimental tool, a set of Face-n-Food images bordering on the style of Giuseppe Arcimboldo. The key benefit of these images is that single components do not trigger face processing. Although a coarse face schema is thought to be hardwired in the brain, former preterms exhibit substantial shortages in the face tuning not only compared with typically developing controls but also with individuals with autistic spectrum disorders. The lack of correlations between the face sensitivity and other cognitive abilities indicates that these deficits are domain-specific. This underscores impact of preterm birth sequelae for social functioning at large. Comparison of the findings with data in individuals with other neurodevelopmental and neuropsychiatric conditions provides novel insights into the origins of deficient face processing.
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10
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Light-incubation effects on lateralisation of single unit responses in the visual Wulst of domestic chicks. Brain Struct Funct 2021; 227:497-513. [PMID: 33783595 PMCID: PMC8844149 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-021-02259-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Since the ground-breaking discovery that in-egg light exposure triggers the emergence of visual lateralisation, domestic chicks became a crucial model for research on the interaction of environmental and genetic influences for brain development. In domestic chick embryos, light exposure induces neuroanatomical asymmetries in the strength of visual projections from the thalamus to the visual Wulst. Consequently, the right visual Wulst receives more bilateral information from the two eyes than the left one. How this impacts visual Wulst's physiology is still unknown. This paper investigates the visual response properties of neurons in the left and right Wulst of dark- and light-incubated chicks, studying the effect of light incubation on bilaterally responsive cells that integrate information from both eyes. We recorded from a large number of visually responsive units, providing the first direct evidence of lateralisation in the neural response properties of units of the visual Wulst. While we confirm that some forms of lateralisation are induced by embryonic light exposure, we found also many cases of light-independent asymmetries. Moreover, we found a strong effect of in-egg light exposure on the general development of the functional properties of units in the two hemispheres. This indicates that the effect of embryonic stimulation goes beyond its contribution to the emergence of some forms of lateralisation, with influences on the maturation of visual units in both hemispheres.
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11
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Ferreira VHB, Simoni A, Germain K, Leterrier C, Lansade L, Collin A, Mignon-Grasteau S, Le Bihan-Duval E, Guettier E, Leruste H, Calandreau L, Guesdon V. Working for food is related to range use in free-range broiler chickens. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6253. [PMID: 33737689 PMCID: PMC7973526 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85867-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
When animals prefer to make efforts to obtain food instead of acquiring it from freely available sources, they exhibit what is called contrafreeloading. Recently, individual differences in behavior, such as exploration, were shown to be linked to how prone an individual may be to contrafreeload. In this work, our main objective was to test whether and how individual differences in range use of free-range broiler chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) were related to the individual motivation to contrafreeload. We also verified whether other behavioral variations could relate to range use. To that aim, over three different periods (before range access, first weeks of range access, and last weeks of range access), chickens with different ranging levels (low and high rangers) were submitted to a contrafreeloading test and had different behaviors recorded (such as foraging, resting, locomotion) in their home environment. During the contrafreeloading test, chickens were conditioned to one chamber presenting a foraging substrate and mealworms, while in the other chamber, mealworms were freely available on the floor. During testing trials, chickens had access to both empty chambers, and the time spent in each chamber was quantified. On average, low rangers preferred the chamber where mealworms were easily accessible (without the foraging substrate), while high rangers preferred the chamber where mealworms were accessible with difficulty, showing greater contrafreeloading. Out of ten behaviors recorded in chickens' home environment, foraging was the only one that differed significantly between our two ranging groups, with low rangers foraging, on average, significantly less than high rangers. These results corroborate previous experiences suggesting that range use is probably linked to chickens' exploratory trait and suggest that individual differences in free-range broiler chickens are present even before range access. Increasing our knowledge of individual particularities is a necessary step to improve free-range chicken welfare on the farm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vitor Hugo Bessa Ferreira
- JUNIA ISA, Comportement Animal et Systèmes d'Elevage, 48 Boulevard Vauban, BP 41290, 59046, Lille Cedex, France. .,INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Centre Val de Loire UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Université de Tours, 37380, Nouzilly, France.
| | - Arthur Simoni
- JUNIA ISA, Comportement Animal et Systèmes d'Elevage, 48 Boulevard Vauban, BP 41290, 59046, Lille Cedex, France
| | - Karine Germain
- INRAE, UE EASM, Le Magneraud, CS 40052, 17700, Surgères, France
| | - Christine Leterrier
- INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Centre Val de Loire UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Université de Tours, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Léa Lansade
- INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Centre Val de Loire UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Université de Tours, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | - Anne Collin
- INRAE, Université de Tours, BOA, 37380, Nouzilly, France
| | | | | | | | - Hélène Leruste
- JUNIA ISA, Comportement Animal et Systèmes d'Elevage, 48 Boulevard Vauban, BP 41290, 59046, Lille Cedex, France
| | - Ludovic Calandreau
- INRAE, CNRS, IFCE, Centre Val de Loire UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, Université de Tours, 37380, Nouzilly, France.
| | - Vanessa Guesdon
- JUNIA ISA, Comportement Animal et Systèmes d'Elevage, 48 Boulevard Vauban, BP 41290, 59046, Lille Cedex, France
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12
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Xiao Q, Güntürkün O. The commissura anterior compensates asymmetries of visual representation in pigeons. Laterality 2021; 26:213-237. [PMID: 33622187 DOI: 10.1080/1357650x.2021.1889577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
This study was undertaken to understand what is transferred between hemispheres through the commissura anterior during a colour discrimination task in pigeons. We transiently blocked neuronal activity of the arcopallium of one hemisphere to interrupt interhemispheric communication. Before and during this intervention, we recorded from arcopallial neurons of the non-anaesthetized side while the animals discriminated stimuli ipsilateral to the recorded neurons. Due to the complete crossover of optic nerves in birds, we assumed that these neurons were at least in part requiring information from the other hemisphere to properly run the task. While lidocaine injections in both hemispheres caused some performance reductions, deficits of right arcopallial neurons were much larger when blocking interhemispheric transfer. Our results make it likely that visual information is exchanged through the commissura anterior in an asymmetrical manner with the left hemisphere providing the other side more information about the right visual half-field than vice versa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qian Xiao
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,Laboratory of Interdisciplinary Research, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Biopsychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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13
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Rosa-Salva O, Mayer U, Versace E, Hébert M, Lemaire BS, Vallortigara G. Sensitive periods for social development: Interactions between predisposed and learned mechanisms. Cognition 2021; 213:104552. [PMID: 33402251 DOI: 10.1016/j.cognition.2020.104552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Revised: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 12/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
We analysed research that makes use of precocial species as animal models to describe the interaction of predisposed mechanisms and environmental factors in early learning, in particular for the development of social cognition. We also highlight the role of sensitive periods in this interaction, focusing on domestic chicks as one of the main animal models for this field. In the first section of the review, we focus on the emergence of early predispositions to attend to social partners. These attentional biases appear before any learning experience about social stimuli. However, non-specific experiences occurring during sensitive periods of the early post-natal life determine the emergence of these predisposed mechanisms for the detection of social partners. Social predispositions have an important role for the development learning-based social cognitive functions, showing the interdependence of predisposed and learned mechanisms in shaping social development. In the second part of the review we concentrate on the reciprocal interactions between filial imprinting and spontaneous (not learned) social predispositions. Reciprocal influences between these two sets of mechanisms ensure that, in the natural environment, filial imprinting will target appropriate social objects. Neural and physiological mechanisms regulating the sensitive periods for the emergence of social predispositions and for filial imprinting learning are also described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orsola Rosa-Salva
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza Manifattura 1, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Uwe Mayer
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza Manifattura 1, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Elisabetta Versace
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza Manifattura 1, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy; Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, 327 Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, United Kingdom
| | - Marie Hébert
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza Manifattura 1, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Bastien S Lemaire
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza Manifattura 1, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy
| | - Giorgio Vallortigara
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Piazza Manifattura 1, 38068 Rovereto, TN, Italy.
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14
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The effect of monocular occlusion on hippocampal c-Fos expression in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus). Sci Rep 2020; 10:7205. [PMID: 32350337 PMCID: PMC7190859 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-64224-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2020] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
In birds, like in mammals, the hippocampus is particularly sensitive to exposure to novel environments, a function that is based on visual input. Chicks' eyes are placed laterally and their optic fibers project mainly to the contralateral brain hemispheres, with only little direct interhemispheric coupling. Thus, monocular occlusion has been frequently used in chicks to document functional specialization of the two hemispheres. However, we do not know whether monocular occlusion influences hippocampal activation. The aim of the present work was to fill this gap by directly testing this hypothesis. To induce hippocampal activation, chicks were exposed to a novel environment with their left or right eye occluded, or in conditions of binocular vision. Their hippocampal expression of c-Fos (neural activity marker) was compared to a baseline group that remained in a familiar environment. Interestingly, while the hippocampal activation in the two monocular groups was not different from the baseline, it was significantly higher in the binocular group exposed to the novel environment. This suggest that the representation of environmental novelty in the hippocampus of domestic chicks involves strong binocular integration.
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15
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The use of spatial and local cues for orientation in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus). Anim Cogn 2020; 23:367-387. [DOI: 10.1007/s10071-019-01342-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2019] [Revised: 12/18/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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16
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Abstract
We know a good deal about brain lateralization in birds and a good deal about animal welfare, but relatively little about whether there is a noteworthy relationship between avian welfare and brain lateralization. In birds, the left hemisphere is specialised to categorise stimuli and to discriminate preferred categories from distracting stimuli (e.g., food from an array of inedible objects), whereas the right hemisphere responds to small differences between stimuli, controls social behaviour, detects predators and controls attack, fear and escape responses. In this paper, we concentrate on visual lateralization and the effect of light exposure of the avian embryo on the development of lateralization, and we consider its role in the welfare of birds after hatching. Findings suggest that light-exposure during incubation has a general positive effect on post-hatching behaviour, likely because it facilitates control of behaviour by the left hemisphere, which can suppress fear and other distress behaviour controlled by the right hemisphere. In this context, particular attention needs to be paid to the influence of corticosterone, a stress hormone, on lateralization. Welfare of animals in captivity, as is well known, has two cornerstones: enrichment and reduction of stress. What is less well-known is the link between the influence of experience on brain lateralization and its consequent positive or negative outcomes on behaviour. We conclude that the welfare of birds may be diminished by failure to expose the developing embryos to light but we also recognise that more research on the association between lateralization and welfare is needed.
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17
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Lorenzi E, Mayer U, Rosa-Salva O, Morandi-Raikova A, Vallortigara G. Spontaneous and light-induced lateralization of immediate early genes expression in domestic chicks. Behav Brain Res 2019; 368:111905. [PMID: 30986491 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2019.111905] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2019] [Revised: 04/03/2019] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Exposure of domestic chicks' eggs to light during embryo incubation stimulates asymmetrically the two eye-systems, reaching selectively the right eye (left hemisphere) and inducing asymmetries at the behavioral and neural level. Surprisingly, though, some types of lateralization have been observed also in dark incubated chicks, especially at the behavioral level. Here we investigate the mechanisms subtending the development of lateralization, in the presence and in the absence of embryonic light exposure. We measured the baseline level of expression for the immediate early gene product c-Fos, used as an indicator of the spontaneous level of neural activity and plasticity in four areas of the two hemispheres (preoptic area, septum, hippocampus and intermediate medial mesopallium). Additional DAPI staining measured overall cell density (regardless of c-Fos expression), ruling out any confound due to underlying asymmetries in cell density between the hemispheres. In different brain areas, c-Fos expression was lateralized either in light- (septum) or in dark-incubated chicks (preoptic area). Light exposure increased c-Fos expression in the left hemisphere, suggesting that c-Fos expression could participate to the known effects of light stimulation on brain asymmetries. Interestingly, this effect was visible few days after the end of the light exposure, revealing a delayed effect of light exposure on c-Fos baseline expression in brain areas outside the visual pathways. In the preoptic area of dark incubated chicks, we found a rightward bias for c-Fos expression, revealing that lateralization of the baseline level of activity and plasticity is present in the developing brain also in the absence of light exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Lorenzi
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Corso Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto (TN), Italy.
| | - Uwe Mayer
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Corso Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto (TN), Italy.
| | - Orsola Rosa-Salva
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Corso Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto (TN), Italy.
| | | | - Giorgio Vallortigara
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento, Corso Bettini 31, 38068 Rovereto (TN), Italy.
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18
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Abstract
Historically, newborns, and especially premature newborns, were thought to "feel nothing." However, over the past decades, a growing body of evidence has shown that newborns are aware of their environment, but the extent and the onset of some sensory capacities remain largely unknown. The goal of this review is to update our current knowledge concerning newborns' perceptual world and how ready they are to cope with an entirely different sensory environment following birth. We aim to establish not only how and when each sensory ability arises during the pre-/postbirth period but also discuss how senses are studied. We conclude that although many studies converge to show that newborns are clearly sentient beings, much is still unknown. Further, we identify a series of internal and external factors that could explain discrepancies between studies, and we propose perspectives for future studies. Finally, through examples from animal studies, we illustrate the importance of this detailed knowledge to pursue the enhancement of newborns' daily living conditions. Indeed, this is a prerequisite for assessing the effects of the physical environment and routine procedures on newborns' welfare.
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19
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Lateral Asymmetry of Brain and Behaviour in the Zebra Finch, Taeniopygia guttata. Symmetry (Basel) 2018. [DOI: 10.3390/sym10120679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Lateralisation of eye use indicates differential specialisation of the brain hemispheres. We tested eye use by zebra finches to view a model predator, a monitor lizard, and compared this to eye use to view a non-threatening visual stimulus, a jar. We used a modified method of scoring eye preference of zebra finches, since they often alternate fixation of a stimulus with the lateral, monocular visual field of one eye and then the other, known as biocular alternating fixation. We found a significant and consistent preference to view the lizard using the left lateral visual field, and no significant eye preference to view the jar. This finding is consistent with specialisation of the left eye system, and right hemisphere, to attend and respond to predators, as found in two other avian species and also in non-avian vertebrates. Our results were considered together with hemispheric differences in the zebra finch for processing, producing, and learning song, and with evidence of right-eye preference in visual searching and courtship behaviour. We conclude that the zebra finch brain has the same general pattern of asymmetry for visual processing as found in other vertebrates and suggest that, contrary to earlier indications from research on lateralisation of song, this may also be the case for auditory processing.
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20
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Ocklenburg S, Packheiser J, Schmitz J, Rook N, Güntürkün O, Peterburs J, Grimshaw GM. Hugs and kisses - The role of motor preferences and emotional lateralization for hemispheric asymmetries in human social touch. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2018; 95:353-360. [PMID: 30339836 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2018.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2018] [Revised: 08/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Social touch is an important aspect of human social interaction - across all cultures, humans engage in kissing, cradling and embracing. These behaviors are necessarily asymmetric, but the factors that determine their lateralization are not well-understood. Because the hands are often involved in social touch, motor preferences may give rise to asymmetric behavior. However, social touch often occurs in emotional contexts, suggesting that biases might be modulated by asymmetries in emotional processing. Social touch may therefore provide unique insights into lateralized brain networks that link emotion and action. Here, we review the literature on lateralization of cradling, kissing and embracing with respect to motor and emotive bias theories. Lateral biases in all three forms of social touch are influenced, but not fully determined by handedness. Thus, motor bias theory partly explains side biases in social touch. However, emotional context also affects side biases, most strongly for embracing. Taken together, literature analysis reveals that side biases in social touch are most likely determined by a combination of motor and emotive biases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Ocklenburg
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany.
| | - Julian Packheiser
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
| | - Judith Schmitz
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
| | - Noemi Rook
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Department of Psychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany
| | - Jutta Peterburs
- Biological Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Gina M Grimshaw
- Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience Lab, School of Psychology, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
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21
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Pavlova MA, Erb M, Hagberg GE, Loureiro J, Sokolov AN, Scheffler K. "Wrong Way Up": Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of the Networks for Body Motion Processing at 9.4 T. Cereb Cortex 2018; 27:5318-5330. [PMID: 28981613 DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhx151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Body motion delivers a wealth of socially relevant information. Yet display inversion severely impedes biological motion (BM) processing. It is largely unknown how the brain circuits for BM are affected by display inversion. As upright and upside-down point-light BM displays are similar, we addressed this issue by using ultrahigh field functional MRI at 9.4 T providing for high sensitivity and spatial resolution. Whole-brain analysis along with exploration of the temporal dynamics of the blood-oxygen-level-dependent response reveals that in the left hemisphere, inverted BM activates anterior networks likely engaged in decision making and cognitive control, whereas readily recognizable upright BM activates posterior areas solely. In the right hemisphere, multiple networks are activated in response to upright BM as compared with scarce activation to inversion. With identical visual input with display inversion, a large-scale network in the right hemisphere is detected in perceivers who do not constantly interpret displays as shown the "wrong way up." For the first time, we uncover (1) (multi)functional involvement of each region in the networks underpinning BM processing and (2) large-scale ensembles of regions playing in unison with distinct temporal dynamics. The outcome sheds light on the neural circuits underlying BM processing as an essential part of the social brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marina A Pavlova
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Medical School, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen.,Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen
| | - Michael Erb
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Medical School, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen.,High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics
| | - Gisela E Hagberg
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Medical School, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen.,High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics
| | - Joana Loureiro
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Medical School, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen.,High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics
| | - Alexander N Sokolov
- Women's Health Research Institute, Department of Women's Health, Medical School, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen 72076, Germany
| | - Klaus Scheffler
- Department of Biomedical Magnetic Resonance, Medical School, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen.,High-Field Magnetic Resonance Center, Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics
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22
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Frohnwieser A, Pike TW, Murray JC, Wilkinson A. Perception of artificial conspecifics by bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps). Integr Zool 2018; 14:214-222. [PMID: 29316228 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Artificial animals are increasingly used as conspecific stimuli in animal behavior research. However, researchers often have an incomplete understanding of how the species under study perceives conspecifics, and, hence, which features are needed for a stimulus to be perceived appropriately. To investigate the features that bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) attend to, we measured their lateralized eye use when assessing a successive range of stimuli. These ranged through several stages of realism in artificial conspecifics, to see how features such as color, the presence of eyes, body shape and motion influence behavior. We found differences in lateralized eye use depending on the sex of the observing bearded dragon and the artificial conspecific, as well as the artificial conspecific's behavior. Therefore, this approach can inform the design of robotic animals that elicit biologically-meaningful responses in live animals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Thomas W Pike
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK
| | - John C Murray
- School of Computer Science, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK
| | - Anna Wilkinson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK.,Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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23
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Lorenzi E, Mayer U, Rosa-Salva O, Vallortigara G. Dynamic features of animate motion activate septal and preoptic areas in visually naïve chicks ( Gallus gallus ). Neuroscience 2017; 354:54-68. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.04.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Revised: 03/25/2017] [Accepted: 04/17/2017] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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24
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Di Giorgio E, Loveland JL, Mayer U, Rosa-Salva O, Versace E, Vallortigara G. Filial responses as predisposed and learned preferences: Early attachment in chicks and babies. Behav Brain Res 2017; 325:90-104. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2016.09.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2016] [Revised: 09/06/2016] [Accepted: 09/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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25
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Mayer U, Rosa-Salva O, Morbioli F, Vallortigara G. The motion of a living conspecific activates septal and preoptic areas in naive domestic chicks (Gallus gallus). Eur J Neurosci 2017; 45:423-432. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.13484] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2016] [Revised: 11/15/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Uwe Mayer
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC); University of Trento; Piazza Manifattura 1 I-38068 Rovereto TN Italy
| | - Orsola Rosa-Salva
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC); University of Trento; Piazza Manifattura 1 I-38068 Rovereto TN Italy
| | - Francesca Morbioli
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC); University of Trento; Piazza Manifattura 1 I-38068 Rovereto TN Italy
| | - Giorgio Vallortigara
- Center for Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC); University of Trento; Piazza Manifattura 1 I-38068 Rovereto TN Italy
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27
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Versace E, Vallortigara G. Origins of Knowledge: Insights from Precocial Species. Front Behav Neurosci 2015; 9:338. [PMID: 26696856 PMCID: PMC4673401 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Behavioral responses are influenced by knowledge acquired during the lifetime of an individual and by predispositions transmitted across generations. Establishing the origin of knowledge and the role of the unlearned component is a challenging task, given that both learned and unlearned knowledge can orient perception, learning, and the encoding of environmental features since the first stages of life. Ethical and practical issues constrain the investigation of unlearned knowledge in altricial species, including human beings. On the contrary, precocial animals can be tested on a wide range of tasks and capabilities immediately after birth and in controlled rearing conditions. Insects and precocial avian species are very convenient models to dissect the knowledge systems that enable young individuals to cope with their environment in the absence of specific previous experience. We present the state of the art of research on the origins of knowledge that comes from different models and disciplines. Insects have been mainly used to investigate unlearned sensory preferences and prepared learning mechanisms. The relative simplicity of the neural system and fast life cycle of insects make them ideal models to investigate the neural circuitry and evolutionary dynamics of unlearned traits. Among avian species, chicks of the domestic fowl have been the focus of many studies, and showed to possess unlearned knowledge in the sensory, physical, spatial, numerical and social domains. Solid evidence shows the existence of unlearned knowledge in different domains in several species, from sensory and social preferences to the left-right representation of the mental number line. We show how non-mammalian models of cognition, and in particular precocial species, can shed light into the adaptive value and evolutionary history of unlearned knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Versace
- Animal Cognition and Neuroscience Laboratory, Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento Rovereto, Italy
| | - Giorgio Vallortigara
- Animal Cognition and Neuroscience Laboratory, Center for Mind/Brain Sciences, University of Trento Rovereto, Italy
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