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Vanden Hole C, Plante-Ajah M, Kliphuis S, Manet M, Rodenburg TB, Tuyttens F. The impact of early-life conditions on visual discrimination abilities in free-ranging laying hens. Poult Sci 2024; 103:104236. [PMID: 39217659 PMCID: PMC11402620 DOI: 10.1016/j.psj.2024.104236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2024] [Revised: 08/13/2024] [Accepted: 08/14/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Conditions during incubation and rearing can greatly affect the developmental trajectory of chickens, in a positive and negative way. In this study, the effect of early-life conditions on the visual discrimination abilities of adult, free-ranging laying hens was examined. These early-life treatments entailed incubation in a 12/12h green light/dark cycle and rearing with Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) as foraging enrichment. Through a modified pebble-floor test, 171 hens of 41 to 42 wk old, housed in mobile stables with outdoor access, were tested for their ability to discriminate between food and nonfood items (mealworms and decoy mealworms). Each hen was allowed 60 pecks during the trial, from which the overall success rate, as well as within-trial learning was investigated. The latter was accomplished by dividing the 60 pecks into 3 blocks of 20 pecks and comparing the success rate between these blocks. Due to another ongoing experiment on range use, roughly half the hens received range enrichment (mealworms) at the time of testing, so this was included as a covariate in the analysis. Incubation with green light did not have an effect on the visual discrimination abilities of adult laying hens. Rearing with BSFL did have a limited beneficial effect on the visual discrimination abilities, as evidenced by a higher success rate during the first block of the visual discrimination trial. These enhanced visual discrimination abilities might be useful in a more complex free-range setting, where the animals have more foraging opportunities. Hens that received range enrichment at the time of testing, also had a higher success rate during the visual discrimination test, though they had a lower degree of test completion, likely due to habituation to the mealworms as an enrichment. The positive effects of BSFL during rearing and mealworms during the laying period stress the importance of enrichment throughout the life of the hens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Vanden Hole
- Animal Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Michael Plante-Ajah
- Animal Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium
| | - Saskia Kliphuis
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Maëva Manet
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - T Bas Rodenburg
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Animals in Science and Society, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Utrecht University, 3584 CM Utrecht, The Netherlands; Department of Animal Sciences, Adaptation Physiology Group, Wageningen University and Research, 6708 WD Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Frank Tuyttens
- Animal Sciences Unit, Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (ILVO), 9820 Merelbeke, Belgium; Department of Veterinary and Biosciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ghent University, Merelbeke, Belgium.
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Fujibayashi M, Abe K. A behavioral analysis system MCFBM enables objective inference of songbirds' attention during social interactions. CELL REPORTS METHODS 2024; 4:100844. [PMID: 39232558 DOI: 10.1016/j.crmeth.2024.100844] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2023] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 08/07/2024] [Indexed: 09/06/2024]
Abstract
Understanding animal behavior is crucial in behavioral neuroscience, aiming to unravel the mechanisms driving these behaviors. A significant milestone in this field is the analysis of behavioral reactions during social interactions. Despite their importance in social learning, the behavioral aspects of these interaction are not well understood in detail due to the lack of appropriate tools. We introduce a high-precision, marker-based motion-capture system for analyzing behavior in songbirds, accurately tracking body location and head direction in multiple freely moving finches during social interaction. Focusing on zebra finches, our analysis revealed variations in eye use based on individuals presented. We also observed behavioral changes during virtual and live presentations and a conditioned-learning paradigm. Additionally, the system effectively analyzed social interactions among mice. This system provides an efficient tool for advanced behavioral analysis in small animals and offers an objective method to infer their focus of attention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mizuki Fujibayashi
- Lab of Brain Development, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Katahira 2-1-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan
| | - Kentaro Abe
- Lab of Brain Development, Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Katahira 2-1-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan; Division for the Establishment of Frontier Sciences of the Organization for Advanced Studies, Tohoku University, Katahira 2-1-1, Aoba-ku, Sendai, Miyagi 980-8577, Japan.
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3
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Itahara A, Kano F. Gaze tracking of large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos) in a motion capture system. J Exp Biol 2024; 227:jeb246514. [PMID: 38362616 PMCID: PMC11007591 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.246514] [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: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies often inferred the focus of a bird's attention from its head movements because it provides important clues about their perception and cognition. However, it remains challenging to do so accurately, as the details of how they orient their visual field toward the visual targets remain largely unclear. We thus examined visual field configurations and the visual field use of large-billed crows (Corvus macrorhynchos Wagler 1827). We used an established ophthalmoscopic reflex technique to identify the visual field configuration, including the binocular width and optical axes, as well as the degree of eye movement. A newly established motion capture system was then used to track the head movements of freely moving crows to examine how they oriented their reconstructed visual fields toward attention-getting objects. When visual targets were moving, the crows frequently used their binocular visual fields, particularly around the projection of the beak-tip. When the visual targets stopped moving, crows frequently used non-binocular visual fields, particularly around the regions where their optical axes were found. On such occasions, the crows slightly preferred the right eye. Overall, the visual field use of crows is clearly predictable. Thus, while the untracked eye movements could introduce some level of uncertainty (typically within 15 deg), we demonstrated the feasibility of inferring a crow's attentional focus by 3D tracking of their heads. Our system represents a promising initial step towards establishing gaze tracking methods for studying corvid behavior and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akihiro Itahara
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto 6068203, Japan
| | - Fumihiro Kano
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78464, Germany
- Max-Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell 78315, Germany
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Lunn R, Baumhardt PE, Blackwell BF, Freyssinier JP, Fernández-Juricic E. Light wavelength and pulsing frequency affect avoidance responses of Canada geese. PeerJ 2023; 11:e16379. [PMID: 38025716 PMCID: PMC10668863 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.16379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Collisions between birds and aircraft cause bird mortality, economic damage, and aviation safety hazards. One proposed solution to increasing the distance at which birds detect and move away from an approaching aircraft, ultimately mitigating the probability of collision, is through onboard lighting systems. Lights in vehicles have been shown to lead to earlier reactions in some bird species but they could also generate attraction, potentially increasing the probability of collision. Using information on the visual system of the Canada goose (Branta canadensis), we developed light stimuli of high chromatic contrast to their eyes. We then conducted a controlled behavioral experiment (i.e., single-choice test) to assess the avoidance or attraction responses of Canada geese to LED lights of different wavelengths (blue, 483 nm; red, 631 nm) and pulsing frequencies (steady, pulsing at 2 Hz). Overall, Canada geese tended to avoid the blue light and move towards the red light; however, these responses depended heavily on light exposure order. At the beginning of the experiment, geese tended to avoid the red light. After further exposure the birds developed an attraction to the red light, consistent with the mere exposure effect. The response to the blue light generally followed a U-shape relationship (avoidance, attraction, avoidance) with increasing number of exposures, again consistent with the mere exposure effect, but followed by the satiation effect. Lights pulsing at 2 Hz enhanced avoidance responses under high ambient light conditions; whereas steady lights enhanced avoidance responses under dim ambient light conditions. Our results have implications for the design of lighting systems aimed at mitigating collisions between birds and human objects. LED lights in the blue portion of the spectrum are good candidates for deterrents and lights in the red portion of the spectrum may be counterproductive given the attraction effects with increasing exposure. Additionally, consideration should be given to systems that automatically modify pulsing of the light depending on ambient light intensity to enhance avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Lunn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America
| | - Patrice E. Baumhardt
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, United States of America
| | - Bradley F. Blackwell
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health and Inspection Services, National Wildlife Research Center, Sandusky, OH, United States of America
| | - Jean Paul Freyssinier
- Lighting Research Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY, United States of America
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Mizuno A, Soma M. Pre-existing visual preference for white dot patterns in estrildid finches: a comparative study of a multi-species experiment. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:231057. [PMID: 37859833 PMCID: PMC10582589 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
The diverse characteristics of animal signal designs can be explained by the sensory bias hypothesis, which suggests that natural selection shapes sensory bias and preferences associated with signal design. Traditionally, this hypothesis has focused on female sensory biases and male sexual traits. However, considering shared sensory systems between males and females in non-sexual contexts, existing sensory bias possibly contributes to the evolution of shared social and sexual traits. Our previous studies on the family Estrildidae supported this idea. An evolutionary relationship probably existed between diet and white dot plumage, and a species of estrildid finches showed a visual preference for white dot patterns. To investigate this further, we examined hunger-related visual preferences using phylogenetic comparative methods and behavioural experiments. Specifically, we compared the gazing responses of 12 species of estrildids to monochromatic printed white dot and stripe patterns, considering their phylogenetic relationships. The results support our idea that the common estrildid ancestor had a hunger-related visual preference for white dot patterns. Subject species generally preferred white dots to stripes. Furthermore, males and females showed a similar preference towards dots. Our findings provide insights into the role of sensory bias in the evolution of mutual ornamentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayumi Mizuno
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Masayo Soma
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
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Beauchamp G, Bowman R. Visual Monitoring Strategies of Sentinels in a Cooperative Breeder. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11121769. [PMID: 36552280 PMCID: PMC9775325 DOI: 10.3390/biology11121769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Revised: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 12/02/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Vigilance is important for early detection of threats. Previous studies have focused on the allocation of time to vigilance but neglected how animals monitor their surroundings during vigilance. Where animals look and how long each look lasts can affect the quality of visual monitoring and thus the ability to detect threats during vigilance. We examined visual monitoring strategies in the Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), a cooperative breeder with sentinel behaviour. Sentinels in this species make head turns from vantage points to detect the arrival of predators and intruding neighbours. We found that sentinels initiated head turns at regular intervals and also returned their gaze to areas previously monitored at regular intervals, which is predicted when predators and intruders rely on surprise rather than stealth to approach. Sentinels made head turns in several directions, but often more frequently on one side of the body than the other, which was not predicted for regular vigilance. Average look duration during sentinel bouts was shorter in smaller groups and in juveniles. We argue that shorter looks are beneficial to increase visual coverage in more threatening situations. Our study highlights how visual monitoring strategies during vigilance reflect the risk posed by predators and intruders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guy Beauchamp
- Independent Researcher, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Correspondence:
| | - Reed Bowman
- Archbold Biological Station, 123 Main Dr., Venus, FL 33960, USA
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Zeiträg C, Jensen TR, Osvath M. Gaze following: A socio-cognitive skill rooted in deep time. Front Psychol 2022; 13:950935. [PMID: 36533020 PMCID: PMC9756811 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.950935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Social gaze has received much attention in social cognition research in both human and non-human animals. Gaze following appears to be a central skill for acquiring social information, such as the location of food and predators, but can also draw attention to important social interactions, which in turn promotes the evolution of more complex socio-cognitive processes such as theory of mind and social learning. In the past decades, a large number of studies has been conducted in this field introducing differing methodologies. Thereby, various factors influencing the results of gaze following experiments have been identified. This review provides an overview of the advances in the study of gaze following, but also highlights some limitations within the research area. The majority of gaze following studies on animals have focused on primates and canids, which limits evolutionary interpretations to only a few and closely related evolutionary lineages. This review incorporates new insights gained from previously understudied taxa, such as fishes, reptiles, and birds, but it will also provide a brief outline of mammal studies. We propose that the foundations of gaze following emerged early in evolutionary history. Basic, reflexive co-orienting responses might have already evolved in fishes, which would explain the ubiquity of gaze following seen in the amniotes. More complex skills, such as geometrical gaze following and the ability to form social predictions based on gaze, seem to have evolved separately at least two times and appear to be correlated with growing complexity in brain anatomy such as increased numbers of brain neurons. However, more studies on different taxa in key phylogenetic positions are needed to better understand the evolutionary history of this fundamental socio-cognitive skill.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Zeiträg
- Department of Philosophy and Cognitive Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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Kano F, Naik H, Keskin G, Couzin ID, Nagy M. Head-tracking of freely-behaving pigeons in a motion-capture system reveals the selective use of visual field regions. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19113. [PMID: 36352049 PMCID: PMC9646700 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21931-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Using a motion-capture system and custom head-calibration methods, we reconstructed the head-centric view of freely behaving pigeons and examined how they orient their head when presented with various types of attention-getting objects at various relative locations. Pigeons predominantly employed their retinal specializations to view a visual target, namely their foveas projecting laterally (at an azimuth of ± 75°) into the horizon, and their visually-sensitive "red areas" projecting broadly into the lower-frontal visual field. Pigeons used their foveas to view any distant object while they used their red areas to view a nearby object on the ground (< 50 cm). Pigeons "fixated" a visual target with their foveas; the intervals between head-saccades were longer when the visual target was viewed by birds' foveas compared to when it was viewed by any other region. Furthermore, pigeons showed a weak preference to use their right eye to examine small objects distinctive in detailed features and their left eye to view threat-related or social stimuli. Despite the known difficulty in identifying where a bird is attending, we show that it is possible to estimate the visual attention of freely-behaving birds by tracking the projections of their retinal specializations in their visual field with cutting-edge methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumihiro Kano
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464, Konstanz, Germany.
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max-Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Hemal Naik
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max-Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Ecology of Animal Societies, Max-Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Computer Aided Medical Procedures, Teschnische Universiät Munchen, Munich, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Göksel Keskin
- MTA-ELTE Lendület Collective Behaviour Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Biological Physics, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Iain D Couzin
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max-Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Máté Nagy
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max-Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany.
- MTA-ELTE Lendület Collective Behaviour Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
- Department of Biological Physics, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
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Mizuno A, Soma M. Star finches Neochmia ruficauda have a visual preference for white dot patterns: a possible case of trypophilia. Anim Cogn 2022; 25:1271-1279. [PMID: 35294684 PMCID: PMC9617841 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01609-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Many animals have polka dot patterns on their body surface, some of which are known to have signalling functions; however, their evolutionary origins remain unclear. Dot patterns can trigger a fear response (trypophobia) in humans and are known to function as aposematic signals in non-human animals, suggesting that dots may deserve attention for biological reasons. Interestingly in many birds, plumage dot patterns serve for social/sexual signalling. To understand their evolution, we have focused on the sensory bias hypothesis, which predicts the role of pre-existing sensory preference driven by natural selection in shaping signal design. Our previous phylogenetic comparative study supported the hypothesis and showed that diet-driven visual preference promoted the evolution of plumage patterns, as there was an evolutionary correlation between termite-eating (white roundish gregarious prey) and the presence of plumage dot patterns in species of the family Estrildidae. This suggests that these species possess an intrinsic preference for dots. To test this, we compared the responses of an Estrildid species with dot plumage pattern (star finch Neochmia ruficauda) towards simultaneously presented monochrome-printed white dot vs white stripe patterns under both food-deprived and -supplied conditions. Overall, star finches preferred dots to stripes. They showed foraging-like behaviours almost only toward dots when hungry and gazed at dots frequently even when food was available, suggesting both hunger-related and hunger-neutral dot preferences. These results are rather surprising, given how strongly the subjects were attracted to abstract dot patterns without organic structure, but provided good support for the sensory bias hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayumi Mizuno
- Biosystems Science Course, The Graduate School of Life Science, Hokkaido University, Sapporo, Hokkaido, Japan
| | - Masayo Soma
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Hokkaido University, Kita 10 Nishi 8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido, 060-0810, Japan.
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Wittek N, Matsui H, Kessel N, Oeksuez F, Güntürkün O, Anselme P. Mirror Self-Recognition in Pigeons: Beyond the Pass-or-Fail Criterion. Front Psychol 2021; 12:669039. [PMID: 34079500 PMCID: PMC8165164 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.669039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spontaneous mirror self-recognition is achieved by only a limited number of species, suggesting a sharp "cognitive Rubicon" that only few can pass. But is the demarcation line that sharp? In studies on monkeys, who do not recognize themselves in a mirror, animals can make a difference between their mirror image and an unknown conspecific. This evidence speaks for a gradualist view of mirror self-recognition. We hypothesize that such a gradual process possibly consists of at least two independent aptitudes, the ability to detect synchronicity between self- and foreign movement and the cognitive understanding that the mirror reflection is oneself. Pigeons are known to achieve the first but fail at the second aptitude. We therefore expected them to treat their mirror image differently from an unknown pigeon, without being able to understand that the mirror reflects their own image. We tested pigeons in a task where they either approached a mirror or a Plexiglas barrier to feed. Behind the Plexiglas an unknown pigeon walked at the same time toward the food bowl. Thus, we pitched a condition with a mirror-self and a foreign bird against each other, with both of them walking close toward the food bowl. By a detailed analysis of a whole suit of behavioral details, our results make it likely that the foreign pigeon was treated as a competitor while the mirror image caused hesitation as if being an uncanny conspecific. Our results are akin to those with monkeys and show that pigeons do not equal their mirror reflection with a conspecific, although being unable to recognize themselves in the mirror.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neslihan Wittek
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Hiroshi Matsui
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Nicole Kessel
- Faculty of Psychology, University of Hagen, Hagen, Germany
| | - Fatma Oeksuez
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Patrick Anselme
- Faculty of Psychology, Department of Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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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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12
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Negative emotional contagion and cognitive bias in common ravens ( Corvus corax). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2019; 116:11547-11552. [PMID: 31110007 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1817066116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Emotional contagion is described as an emotional state matching between subjects, and has been suggested to facilitate communication and coordination in complex social groups. Empirical studies typically focus on the measurement of behavioral contagion and emotional arousal, yet, while highly important, such an approach often disregards an additional evaluation of the underlying emotional valence. Here, we studied emotional contagion in ravens by applying a judgment bias paradigm to assess emotional valence. We experimentally manipulated positive and negative affective states in demonstrator ravens, to which they responded with increased attention and interest in the positive condition, as well as increased redirected behavior and a left-eye lateralization in the negative condition. During this emotion manipulation, another raven observed the demonstrator's behavior, and we used a bias paradigm to assess the emotional valence of the observer to determine whether emotional contagion had occurred. Observers showed a pessimism bias toward the presented ambiguous stimuli after perceiving demonstrators in a negative state, indicating emotional state matching based on the demonstrators' behavioral cues and confirming our prediction of negative emotional contagion. We did not find any judgment bias in the positive condition. This result critically expands upon observational studies of contagious play in ravens, providing experimental evidence that emotional contagion is present not only in mammalian but also in avian species. Importantly, this finding also acts as a stepping stone toward understanding the evolution of empathy, as this essential social skill may have emerged across these taxa in response to similar socioecological challenges.
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Kano F, Walker J, Sasaki T, Biro D. Head-mounted sensors reveal visual attention of free-flying homing pigeons. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 221:221/17/jeb183475. [PMID: 30190414 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.183475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 06/19/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Gaze behavior offers valuable insights into attention and cognition. However, technological limitations have prevented the examination of animals' gaze behavior in natural, information-rich contexts; for example, during navigation through complex environments. Therefore, we developed a lightweight custom-made logger equipped with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) and GPS to simultaneously track the head movements and flight trajectories of free-flying homing pigeons. Pigeons have a limited range of eye movement, and their eye moves in coordination with their head in a saccadic manner (similar to primate eye saccades). This allows head movement to act as a proxy for visual scanning behavior. Our IMU sensor recorded the 3D movement of the birds' heads in high resolution, allowing us to reliably detect distinct saccade signals. The birds moved their head far more than necessary for maneuvering flight, suggesting that they actively scanned the environment. This movement was predominantly horizontal (yaw) and sideways (roll), allowing them to scan the environment with their lateral visual field. They decreased their head movement when they flew solo over prominent landmarks (major roads and a railway line) and also when they flew in pairs (especially when flying side by side, with the partner maintained in their lateral visual field). Thus, a decrease in head movement indicates a change in birds' focus of attention. We conclude that pigeons use their head gaze in a task-related manner and that tracking flying birds' head movement is a promising method for examining their visual attention during natural tasks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fumihiro Kano
- Kumamoto Sanctuary, Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Uki, Kumamoto, Japan .,Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - James Walker
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Takao Sasaki
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Dora Biro
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
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Dawson Pell FS, Potvin DA, Ratnayake CP, Fernández-Juricic E, Magrath RD, Radford AN. Birds orient their heads appropriately in response to functionally referential alarm calls of heterospecifics. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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15
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Abstract
Navigation is an essential skill for many animals, and understanding how animal use environmental information, particularly visual information, to navigate has a long history in both ethology and psychology. In birds, the dominant approach for investigating navigation at small-scales comes from comparative psychology, which emphasizes the cognitive representations underpinning spatial memory. The majority of this work is based in the laboratory and it is unclear whether this context itself affects the information that birds learn and use when they search for a location. Data from hummingbirds suggests that birds in the wild might use visual information in quite a different manner. To reconcile these differences, here we propose a new approach to avian navigation, inspired by the sensory-driven study of navigation in insects. Using methods devised for studying the navigation of insects, it is possible to quantify the visual information available to navigating birds, and then to determine how this information influences those birds' navigation decisions. Focusing on four areas that we consider characteristic of the insect navigation perspective, we discuss how this approach has shone light on the information insects use to navigate, and assess the prospects of taking a similar approach with birds. Although birds and insects differ in many ways, there is nothing in the insect-inspired approach of the kind we describe that means these methods need be restricted to insects. On the contrary, adopting such an approach could provide a fresh perspective on the well-studied question of how birds navigate through a variety of environments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Susan D Healy
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Fife, UK
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16
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17
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Butler SR, Fernández-Juricic E. European starlings use their acute vision to check on feline predators but not on conspecifics. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0188857. [PMID: 29370164 PMCID: PMC5784912 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0188857] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2017] [Accepted: 11/14/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Head movements allow birds with laterally placed eyes to move their centers of acute vision around and align them with objects of interest. Consequently, head movements have been used as indicator of fixation behavior (where gaze is maintained). However, studies on head movement behavior have not elucidated the degree to which birds use high-acuity or low-acuity vision. We studied how European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) used high-acuity vision in the early stages of visual exploration of a stuffed cat (common terrestrial predator), a taxidermy Cooper’s hawk (common aerial predator), and a stuffed study skin of a conspecific. We found that starlings tended to use their high acuity vision when looking at predators, particularly, the cat was above chance levels. However, when they viewed a conspecific, they used high acuity vision as expected by chance. We did not observe a preference for the left or right center of acute vision. Our findings suggest that starlings exposed to a predator (particularly cats) may employ selective attention by using high-acuity vision to obtain quickly detailed information useful for a potential escape, but exposed to a social context may use divided attention by allocating similar levels high- and low-quality vision to monitor both conspecifics and the rest of the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon R. Butler
- Purdue University, Department of Biological Sciences, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Esteban Fernández-Juricic
- Purdue University, Department of Biological Sciences, West Lafayette, Indiana, United States of America
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18
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Fukudome M, Yamawaki Y. Head Movements During Visual Orienting Toward Moving Prey in the Lizard Takydromus tachydromoides. Zoolog Sci 2017; 34:468-474. [DOI: 10.2108/zs170045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miyuki Fukudome
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Yamawaki
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
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19
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Irving EL, Yakobchuk-Stanger C. Myopia progression control lens reverses induced myopia in chicks. Ophthalmic Physiol Opt 2017; 37:576-584. [DOI: 10.1111/opo.12400] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2017] [Accepted: 06/29/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth L. Irving
- School of Optometry and Vision Science; University of Waterloo; Waterloo Canada
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20
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Kretschmer F, Tariq M, Chatila W, Wu B, Badea TC. Comparison of optomotor and optokinetic reflexes in mice. J Neurophysiol 2017; 118:300-316. [PMID: 28424291 DOI: 10.1152/jn.00055.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2017] [Revised: 04/12/2017] [Accepted: 04/12/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
During animal locomotion or position adjustments, the visual system uses image stabilization reflexes to compensate for global shifts in the visual scene. These reflexes elicit compensatory head movements (optomotor response, OMR) in unrestrained animals or compensatory eye movements (optokinetic response, OKR) in head-fixed or unrestrained animals exposed to globally rotating striped patterns. In mice, OMR are relatively easy to observe and find broad use in the rapid evaluation of visual function. OKR determinations are more involved experimentally but yield more stereotypical, easily quantifiable results. The relative contributions of head and eye movements to image stabilization in mice have not been investigated. We are using newly developed software and apparatus to accurately quantitate mouse head movements during OMR, quantitate eye movements during OKR, and determine eye movements in freely behaving mice. We provide the first direct comparison of OMR and OKR gains (head or eye velocity/stimulus velocity) and find that the two reflexes have comparable dependencies on stimulus luminance, contrast, spatial frequency, and velocity. OMR and OKR are similarly affected in genetically modified mice with defects in retinal ganglion cells (RGC) compared with wild-type, suggesting they are driven by the same sensory input (RGC type). OKR eye movements have much higher gains than the OMR head movements, but neither can fully compensate global visual shifts. However, combined eye and head movements can be detected in unrestrained mice performing OMR, suggesting they can cooperate to achieve image stabilization, as previously described for other species.NEW & NOTEWORTHY We provide the first quantitation of head gain during optomotor response in mice and show that optomotor and optokinetic responses have similar psychometric curves. Head gains are far smaller than eye gains. Unrestrained mice combine head and eye movements to respond to visual stimuli, and both monocular and binocular fields are used during optokinetic responses. Mouse OMR and OKR movements are heterogeneous under optimal and suboptimal stimulation and are affected in mice lacking ON direction-selective retinal ganglion cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friedrich Kretschmer
- Retinal Circuit Development & Genetics Unit, Neurobiology Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Momina Tariq
- Retinal Circuit Development & Genetics Unit, Neurobiology Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Walid Chatila
- Retinal Circuit Development & Genetics Unit, Neurobiology Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Beverly Wu
- Retinal Circuit Development & Genetics Unit, Neurobiology Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
| | - Tudor Constantin Badea
- Retinal Circuit Development & Genetics Unit, Neurobiology Neurodegeneration & Repair Laboratory, National Eye Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland
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21
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Ünver E, Garland A, Tabrik S, Güntürkün O. Sneaking a peek: pigeons use peripheral vision (not mirrors) to find hidden food. Anim Cogn 2017; 20:677-688. [PMID: 28397005 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-017-1090-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2015] [Revised: 03/31/2017] [Accepted: 04/04/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A small number of species are capable of recognizing themselves in the mirror when tested with the mark-and-mirror test. This ability is often seen as evidence of self-recognition and possibly even self-awareness. Strangely, a number of species, for example monkeys, pigs and dogs, are unable to pass the mark test but can locate rewarding objects by using the reflective properties of a mirror. Thus, these species seem to understand how a visual reflection functions but cannot apply it to their own image. We tested this discrepancy in pigeons-a species that does not spontaneously pass the mark test. Indeed, we discovered that pigeons can successfully find a hidden food reward using only the reflection, suggesting that pigeons can also use and potentially understand the reflective properties of mirrors, even in the absence of self-recognition. However, tested under monocular conditions, the pigeons approached and attempted to walk through the mirror rather than approach the physical food, displaying similar behavior to patients with mirror agnosia. These findings clearly show that pigeons do not use the reflection of mirrors to locate reward, but actually see the food peripherally with their near-panoramic vision. A re-evaluation of our current understanding of mirror-mediated behavior might be necessary-especially taking more fully into account species differences in visual field. This study suggests that use of reflections in a mirrored surface as a tool may be less widespread than currently thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emre Ünver
- Faculty of Psychology, Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Alexis Garland
- Faculty of Psychology, Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Sepideh Tabrik
- Faculty of Psychology, Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Faculty of Psychology, Biopsychology, Ruhr University Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany.
- Wallenberg Research Centre at Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Stellenbosch, 7600, South Africa.
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22
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Does retinal configuration make the head and eyes of foveate birds move? Sci Rep 2017; 7:38406. [PMID: 28079062 PMCID: PMC5228126 DOI: 10.1038/srep38406] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals move their heads and eyes to compensate for movements of the body and background, search, fixate, and track objects visually. Avian saccadic head/eye movements have been shown to vary considerably between species. We tested the hypothesis that the configuration of the retina (i.e., changes in retinal ganglion cell density from the retinal periphery to the center of acute vision-fovea) would account for the inter-specific variation in avian head/eye movement behavior. We characterized retinal configuration, head movement rate, and degree of eye movement of 29 bird species with a single fovea, controlling for the effects of phylogenetic relatedness. First, we found the avian fovea is off the retinal center towards the dorso-temporal region of the retina. Second, species with a more pronounced rate of change in ganglion cell density across the retina generally showed a higher degree of eye movement and higher head movement rate likely because a smaller retinal area with relatively high visual acuity leads to greater need to move the head/eye to align this area that contains the fovea with objects of interest. Our findings have implications for anti-predator behavior, as many predator-prey interaction models assume that the sensory system of prey (and hence their behavior) varies little between species.
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23
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24
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Weldon KB, Fanson KV, Smith CL. Effects of Isolation on Stress Responses to Novel Stimuli in Subadult Chickens (Gallus gallus
). Ethology 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly B. Weldon
- Department of Cognitive Science; Macquarie University; Marsfield NSW Australia
| | - Kerry V. Fanson
- Centre for Integrative Ecology; Deakin University; Waurn Ponds Vic. Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; North Ryde NSW Australia
| | - Carolynn L. Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences; Macquarie University; North Ryde NSW Australia
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25
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Function and structure of vigilance in a gregarious species exposed to threats from predators and conspecifics. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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26
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Individual recognition based on communication behaviour of male fowl. Behav Processes 2016; 125:101-5. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.02.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2015] [Revised: 02/12/2016] [Accepted: 02/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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27
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Butler SR, Fernández-Juricic E. European starlings recognize the location of robotic conspecific attention. Biol Lett 2015; 10:20140665. [PMID: 25319821 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2014.0665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Looking where others are allocating attention can facilitate social interactions by providing information about objects or locations of interest. We asked whether European starlings follow the orientation behaviour of conspecifics owing to their highly gregarious behaviour. Starlings reoriented their attention to follow that of a robot around a barrier more often than when the robot's attention was directed elsewhere. This is the first empirical evidence of reorienting in response to conspecific attention in a songbird. Starlings may use this behaviour to obtain fine-tuned spatial information from conspecifics (e.g. direction of predator approach, spatial location of food patches), enhancing group cohesion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon R Butler
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
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28
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Eye movements of vertebrates and their relation to eye form and function. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2014; 201:195-214. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-014-0964-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2014] [Revised: 11/01/2014] [Accepted: 11/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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29
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Railton R, Foster T, Temple W. Object/picture recognition in hens. Behav Processes 2014; 104:53-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2013] [Revised: 01/14/2014] [Accepted: 01/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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30
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Davidson GL, Butler S, Fernández-Juricic E, Thornton A, Clayton NS. Gaze sensitivity: function and mechanisms from sensory and cognitive perspectives. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.10.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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31
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Lustig A, Ketter-Katz H, Katzir G. Relating lateralization of eye use to body motion in the avoidance behavior of the chameleon (Chamaeleo chameleon). PLoS One 2013; 8:e70761. [PMID: 23967099 PMCID: PMC3743880 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0070761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2013] [Accepted: 06/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Lateralization is mostly analyzed for single traits, but seldom for two or more traits while performing a given task (e.g. object manipulation). We examined lateralization in eye use and in body motion that co-occur during avoidance behaviour of the common chameleon, Chamaeleo chameleon. A chameleon facing a moving threat smoothly repositions its body on the side of its perch distal to the threat, to minimize its visual exposure. We previously demonstrated that during the response (i) eye use and body motion were, each, lateralized at the tested group level (N = 26), (ii) in body motion, we observed two similar-sized sub-groups, one exhibiting a greater reduction in body exposure to threat approaching from the left and one--to threat approaching from the right (left- and right-biased subgroups), (iii) the left-biased sub-group exhibited weak lateralization of body exposure under binocular threat viewing and none under monocular viewing while the right-biased sub-group exhibited strong lateralization under both monocular and binocular threat viewing. In avoidance, how is eye use related to body motion at the entire group and at the sub-group levels? We demonstrate that (i) in the left-biased sub-group, eye use is not lateralized, (ii) in the right-biased sub-group, eye use is lateralized under binocular, but not monocular viewing of the threat, (iii) the dominance of the right-biased sub-group determines the lateralization of the entire group tested. We conclude that in chameleons, patterns of lateralization of visual function and body motion are inter-related at a subtle level. Presently, the patterns cannot be compared with humans' or related to the unique visual system of chameleons, with highly independent eye movements, complete optic nerve decussation and relatively few inter-hemispheric commissures. We present a model to explain the possible inter-hemispheric differences in dominance in chameleons' visual control of body motion during avoidance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avichai Lustig
- Department of Neurobiology and Ethology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel.
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32
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Rats maintain an overhead binocular field at the expense of constant fusion. Nature 2013; 498:65-9. [DOI: 10.1038/nature12153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 208] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2012] [Accepted: 04/04/2013] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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33
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Li C, Jiang Z, Tang S, Zeng Y. Evidence of effects of human disturbance on alert response in Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus). Zoo Biol 2012; 26:461-70. [PMID: 19360594 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.20132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
To understand effects of human disturbance on alert response of Père David's deer, we carried out an experiment in the Dafeng Père David's Deer Reserve (32 degrees 59'-33 degrees 03'N, 120 degrees 47'-120 degrees 53'E), China. In the spring and summer, we observed alert responses (including stare, walking away, and flee) of deer and recorded the intensity of tourist disturbance in a small display pen using a laser-range finder to measure the alert distance of a free-ranging group in a large enclosure. We also recorded the pattern of head orientation when deer were resting in these two deer groups. After statistical analysis, we found that: 1) in small pen, the frequency of alert response was significantly different among different intensities of human disturbance; strong disturbance resulted in higher frequency of alert response; 2) stare distance in the free-ranging group in summer was significantly longer than that in spring, but the distance of walking away and the distance of flee showed no significant difference between the two seasons; and 3) in free-ranging group, there was no significant directional difference in head orientation, whereas in display group, there was a significant directional difference in head orientation. We suggest that: 1) under the captive situation, human disturbance may be one of the factors that affect alert response in Père David's deer; and 2) Père David's deer adopted different alert response to adapt to human disturbance under different circumstance. We recommended that relationships between alert response and human disturbance should be considered in ex situ conservation of this field extinct deer. Zoo Biol 26:461-470, 2007. (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chunwang Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
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34
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Ortega LJ, Stoppa K, Güntürkün O, Troje NF. Vision during head bobbing: are pigeons capable of shape discrimination during the thrust phase? Exp Brain Res 2012; 199:313-21. [PMID: 19554318 DOI: 10.1007/s00221-009-1891-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2008] [Accepted: 05/29/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Many birds show a characteristic forward and backward head movement, while walking, running and sometimes during landing flight, called head bobbing. During the hold phase, the head of the bird remains stable in space, while during the thrust phase, the head is rapidly moved forward. Three main functions for head bobbing have been proposed: Head bobbing might have a biomechanical cause, it might serve depth perception via motion parallax, or it might be an optokinetic response that primarily serves image stabilization for improved vision during the hold phase. To investigate vision during the different phases and in particular to test for visual suppression during the saccadic thrust phase, we tested pigeons on a shape discrimination task, presenting the stimuli exclusively either in the hold phase, thrust phase or at random times. Results clearly demonstrate that shape discrimination is as good during the thrust phase as it is during the hold phase.
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35
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Fernández-Juricic E. Sensory basis of vigilance behavior in birds: synthesis and future prospects. Behav Processes 2011; 89:143-52. [PMID: 22101130 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2011.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2011] [Revised: 10/10/2011] [Accepted: 10/10/2011] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Birds gather visual information through scanning behavior to make decisions relevant for survival (e.g., detecting predators and finding food). The goal of this study was (a) to review some visual properties involved in scanning behavior (retinal specialization for visual resolution and motion detection, visual acuity, and size of the blind area), and (b) hypothesize how the inter-specific variability in these properties may lead to different scanning strategies. The avian visual system has a high degree of heterogeneity in visual performance across the visual field, with some sectors providing higher levels of visual resolution and motion detection (e.g., retinal specializations) than others (e.g., peripheral retina and blind area). Thus, information quality will vary in different parts of the visual field, which contradicts some theoretical assumptions on information gathering. Birds need to move their eyes and heads to align the retinal specializations to different sectors of visual space. The rates of eye and head movements can then be used as proxies for scanning strategies. I propose specific predictions as to how each of the visual properties studied can affect scanning strategies in the context of predator detection in different habitat types and with different levels of predation risk. Establishing the degree of association between sensory specializations and scanning strategies can enhance our understanding of the evolution of anti-predator behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Esteban Fernández-Juricic
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, 915 W. State Street, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA.
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36
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Fernández-Juricic E, Beauchamp G, Treminio R, Hoover M. Making heads turn: association between head movements during vigilance and perceived predation risk in brown-headed cowbird flocks. Anim Behav 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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37
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Fernández-Juricic E, Gall MD, Dolan T, O’Rourke C, Thomas S, Lynch JR. Visual systems and vigilance behaviour of two ground-foraging avian prey species: white-crowned sparrows and California towhees. Anim Behav 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.11.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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38
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Cooperative problem solving in African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus). Anim Cogn 2011; 14:545-53. [PMID: 21384141 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-011-0389-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2010] [Revised: 02/02/2011] [Accepted: 02/14/2011] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
One of the main characteristics of human societies is the extensive degree of cooperation among individuals. Cooperation is an elaborate phenomenon, also found in non-human primates during laboratory studies and field observations of animal hunting behaviour, among other things. Some authors suggest that the pressures assumed to have favoured the emergence of social intelligence in primates are similar to those that may have permitted the emergence of complex cognitive abilities in some bird species such as corvids and psittacids. In the wild, parrots show cooperative behaviours such as bi-parental care and mobbing. In this study, we tested cooperative problem solving in African grey parrots (Psittacus erithacus). Our birds were tested using several experimental setups to explore the different levels of behavioural organisation between participants, differing in temporal and spatial complexity. In our experiments, African grey parrots were able to act simultaneously but mostly failed during the delay task, maybe because of a lack of inhibitory motor response. Confronted with the possibility to adapt their behaviour to the presence or absence of a partner, they showed that they were able to coordinate their actions. They also collaborated, acting complementarily in order to solve tasks, but they were not able to place themselves in the partner's role.
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39
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Zimmerman P, Buijs S, Bolhuis J, Keeling L. Behaviour of domestic fowl in anticipation of positive and negative stimuli. Anim Behav 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.11.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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40
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Brumm H, Robertson KA, Nemeth E. Singing direction as a tool to investigate the function of birdsong: an experiment on sedge warblers. Anim Behav 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.12.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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41
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Kehmeier S, Schloegl C, Scheiber IBR, Weiss BM. Early development of gaze following into distant space in juvenile Greylag geese (Anser anser). Anim Cogn 2011; 14:477-85. [PMID: 21308474 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-011-0381-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2010] [Revised: 12/26/2010] [Accepted: 01/26/2011] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Visual co-orientation with another's gaze direction (gaze following) may provide important information about the location of food, social interactions or predators. Gaze following has been shown in a variety of mammals, but only in few bird species, and has not been tested in precocial birds at all. It has been suggested that gaze following is an anti-predator behaviour, and in Common ravens (Corvus corax) and rooks (C. frugilegus), it emerges shortly after fledging, at a time when young birds leave the predator-safe nest. However, if gaze following is adaptive, the developmental pattern should differ between altricial and precocial birds. Greylag geese (Anser anser) are highly social birds with a precocial development. Goslings move and feed independently within 24 h post-hatching, and they are highly vulnerable to aerial predators. We therefore predicted that greylag geese are capable of gaze following and that they develop this skill already pre-fledging. We experimentally tested 19 hand-raised greylag goslings for their ability to follow a conspecific's gaze when they were between 10 days and 6 weeks old. In line with our predictions, first responses were already detectable in 10-day-old goslings. Our results therefore not only demonstrate that greylag geese follow the gaze of conspecifics into distant space, but that they also develop this ability much earlier than altricial birds.
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Fernández-Juricic E, Moore BA, Doppler M, Freeman J, Blackwell BF, Lima SL, DeVault TL. Testing the Terrain Hypothesis: Canada Geese See Their World Laterally and Obliquely. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2011; 77:147-58. [DOI: 10.1159/000326053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2010] [Accepted: 02/14/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Hawk eyes II: diurnal raptors differ in head movement strategies when scanning from perches. PLoS One 2010; 5:e12169. [PMID: 20877650 PMCID: PMC2943910 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0012169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2010] [Accepted: 07/19/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Relatively little is known about the degree of inter-specific variability in visual scanning strategies in species with laterally placed eyes (e.g., birds). This is relevant because many species detect prey while perching; therefore, head movement behavior may be an indicator of prey detection rate, a central parameter in foraging models. We studied head movement strategies in three diurnal raptors belonging to the Accipitridae and Falconidae families. Methodology/Principal Findings We used behavioral recording of individuals under field and captive conditions to calculate the rate of two types of head movements and the interval between consecutive head movements. Cooper's Hawks had the highest rate of regular head movements, which can facilitate tracking prey items in the visually cluttered environment they inhabit (e.g., forested habitats). On the other hand, Red-tailed Hawks showed long intervals between consecutive head movements, which is consistent with prey searching in less visually obstructed environments (e.g., open habitats) and with detecting prey movement from a distance with their central foveae. Finally, American Kestrels have the highest rates of translational head movements (vertical or frontal displacements of the head keeping the bill in the same direction), which have been associated with depth perception through motion parallax. Higher translational head movement rates may be a strategy to compensate for the reduced degree of eye movement of this species. Conclusions Cooper's Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, and American Kestrels use both regular and translational head movements, but to different extents. We conclude that these diurnal raptors have species-specific strategies to gather visual information while perching. These strategies may optimize prey search and detection with different visual systems in habitat types with different degrees of visual obstruction.
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Visual coverage and scanning behavior in two corvid species: American crow and Western scrub jay. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2010; 196:879-88. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-010-0570-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2009] [Revised: 07/11/2010] [Accepted: 08/10/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Bird CD, Emery NJ. Rooks perceive support relations similar to six-month-old babies. Proc Biol Sci 2010; 277:147-51. [PMID: 19812083 PMCID: PMC2842627 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.1456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2009] [Accepted: 09/18/2009] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Some corvids have demonstrated cognitive abilities that rival or exceed those of the great apes; for example, tool use in New Caledonian crows, and social cognition, episodic-like memory and future planning in Western scrub-jays. Rooks appear to be able to solve novel tasks through causal reasoning rather than simple trial-and-error learning. Animals with certain expectations about how objects interact would be able to narrow the field of candidate causes substantially, because some causes are simply 'impossible'. Here we present evidence that rooks hold such expectations and appear to possess perceptual understanding of support relations similar to that demonstrated by human babies, which is more comprehensive than that of chimpanzees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher D. Bird
- Subdepartment of Animal Behaviour, Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Nathan J. Emery
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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The Physical Environment and Its Effect on Welfare. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/978-90-481-3650-6_6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register]
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47
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On the function of an enigmatic ornament: wattles increase the conspicuousness of visual displays in male fowl. Anim Behav 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.07.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Visual fields, eye movements, and scanning behavior of a sit-and-wait predator, the black phoebe (Sayornis nigricans). J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2009; 196:15-22. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-009-0488-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2009] [Revised: 10/29/2009] [Accepted: 10/30/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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49
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Fux M, Eilam D. How barn owls (Tyto alba) visually follow moving voles (Microtus socialis) before attacking them. Physiol Behav 2009; 98:359-66. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2009.06.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2009] [Revised: 06/16/2009] [Accepted: 06/17/2009] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Loretto MC, Schloegl C, Bugnyar T. Northern bald ibises follow others' gaze into distant space but not behind barriers. Biol Lett 2009; 6:14-7. [PMID: 19656858 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2009.0510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Gaze following is the ability to use the visual orientation of others as a trigger to look in the same direction. Thereby, animals may either align their head and eye orientation with others (gaze following into distant space) or may even reposition themselves to look behind barriers impairing their perception (geometrical gaze following). It has been proposed that these two different modes are functionally and cognitively distinct, but experimental evidence for this claim is lacking. We here, to our knowledge, demonstrate for the first time, that adult animals may be capable of following gaze into distant space, but not geometrically around barriers. We tested Northern bald ibises (Geronticus eremita) for their ability to follow a conspecific's gaze in two standard tasks. The birds readily looked up after seeing a model bird looking up; however, when seeing a model looking behind a barrier, they responded by looking at the barrier instead of walking around. These findings are in stark contrast to results obtained with great apes and corvids and provide the first experimental evidence, to our knowledge, for cognitive differences in gaze following tasks.
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