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Brittain CN, Bessler AM, Elgin AS, Layko RB, Park S, Still SE, Wada H, Swaddle JP, Cristol DA. Mercury causes degradation of spatial cognition in a model songbird species. ECOTOXICOLOGY AND ENVIRONMENTAL SAFETY 2023; 264:115483. [PMID: 37717355 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115483] [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: 04/15/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/19/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a widespread pollutant of increasing global concern that exhibits a broad range of deleterious effects on organisms, including birds. Because the developing brain is well-known to be particularly vulnerable to the neurotoxic insults of mercury, many studies have focused on developmental effects such as on the embryonic brain and resulting behavioral impairment in adults. It is not well understood how the timing of exposure, for example exclusively in ovo versus throughout life, influences the impact of mercury. Using dietary exposure to environmentally relevant methylmercury concentrations, we examined the role that timing and duration of exposure play on spatial learning and memory in a model songbird species, the domesticated zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata castanotis). We hypothesized that developmental exposure was both necessary and sufficient to disrupt spatial memory in adult finches. We documented profound disruption of memory for locations of hidden food at two spatial scales, cage- and room-sized enclosures, but found that both developmental and ongoing adult exposure were required to exhibit this behavioral impairment. Methylmercury-exposed birds made more mistakes before mastering the spatial task, because they revisited unrewarded locations repeatedly even after discovering the rewarded location. Contrary to our prediction, hippocampal volume was not affected in birds exposed to methylmercury over their lifetimes. The disruption of spatial cognition that we detected is severe and would likely have implications for survival and reproduction in wild birds; however, it appears that individuals that disperse or migrate from a contaminated site might recover later in life if no longer exposed to the toxicant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cara N Brittain
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.
| | - Amanda M Bessler
- Department of Biology, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185, USA
| | - Andrew S Elgin
- Department of Biology, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185, USA
| | - Rachel B Layko
- Department of Biology, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185, USA
| | - Sumin Park
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Shelby E Still
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Haruka Wada
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - John P Swaddle
- Department of Biology, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185, USA; Institute for Integrative Conservation, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185, USA
| | - Daniel A Cristol
- Department of Biology, William & Mary, Williamsburg, VA 23185, USA
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2
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Alario A, Trevino M, Justen H, Woodman CJ, Roth TC, Delmore KE. Learning and memory in hybrid migratory songbirds: cognition as a reproductive isolating barrier across seasons. Sci Rep 2023; 13:10866. [PMID: 37407574 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-37379-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/21/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Hybrid zones can be used to identify traits that maintain reproductive isolation and contribute to speciation. Cognitive traits may serve as post-mating reproductive isolating barriers, reducing the fitness of hybrids if, for example, misexpression occurs in hybrids and disrupts important neurological mechanisms. We tested this hypothesis in a hybrid zone between two subspecies of Swainson's thrushes (Catharus ustulatus) using two cognitive tests-an associative learning spatial test and neophobia test. We included comparisons across the sexes and seasons (spring migration and winter), testing if hybrid females performed worse than males (as per Haldane's rule) and if birds (regardless of ancestry or sex) performed better during migration, when they are building navigational maps and encountering new environments. We documented reduced cognitive abilities in hybrids, but this result was limited to males and winter. Hybrid females did not perform worse than males in either season. Although season was a significant predictor of performance, contrary to our prediction, all birds learned faster during the winter. The hypothesis that cognitive traits could serve as post-mating isolating barriers is relatively new; this is one of the first tests in a natural hybrid zone and non-food-caching species. We also provide one of the first comparisons of cognitive abilities between seasons. Future neurostructural and neurophysiological work should be used to examine mechanisms underlying our behavioral observations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley Alario
- Texas A&M University, 3528 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Marlene Trevino
- Texas A&M University, 3528 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Hannah Justen
- Texas A&M University, 3528 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | | | - Timothy C Roth
- Department of Psychology, Franklin and Marshall College, Lancaster, PA, 17603, USA
| | - Kira E Delmore
- Texas A&M University, 3528 TAMU, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
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3
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Friis G, Vizueta J, Ketterson ED, Milá B. A high-quality genome assembly and annotation of the dark-eyed junco Junco hyemalis, a recently diversified songbird. G3 (BETHESDA, MD.) 2022; 12:jkac083. [PMID: 35404451 PMCID: PMC9157146 DOI: 10.1093/g3journal/jkac083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
The dark-eyed junco (Junco hyemalis) is one of the most common passerines of North America, and has served as a model organism in studies related to ecophysiology, behavior, and evolutionary biology for over a century. It is composed of at least 6 distinct, geographically structured forms of recent evolutionary origin, presenting remarkable variation in phenotypic traits, migratory behavior, and habitat. Here, we report a high-quality genome assembly and annotation of the dark-eyed junco generated using a combination of shotgun libraries and proximity ligation Chicago and Dovetail Hi-C libraries. The final assembly is ∼1.03 Gb in size, with 98.3% of the sequence located in 30 full or nearly full chromosome scaffolds, and with a N50/L50 of 71.3 Mb/5 scaffolds. We identified 19,026 functional genes combining gene prediction and similarity approaches, of which 15,967 were associated to GO terms. The genome assembly and the set of annotated genes yielded 95.4% and 96.2% completeness scores, respectively when compared with the BUSCO avian dataset. This new assembly for J. hyemalis provides a valuable resource for genome evolution analysis, and for identifying functional genes involved in adaptive processes and speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillermo Friis
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid 28006, Spain
| | - Joel Vizueta
- Centre for Social Evolution, University of Copenhaguen, Copenhaguen 1165, Denmark
| | - Ellen D Ketterson
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA
| | - Borja Milá
- Department of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, National Museum of Natural Sciences, Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Madrid 28006, Spain
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4
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Singh D, Reed SM, Kimmitt AA, Alford KA, Stricker CA, Polly PD, Ketterson ED. Breeding at higher latitude is associated with higher photoperiodic threshold and delayed reproductive development in a songbird. Horm Behav 2021; 128:104907. [PMID: 33259797 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2020.104907] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 11/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Many seasonally breeding animals exhibit a threshold day length (critical photoperiod; CPP) for gonadal growth, and populations breeding at higher latitudes typically have a higher CPP. Much less is known about latitudinal variation in CPP in migratory population that winter away from their breeding range and must time their reproduction to match favorable conditions at their destination. To address the relationship between migration, breeding latitude, and CPP, we held two closely related songbird populations in a common environment. One population is resident (Junco hyemalis carolinensis), the other winters in sympatry with the residents but migrates north to breed (Junco hyemalis hyemalis). We gradually increased photoperiod and measured indices of readiness to migrate (fat score, body mass) and breed (cloacal protuberance volume, baseline testosterone, and gonadotropin releasing hormone challenged testosterone). To estimate breeding latitude, we measured hydrogen isotopes in feathers grown the preceding year. As we predicted, we found a higher CPP in migrants than residents, and a higher CPP among migrants deriving from higher as opposed to lower latitudes. Migrants also terminated breeding earlier than residents, indicating a shorter breeding season. To our knowledge, this is a first demonstration of latitudinal variation in CPP-dependent reproductive timing in bird populations that co-exist in the non-breeding season but breed at different latitudes. We conclude that bird populations appear to exhibit local adaptation in reproductive timing by relying on differential CPP response that is predictive of future conditions on the breeding ground.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Singh
- Biology Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA; Environmental Resilience Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA.
| | - S M Reed
- Biology Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA
| | - A A Kimmitt
- Biology Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA
| | - K A Alford
- Biology Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA
| | - C A Stricker
- U.S. Geological Survey, Fort Collins Science Center, Denver, CO 80225, USA
| | - P D Polly
- Environmental Resilience Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA; Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA
| | - E D Ketterson
- Biology Department, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA; Environmental Resilience Institute, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47401, USA.
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5
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Linking ecology and cognition: does ecological specialisation predict cognitive test performance? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02923-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
AbstractVariation in cognitive abilities is thought to be linked to variation in brain size, which varies across species with either social factors (Social Intelligence Hypothesis) or ecological challenges (Ecological Intelligence Hypothesis). However, the nature of the ecological processes invoked by the Ecological Intelligence Hypothesis, like adaptations to certain habitat characteristics or dietary requirements, remains relatively poorly known. Here, we review comparative studies that experimentally investigated interspecific variation in cognitive performance in relation to a species’ degree of ecological specialisation. Overall, the relevant literature was biased towards studies of mammals and birds as well as studies focusing on ecological challenges related to diet. We separated ecological challenges into those related to searching for food, accessing a food item and memorising food locations. We found interspecific variation in cognitive performance that can be explained by adaptations to different foraging styles. Species-specific adaptations to certain ecological conditions, like food patch distribution, characteristics of food items or seasonality also broadly predicted variation in cognitive abilities. A species’ innovative problem-solving and spatial processing ability, for example, could be explained by its use of specific foraging techniques or search strategies, respectively. Further, habitat generalists were more likely to outperform habitat specialists. Hence, we found evidence that ecological adaptations and cognitive performance are linked and that the classification concept of ecological specialisation can explain variation in cognitive performance only with regard to habitat, but not dietary specialisation.
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6
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Seewagen CL. The threat of global mercury pollution to bird migration: potential mechanisms and current evidence. ECOTOXICOLOGY (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2020; 29:1254-1267. [PMID: 30159636 DOI: 10.1007/s10646-018-1971-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Mercury is a global pollutant that has been widely shown to adversely affect reproduction and other endpoints related to fitness and health in birds, but almost nothing is known about its effects on migration relative to other life cycle processes. Here I consider the physiological and histological effects that mercury is known to have on non-migrating birds and non-avian vertebrates to identify potential mechanisms by which mercury might hinder migration performance. I posit that the broad ability of mercury to inactivate enzymes and compromise the function of other proteins is a single mechanism by which mercury has strong potential to disrupt many of the physiological processes that make long-distance migration possible. In just this way alone, there is reason to expect mercury to interfere with navigation, flight endurance, oxidative balance, and stopover refueling. Navigation and flight could be further affected by neurotoxic effects of mercury on the brain regions that process geomagnetic information from the visual system and control biomechanics, respectively. Interference with photochemical reactions in the retina and decreases in scotopic vision sensitivity caused by mercury also have the potential to disrupt visual-based magnetic navigation. Finally, migration performance and possibly survival might be limited by the immunosuppressive effects of mercury on birds at a time when exposure to novel pathogens and parasites is great. I conclude that mercury pollution is likely to be further challenging what is already often the most difficult and perilous phase of a migratory bird's annual cycle, potentially contributing to global declines in migratory bird populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chad L Seewagen
- Great Hollow Nature Preserve & Ecological Research Center, 225 Route 37, New Fairfield, CT, USA.
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7
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Henrique EP, Oliveira MA, Paulo DC, Pereira PDC, Dias C, Siqueira LS, Lima CM, Miranda DDA, Rego PS, Araripe J, Melo MAD, Diniz DG, Morais Magalhães NG, Sherry DF, Picanço Diniz CW, Diniz CG. Contrasting migratory journeys and changes in hippocampal astrocyte morphology in shorebirds. Eur J Neurosci 2020; 54:5687-5704. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.14781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2019] [Revised: 04/26/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ediely Pereira Henrique
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Campus Bragança Bragança Pará Brazil
| | - Marcus Augusto Oliveira
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção no Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal do Pará Belém Pará Brazil
| | - Dario Carvalho Paulo
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção no Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal do Pará Belém Pará Brazil
| | - Patrick Douglas Corrêa Pereira
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Campus Bragança Bragança Pará Brazil
| | - Cleyssian Dias
- Curso de Pós‐Graduação em Zoologia Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi Universidade Federal do Pará Belém Pará Brazil
| | - Lucas Silva Siqueira
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Campus Bragança Bragança Pará Brazil
| | - Camila Mendes Lima
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção no Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal do Pará Belém Pará Brazil
| | - Diego de Almeida Miranda
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Campus Bragança Bragança Pará Brazil
| | - Péricles Sena Rego
- Instituto de Estudos Costeiros Universidade Federal do Pará Bragança Pará Brazil
| | - Juliana Araripe
- Instituto de Estudos Costeiros Universidade Federal do Pará Bragança Pará Brazil
| | - Mauro André Damasceno Melo
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Campus Bragança Bragança Pará Brazil
| | - Daniel Guerreiro Diniz
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção no Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal do Pará Belém Pará Brazil
- Instituto Evandro Chagas Laboratório de Miscroscopia Eletrônica Belém Pará Brazil
| | - Nara Gyzely Morais Magalhães
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Campus Bragança Bragança Pará Brazil
| | - David Francis Sherry
- Department of Psychology Advanced Facility for Avian Research University of Western Ontario London ON Canada
| | - Cristovam Wanderley Picanço Diniz
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção no Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto Instituto de Ciências Biológicas Universidade Federal do Pará Belém Pará Brazil
| | - Cristovam Guerreiro Diniz
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Campus Bragança Bragança Pará Brazil
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8
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Kok EMA, Hogan JA, Piersma T. Experimental tests of a seasonally changing visual preference for habitat in a long‐distance migratory shorebird. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Eva M. A. Kok
- Department of Coastal Systems NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University Den Burg The Netherlands
- Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Jerry A. Hogan
- Department of Psychology University of Toronto Toronto ON Canada
| | - Theunis Piersma
- Department of Coastal Systems NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University Den Burg The Netherlands
- Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
- Rudi Drent Chair in Global Flyway Ecology Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES) University of Groningen Groningen The Netherlands
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9
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Mendes de Lima C, Douglas Corrêa Pereira P, Pereira Henrique E, Augusto de Oliveira M, Carvalho Paulo D, Silva de Siqueira L, Guerreiro Diniz D, Almeida Miranda D, André Damasceno de Melo M, Gyzely de Morais Magalhães N, Francis Sherry D, Wanderley Picanço Diniz C, Guerreiro Diniz C. Differential Change in Hippocampal Radial Astrocytes and Neurogenesis in Shorebirds With Contrasting Migratory Routes. Front Neuroanat 2019; 13:82. [PMID: 31680881 PMCID: PMC6798042 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2019.00082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2019] [Accepted: 08/28/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Little is known about environmental influences on radial glia-like (RGL) α cells (radial astrocytes) and their relation to neurogenesis. Because radial glia is involved in adult neurogenesis and astrogenesis, we investigated this association in two migratory shorebird species that complete their autumnal migration using contrasting strategies. Before their flights to South America, the birds stop over at the Bay of Fundy in Canada. From there, the semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) crosses the Atlantic Ocean in a non-stop 5-day flight, whereas the semipalmated plover (Charadrius semipalmatus) flies primarily overland with stopovers for rest and feeding. From the hierarchical cluster analysis of multimodal morphometric features, followed by the discriminant analysis, the radial astrocytes were classified into two main morphotypes, Type I and Type II. After migration, we detected differential changes in the morphology of these cells that were more intense in Type I than in Type II in both species. We also compared the number of doublecortin (DCX)-immunolabeled neurons with morphometric features of radial glial-like α cells in the hippocampal V region between C. pusilla and C. semipalmatus before and after autumn migration. Compared to migrating birds, the convex hull surface area of radial astrocytes increased significantly in wintering individuals in both C. semipalmatus and C. pusilla. Although to a different extent we found a strong correlation between the increase in the convex hull surface area and the increase in the total number of DCX immunostained neurons in both species. Despite phylogenetic differences, it is of interest to note that the increased morphological complexity of radial astrocytes in C. semipalmatus coincides with the fact that during the migratory process over the continent, the visuospatial environment changes more intensely than that associated with migration over Atlantic. The migratory flight of the semipalmated plover, with stopovers for feeding and rest, vs. the non-stop flight of the semipalmated sandpiper may differentially affect radial astrocyte morphology and neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camila Mendes de Lima
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção no Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Patrick Douglas Corrêa Pereira
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia, Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Campus Bragança, Bragança, Brazil
| | - Ediely Pereira Henrique
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia, Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Campus Bragança, Bragança, Brazil
| | - Marcus Augusto de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção no Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Dario Carvalho Paulo
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção no Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Lucas Silva de Siqueira
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia, Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Campus Bragança, Bragança, Brazil
| | - Daniel Guerreiro Diniz
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção no Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil.,Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia, Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Campus Bragança, Bragança, Brazil
| | - Diego Almeida Miranda
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia, Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Campus Bragança, Bragança, Brazil
| | - Mauro André Damasceno de Melo
- Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia, Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Campus Bragança, Bragança, Brazil
| | - Nara Gyzely de Morais Magalhães
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção no Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - David Francis Sherry
- Advanced Facility for Avian Research, Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada
| | - Cristovam Wanderley Picanço Diniz
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção no Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Cristovam Guerreiro Diniz
- Laboratório de Investigações em Neurodegeneração e Infecção no Hospital Universitário João de Barros Barreto, Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil.,Laboratório de Biologia Molecular e Neuroecologia, Instituto Federal de Educação Ciência e Tecnologia do Pará, Campus Bragança, Bragança, Brazil
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10
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Spatial memory and cognitive flexibility trade-offs: to be or not to be flexible, that is the question. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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11
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Becker DJ, Talbott KM, Smiley TM, Clark KL, Sauer PE, Ketterson ED. Leukocyte profiles vary with breeding latitude and infection status in a seasonally sympatric songbird. ANIMAL MIGRATION 2019. [DOI: 10.1515/ami-2019-0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Billions of animals migrate annually in pursuit of food, safety, and reproduction. Long-distance migration can be energetically expensive, which can force tradeoffs with investment in other physiological systems (e.g., suppressing immunity). Understanding the physiological impacts of migration is important to predict when and where such animals may be vulnerable to parasites and how changes to migration might affect infectious disease risks. To isolate relationships between migration and physiology from energetic tradeoffs and hormonal shifts associated with spring reproduction, we assessed differences in leukocyte profiles between seasonally sympatric resident and recently arrived fall migrant dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) in the Appalachian Mountains. When examining heterophil:lymphocyte (HL) ratios, which can elevate for long durations after even mild stressors, we found weak associations with migratory strategy (resident or migrant subspecies). In contrast, feather δ2H values showed that HL ratios were highest for juncos breeding at more northern latitudes, and this relationship was strongest for birds that arrived at the overwintering site infected with haemosporidian parasites (Plasmodium and Haemoproteus spp.). These patterns were more pronounced and better indicated hematological responses to stressors when using multivariate analyses. Our findings suggest that short- and long-distance migration may be more energetically costly in the presence of infection and highlight how approximating breeding latitude and using multivariate analyses can help understand host physiology.
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12
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Ashton BJ, Thornton A, Ridley AR. An intraspecific appraisal of the social intelligence hypothesis. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170288. [PMID: 30104433 PMCID: PMC6107571 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0288] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The prevailing hypotheses for the evolution of cognition focus on either the demands associated with group living (the social intelligence hypothesis (SIH)) or ecological challenges such as finding food. Comparative studies testing these hypotheses have generated highly conflicting results; consequently, our understanding of the drivers of cognitive evolution remains limited. To understand how selection shapes cognition, research must incorporate an intraspecific approach, focusing on the causes and consequences of individual variation in cognition. Here, we review the findings of recent intraspecific cognitive research to investigate the predictions of the SIH. Extensive evidence from our own research on Australian magpies (Cracticus tibicen dorsalis), and a number of other taxa, suggests that individuals in larger social groups exhibit elevated cognitive performance and, in some cases, elevated reproductive fitness. Not only do these findings demonstrate how the social environment has the potential to shape cognitive evolution, but crucially, they demonstrate the importance of considering both genetic and developmental factors when attempting to explain the causes of cognitive variation.This article is part of the theme issue 'Causes and consequences of individual differences in cognitive abilities'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Ashton
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, University of Western Australia, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Alex Thornton
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Exeter TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Amanda R Ridley
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, University of Western Australia, Western Australia 6009, Australia
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13
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Mazengenya P, Bhagwandin A, Manger PR, Ihunwo AO. Putative Adult Neurogenesis in Old World Parrots: The Congo African Grey Parrot ( Psittacus erithacus) and Timneh Grey Parrot ( Psittacus timneh). Front Neuroanat 2018; 12:7. [PMID: 29487507 PMCID: PMC5816827 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2018.00007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the current study, we examined for the first time, the potential for adult neurogenesis throughout the brain of the Congo African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) and Timneh grey parrot (Psittacus timneh) using immunohistochemistry for the endogenous markers proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), which labels proliferating cells, and doublecortin (DCX), which stains immature and migrating neurons. A similar distribution of PCNA and DCX immunoreactivity was found throughout the brain of the Congo African grey and Timneh grey parrots, but minor differences were also observed. In both species of parrots, PCNA and DCX immunoreactivity was observed in the olfactory bulbs, subventricular zone of the lateral wall of the lateral ventricle, telencephalic subdivisions of the pallium and subpallium, diencephalon, mesencephalon and the rhombencephalon. The olfactory bulb and telencephalic subdivisions exhibited a higher density of both PCNA and DCX immunoreactive cells than any other brain region. DCX immunoreactive staining was stronger in the telencephalon than in the subtelencephalic structures. There was evidence of proliferative hot spots in the dorsal and ventral poles of the lateral ventricle in the Congo African grey parrots at rostral levels, whereas only the dorsal accumulation of proliferating cells was observed in the Timneh grey parrot. In most pallial regions the density of PCNA and DCX stained cells increased from rostral to caudal levels with the densest staining in the nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL). The widespread distribution of PCNA and DCX in the brains of both parrot species suggest the importance of adult neurogenesis and neuronal plasticity during learning and adaptation to external environmental variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedzisai Mazengenya
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Adhil Bhagwandin
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Paul R Manger
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Amadi O Ihunwo
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Hippocampal neurogenesis and volume in migrating and wintering semipalmated sandpipers (Calidris pusilla). PLoS One 2017; 12:e0179134. [PMID: 28591201 PMCID: PMC5462419 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0179134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2017] [Accepted: 05/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Long distance migratory birds find their way by sensing and integrating information from a large number of cues in their environment. These cues are essential to navigate over thousands of kilometers and reach the same breeding, stopover, and wintering sites every year. The semipalmated sandpiper (Calidris pusilla) is a long-distance migrant that breeds in the arctic tundra of Canada and Alaska and winters on the northeast coast of South America. Its fall migration includes a 5,300-kilometer nonstop flight over the Atlantic Ocean. The avian hippocampus has been proposed to play a central role in the integration of multisensory spatial information for navigation. Hippocampal neurogenesis may contribute to hippocampal function and a variety of factors including cognitive activity, exercise, enrichment, diet and stress influence neurogenesis in the hippocampus. We quantified hippocampal neurogenesis and volume in adult migrating and wintering semipalmated sandpipers using stereological counts of doublecortin (DCX) immunolabeled immature neurons. We found that birds captured in the coastal region of Bragança, Brazil during the wintering period had more DCX positive neurons and larger volume in the hippocampus than individuals captured in the Bay of Fundy, Canada during fall migration. We also estimate the number of NeuN immunolabeled cells in migrating and wintering birds and found no significant differences between them. These findings suggest that, at this time window, neurogenesis just replaced neurons that might be lost during the transatlantic flight. Our findings also show that in active fall migrating birds, a lower level of adult hippocampal neurogenesis is associated with a smaller hippocampal formation. High levels of adult hippocampal neurogenesis and a larger hippocampal formation found in wintering birds may be late occurring effects of long distance migratory flight or the result of conditions the birds experienced while wintering.
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15
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Barkan S, Yom-Tov Y, Barnea A. Exploring the Relationship between Brain Plasticity, Migratory Lifestyle, and Social Structure in Birds. Front Neurosci 2017; 11:139. [PMID: 28396621 PMCID: PMC5367377 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2017.00139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2016] [Accepted: 03/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies in Passerines have found that migrating species recruit more new neurons into brain regions that process spatial information, compared with resident species. This was explained by the greater exposure of migrants to spatial information, indicating that this phenomenon enables enhanced navigational abilities. The aim of the current study was to test this hypothesis in another order-the Columbiformes - using two closely-related dove species-the migrant turtle-dove (Streptopelia turtur) and the resident laughing dove (S. senegalensis), during spring, summer, and autumn. Wild birds were caught, treated with BrdU, and sacrificed 5 weeks later. New neurons were recorded in the hyperpallium apicale, hippocampus and nidopallium caudolaterale regions. We found that in doves, unlike passerines, neuronal recruitment was lower in brains of the migratory species compared with the resident one. This might be due to the high sociality of doves, which forage and migrate in flocks, and therefore can rely on communal spatial knowledge that might enable a reduction in individual navigation efforts. This, in turn, might enable reduced levels of neuronal recruitment. Additionally, we found that unlike in passerines, seasonality does not affect neuronal recruitment in doves. This might be due to their non-territorial and explorative behavior, which exposes them to substantial spatial information all year round. Finally, we discuss the differences in neuronal recruitment between Columbiformes and Passeriformes and their possible evolutionary explanations. Our study emphasizes the need to further investigate this phenomenon in other avian orders and in additional species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shay Barkan
- Department of Zoology, Tel-Aviv University Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Yoram Yom-Tov
- Department of Zoology, Tel-Aviv University Tel-Aviv, Israel
| | - Anat Barnea
- Department of Natural and Life Sciences, The Open University of Israel Ra'anana, Israel
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16
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The avian hippocampus and the hypothetical maps used by navigating migratory birds (with some reflection on compasses and migratory restlessness). J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 203:465-474. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1161-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2016] [Revised: 02/16/2017] [Accepted: 02/21/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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17
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Ability to reorient is weakly correlated with central-place versus non-central-place foraging in acacia ants. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2262-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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18
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Vincze O, Vágási CI, Pap PL, Osváth G, Møller AP. Brain regions associated with visual cues are important for bird migration. Biol Lett 2016; 11:rsbl.2015.0678. [PMID: 26538538 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.0678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Long-distance migratory birds have relatively smaller brains than short-distance migrants or residents. Here, we test whether reduction in brain size with migration distance can be generalized across the different brain regions suggested to play key roles in orientation during migration. Based on 152 bird species, belonging to 61 avian families from six continents, we show that the sizes of both the telencephalon and the whole brain decrease, and the relative size of the optic lobe increases, while cerebellum size does not change with increasing migration distance. Body mass, whole brain size, optic lobe size and wing aspect ratio together account for a remarkable 46% of interspecific variation in average migration distance across bird species. These results indicate that visual acuity might be a primary neural adaptation to the ecological challenge of migration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orsolya Vincze
- MTA-DE 'Lendület' Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Egytem tér 1, 4032, Debrecen, Hungary Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Clinicilor Street 5-7, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Csongor I Vágási
- MTA-DE 'Lendület' Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Egytem tér 1, 4032, Debrecen, Hungary Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Clinicilor Street 5-7, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Péter L Pap
- MTA-DE 'Lendület' Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Egytem tér 1, 4032, Debrecen, Hungary Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Clinicilor Street 5-7, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Gergely Osváth
- MTA-DE 'Lendület' Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology, University of Debrecen, Egytem tér 1, 4032, Debrecen, Hungary Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Clinicilor Street 5-7, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania Museum of Zoology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Clinicilor Street 5-7, 400006, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Anders Pape Møller
- Laboratoire d'Ecologie, Systématique et Evolution, CNRS UMR 8079, Université Paris-Sud, Bâtiment 362, 91405 Orsay Cedex, France
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Scriba MF, Gasparini J, Jacquin L, Mettke-Hofmann C, Rattenborg NC, Roulin A. The effect of food quality during growth on spatial memory consolidation in adult pigeons. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 220:573-581. [PMID: 27913599 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.152454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Poor environmental conditions experienced during early development can have negative long-term consequences on fitness. Animals can compensate for negative developmental effects through phenotypic plasticity by diverting resources from non-vital to vital traits such as spatial memory to enhance foraging efficiency. We tested in young feral pigeons (Columba livia) how diets of different nutritional value during development affect the capacity to retrieve food hidden in a spatially complex environment, a process we refer to as 'spatial memory'. Parents were fed with either high- or low-quality food from egg laying until young fledged, after which all young pigeons received the same high-quality diet until memory performance was tested at 6 months of age. The pigeons were trained to learn a food location out of 18 possible locations in one session, and then their memory of this location was tested 24 h later. Birds reared with the low-quality diet made fewer errors in the memory test. These results demonstrate that food quality during development has long-lasting effects on memory, with a moderate nutritional deficit improving spatial memory performance in a foraging context. It might be that under poor feeding conditions resources are redirected from non-vital to vital traits, or pigeons raised with low-quality food might be better in using environmental cues such as the position of the sun to find where food was hidden.
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Affiliation(s)
- M F Scriba
- Avian Sleep Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-str.5, Seewiesen 82319, Germany .,Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - J Gasparini
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, Paris F-75005, France
| | - L Jacquin
- Laboratoire Evolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB), Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, UPS; CNRS; ENFA, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse 31062, France
| | - C Mettke-Hofmann
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, James Parsons Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
| | - N C Rattenborg
- Avian Sleep Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-str.5, Seewiesen 82319, Germany
| | - A Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
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20
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LaDage LD. Factors That Modulate Neurogenesis: A Top-Down Approach. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2016; 87:184-190. [PMID: 27560485 DOI: 10.1159/000446906] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Although hippocampal neurogenesis in the adult brain has been conserved across the vertebrate lineage, laboratory studies have primarily examined this phenomenon in rodent models. This approach has been successful in elucidating important factors and mechanisms that can modulate rates of hippocampal neurogenesis, including hormones, environmental complexity, learning and memory, motor stimulation, and stress. However, recent studies have found that neurobiological research on neurogenesis in rodents may not easily translate to, or explain, neurogenesis patterns in nonrodent systems, particularly in species examined in the field. This review examines some of the evolutionary and ecological variables that may also modulate neurogenesis patterns. This 'top-down' and more naturalistic approach, which incorporates ecology and natural history, particularly of nonmodel species, may allow for a more comprehensive understanding of the functional significance of neurogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara D LaDage
- Division of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Penn State University Altoona, Altoona, Pa., USA
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21
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Vincze O. Light enough to travel or wise enough to stay? Brain size evolution and migratory behavior in birds. Evolution 2016; 70:2123-33. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2016] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Orsolya Vincze
- MTA-DE “Lendület” Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Evolutionary Zoology and Human Biology; University of Debrecen; Debrecen H-4032 Hungary
- Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology; Babeş-Bolyai University; Cluj-Napoca 400006 Romania
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22
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Meskenaite V, Krackow S, Lipp HP. Age-Dependent Neurogenesis and Neuron Numbers within the Olfactory Bulb and Hippocampus of Homing Pigeons. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 10:126. [PMID: 27445724 PMCID: PMC4916210 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/17/2016] [Accepted: 06/06/2016] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Many birds are supreme long-distance navigators that develop their navigational ability in the first months after fledgling but update the memorized environmental information needed for navigation also later in life. We studied the extent of juvenile and adult neurogenesis that could provide such age-related plasticity in brain regions known to mediate different mechanisms of pigeon homing: the olfactory bulb (OB), and the triangular area of the hippocampal formation (HP tr). Newly generated neurons (visualized by doublecortin, DCX) and mature neurons were counted stereologically in 35 pigeon brains ranging from 1 to 168 months of age. At the age of 1 month, both areas showed maximal proportions of DCX positive neurons, which rapidly declined during the first year of life. In the OB, the number of DCX-positive periglomerular neurons declined further over time, but the number of mature periglomerular cells appeared unchanged. In the hippocampus, the proportion of DCX-positive neurons showed a similar decline yet to a lesser extent. Remarkably, in the triangular area of the hippocampus, the oldest birds showed nearly twice the number of neurons as compared to young adult pigeons, suggesting that adult born neurons in these regions expanded the local circuitry even in aged birds. This increase might reflect navigational experience and, possibly, expanded spatial memory. On the other hand, the decrease of juvenile neurons in the aging OB without adding new circuitry might be related to the improved attachment to the loft characterizing adult and old pigeons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Meskenaite
- Institute of Anatomy, University of ZurichZurich, Switzerland; The Interface Group, Institute of Physiology, University of ZurichZurich, Switzerland
| | - Sven Krackow
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hans-Peter Lipp
- Institute of Anatomy, University of ZurichZurich, Switzerland; Department of Physiology, School of Medical Sciences, Kwazulu-Natal UniversityDurban, South Africa; Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of ZurichZurich, Switzerland
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23
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Mettke-Hofmann C. Avian movements in a modern world: cognitive challenges. Anim Cogn 2016; 20:77-86. [PMID: 27287625 PMCID: PMC5274642 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-016-1006-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2016] [Revised: 05/17/2016] [Accepted: 05/31/2016] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Different movement patterns have evolved as a response to predictable and unpredictable variation in the environment with migration being an adaptation to predictable environments, nomadism to unpredictable environments and partial migration to a mixture of predictable and unpredictable conditions. Along different movement patterns, different cognitive abilities have evolved which are reviewed and discussed in relation to an organism’s ability to respond to largely unpredictable environmental change due to climate and human-induced change, and linked to population trends. In brief, migrants have a combination of reliance on memory, low propensity to explore and high avoidance of environmental change that in combination with overall small brain sizes results in low flexibility to respond to unpredictable environmental change. In line with this, many migrants have negative population trends. In contrast, while nomads may use their memory to find suitable habitats, they can counteract negative effects of finding such habitats disturbed by large-scale exploratory movements and paying attention to environmental cues. They are also little avoidant of environmental change. Population trends are largely stable or increasing indicating their ability to cope with climate and human-induced change. Cognitive abilities in partial migrants are little investigated, but indicate attention to environmental cues coupled with high exploratory tendencies that allow them a flexible response to unpredictable environmental change. Indeed, their population trends are mainly stable or increasing. In conclusion, cognitive abilities have evolved in conjunction with different movement patterns and affect an organism’s ability to adapt to rapidly human-induced changes in the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Mettke-Hofmann
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, L3 3AF, UK.
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24
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Environmental experiences influence cortical volume in territorial and nonterritorial side-blotched lizards, Uta stansburiana. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.01.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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25
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Fudickar AM, Greives TJ, Atwell JW, Stricker CA, Ketterson ED. Reproductive Allochrony in Seasonally Sympatric Populations Maintained by Differential Response to Photoperiod: Implications for Population Divergence and Response to Climate Change. Am Nat 2016; 187:436-46. [DOI: 10.1086/685296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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26
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Brain contrasts between migratory and nonmigratory North American lark sparrows (Chondestes grammacus). Neuroreport 2015; 26:1011-6. [DOI: 10.1097/wnr.0000000000000460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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27
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Herold C, Coppola VJ, Bingman VP. The maturation of research into the avian hippocampal formation: Recent discoveries from one of the nature's foremost navigators. Hippocampus 2015; 25:1193-211. [DOI: 10.1002/hipo.22463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/27/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Christina Herold
- C. & O. Vogt-Institute of Brain Research, University of Düsseldorf; Düsseldorf Germany
| | - Vincent J. Coppola
- Department of Psychology; J. P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Bowling Green State University; Bowling Green Ohio
| | - Verner P. Bingman
- Department of Psychology; J. P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Bowling Green State University; Bowling Green Ohio
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28
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Sherry DF, MacDougall-Shackleton SA. Seasonal change in the avian hippocampus. Front Neuroendocrinol 2015; 37:158-67. [PMID: 25497862 DOI: 10.1016/j.yfrne.2014.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2014] [Revised: 11/28/2014] [Accepted: 11/30/2014] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
The hippocampus plays an important role in cognitive processes, including memory and spatial orientation, in birds. The hippocampus undergoes seasonal change in food-storing birds and brood parasites, there are changes in the hippocampus during breeding, and further changes occur in some species in association with migration. In food-storing birds, seasonal change in the hippocampus occurs in fall and winter when the cognitively demanding behaviour of caching and retrieving food occurs. The timing of annual change in the hippocampus of food-storing birds is quite variable, however, and appears not to be under photoperiod control. A variety of factors, including cognitive performance, exercise, and stress may all influence seasonal change in the avian hippocampus. The causal processes underlying seasonal change in the avian hippocampus have not been extensively examined and the more fully described hormonal influences on the mammalian hippocampus may provide hypotheses for investigating the control of hippocampal seasonality in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- David F Sherry
- Departments of Psychology and Biology, Advanced Facility for Avian Research, University of Western Ontario, Canada.
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29
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Barkan S, Yom-Tov Y, Barnea A. A possible relation between new neuronal recruitment and migratory behavior inAcrocephaluswarblers. Dev Neurobiol 2014; 74:1194-209. [DOI: 10.1002/dneu.22198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2014] [Revised: 05/28/2014] [Accepted: 06/02/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shay Barkan
- Department of Zoology; Tel-Aviv University; Tel-Aviv 61391 Israel
| | - Yoram Yom-Tov
- Department of Zoology; Tel-Aviv University; Tel-Aviv 61391 Israel
| | - Anat Barnea
- Department of Natural and Life Sciences; The Open University of Israel; Ra'anana 43107 Israel
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30
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Mettke-Hofmann C. Cognitive ecology: ecological factors, life-styles, and cognition. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. COGNITIVE SCIENCE 2014; 5:345-60. [PMID: 26308568 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.1289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2013] [Revised: 01/30/2014] [Accepted: 02/05/2014] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Cognitive ecology integrates cognition, ecology, and neurobiology in one topic and has recently broadened into an exciting diversity of themes covering the entire range of cognition and ecological conditions. The review identifies three major environmental factors interacting with cognition: environmental variation (predictable and unpredictable), environmental complexity and predation. Generally, variable environments favor cognitive abilities such as exploration, learning, innovation, memory and also result in larger brains as compared to stable environments. Likewise, cognition is enhanced in complex versus simple environments, whereas the relationship between predation and cognitive abilities can be positive or negative. However, organisms have often evolved entire life-styles (e.g., residency versus migration, food-caching versus noncaching, generalism versus specialism) to deal with these environmental factors. Considering cognition within this framework provides a much more diverse picture of how cognitive abilities evolved in conjunction with other adaptations to environmental challenges. This integrated approach identifies gaps of knowledge and allows the formulation of hypotheses for future testing. Several recently emerged approaches study cognitive abilities at a new and in part highly integrated level. For example, the effect that environment has on the development of cognitive abilities during ontogeny will improve our understanding about cause and effect and gene-environment interactions. Together with two recently emerged highly integrative approaches that link personality and pace-of-life syndromes with cognitive ecology these new directions will improve insight how cognition is interlinked with other major organizational processes. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. CONFLICT OF INTEREST The author has declared no conflicts of interest for this article.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia Mettke-Hofmann
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
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31
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Mettke-Hofmann C, Wink M, Braun M, Winkler H. Residency and a Broad Feeding Spectrum are Related to Extensive Spatial Exploration in Parrots*. Behav Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ars130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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32
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Barker JM, Boonstra R, Wojtowicz JM. From pattern to purpose: how comparative studies contribute to understanding the function of adult neurogenesis. Eur J Neurosci 2012; 34:963-77. [PMID: 21929628 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2011.07823.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The study of adult neurogenesis has had an explosion of fruitful growth. Yet numerous uncertainties and challenges persist. Our review begins with a survey of species that show evidence of adult neurogenesis. We then discuss how neurogenesis varies across brain regions and point out that regional specializations can indicate functional adaptations. Lifespan and aging are key life-history traits. Whereas 'adult neurogenesis' is the common term in the literature, it does not reflect the reality of neurogenesis being primarily a 'juvenile' phenomenon. We discuss the sharp decline with age as a universal trait of neurogenesis with inevitable functional consequences. Finally, the main body of the review focuses on the function of neurogenesis in birds and mammals. Selected examples illustrate how our understanding of avian and mammalian neurogenesis can complement each other. It is clear that although the two phyla have some common features, the function of adult neurogenesis may not be similar between them and filling the gaps will help us understand neurogenesis as an evolutionarily conserved trait to meet particular ecological pressures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer M Barker
- GIGA Neurosciences, University of Liège, 1 avenue de l'Hôpital, B-4000 Liège, Belgium.
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33
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Barnea A, Pravosudov V. Birds as a model to study adult neurogenesis: bridging evolutionary, comparative and neuroethological approaches. Eur J Neurosci 2011; 34:884-907. [PMID: 21929623 PMCID: PMC3177424 DOI: 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2011.07851.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
During the last few decades, evidence has demonstrated that adult neurogenesis is a well-preserved feature throughout the animal kingdom. In birds, ongoing neuronal addition occurs rather broadly, to a number of brain regions. This review describes adult avian neurogenesis and neuronal recruitment, discusses factors that regulate these processes, and touches upon the question of their genetic control. Several attributes make birds an extremely advantageous model to study neurogenesis. First, song learning exhibits seasonal variation that is associated with seasonal variation in neuronal turnover in some song control brain nuclei, which seems to be regulated via adult neurogenesis. Second, food-caching birds naturally use memory-dependent behavior in learning the locations of thousands of food caches scattered over their home ranges. In comparison with other birds, food-caching species have relatively enlarged hippocampi with more neurons and intense neurogenesis, which appears to be related to spatial learning. Finally, migratory behavior and naturally occurring social systems in birds also provide opportunities to investigate neurogenesis. This diversity of naturally occurring memory-based behaviors, combined with the fact that birds can be studied both in the wild and in the laboratory, make them ideal for investigation of neural processes underlying learning. This can be done by using various approaches, from evolutionary and comparative to neuroethological and molecular. Finally, we connect the avian arena to a broader view by providing a brief comparative and evolutionary overview of adult neurogenesis and by discussing the possible functional role of the new neurons. We conclude by indicating future directions and possible medical applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anat Barnea
- Department of Natural and Life Sciences, The Open University of Israel, PO Box 808, Ra'anana 43107, Israel.
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Roth TC, LaDage LD, Freas CA, Pravosudov VV. Variation in memory and the hippocampus across populations from different climates: a common garden approach. Proc Biol Sci 2011; 279:402-10. [PMID: 21715407 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.1020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Selection for enhanced cognitive traits is hypothesized to produce enhancements to brain structures that support those traits. Although numerous studies suggest that this pattern is robust, there are several mechanisms that may produce this association. First, cognitive traits and their neural underpinnings may be fixed as a result of differential selection on cognitive function within specific environments. Second, these relationships may be the product of the selection for plasticity, where differences are produced owing to an individual's experiences in the environment. Alternatively, the relationship may be a complex function of experience, genetics and/or epigenetic effects. Using a well-studied model species (black-capped chickadee, Poecile atricapillus), we have for the first time, to our knowledge, addressed these hypotheses. We found that differences in hippocampal (Hp) neuron number, neurogenesis and spatial memory previously observed in wild chickadees persisted in hand-raised birds from the same populations, even when birds were raised in an identical environment. These findings reject the hypothesis that variation in these traits is owing solely to differences in memory-based experiences in different environments. Moreover, neuron number and neurogenesis were strikingly similar between captive-raised and wild birds from the same populations, further supporting the genetic hypothesis. Hp volume, however, did not differ between the captive-raised populations, yet was very different in their wild counterparts, supporting the experience hypothesis. Our results indicate that the production of some Hp factors may be inherited and largely independent of environmental experiences in adult life, regardless of their magnitude, in animals under high selection pressure for memory, while traits such as volume may be more plastic and modified by the environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy C Roth
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
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McGuire LP, Ratcliffe JM. Light enough to travel: migratory bats have smaller brains, but not larger hippocampi, than sedentary species. Biol Lett 2010; 7:233-6. [PMID: 20880862 PMCID: PMC3061165 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2010.0744] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Migratory bird species have smaller brains than non-migratory species. The behavioural flexibility/migratory precursor hypothesis suggests that sedentary birds have larger brains to allow the behavioural flexibility required in a seasonally variable habitat. The energy trade-off hypothesis proposes that brains are heavy, energetically expensive and therefore, incompatible with migration. Here, we compared relative brain, neocortex and hippocampus volume between migratory and sedentary bats at the species-level and using phylogenetically independent contrasts. We found that migratory bats had relatively smaller brains and neocortices than sedentary species. Our results support the energy trade-off hypothesis because bats do not exhibit the same degree of flexibility in diet selection as sedentary birds. Our results also suggest that bat brain size differences are subtler than those found in birds, perhaps owing to bats' shorter migration distances. Conversely, we found no difference in relative hippocampus volume between migratory and sedentary species, underscoring our limited understanding of the role of the hippocampus in bats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam P McGuire
- Department of Biology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada.
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LaDage LD, Roth TC, Pravosudov VV. Hippocampal neurogenesis is associated with migratory behaviour in adult but not juvenile sparrows (Zonotrichia leucophrys ssp.). Proc Biol Sci 2010; 278:138-43. [PMID: 20659933 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2010.0861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been hypothesized that individuals who have higher demands for spatially based behaviours should show increases in hippocampal attributes. Some avian species have been shown to use a spatially based representation of their environment during migration. Further, differences in hippocampal attributes have been shown between migratory and non-migratory subspecies as well as between individuals with and without migratory experience (juveniles versus adults). We tested whether migratory behaviour might also be associated with increased hippocampal neurogenesis, and whether potential differences track previously reported differences in hippocampal attributes between a migratory (Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii) and non-migratory subspecies (Z. l. nuttalli) of white-crowned sparrows. We found that non-migratory adults had relatively fewer numbers of immature hippocampal neurons than adult migratory birds, while adult non-migrants had a lower density of new hippocampal neurons than adult and juvenile migratory birds and juvenile non-migratory birds. Our results suggest that neurogenesis decreases with age, as juveniles, regardless of migratory status, exhibit similar and higher levels of neurogenesis than non-migratory adults. However, our results also suggest that adult migrants may either seasonally increase or maintain neurogenesis levels comparable to those found in juveniles. Our results thus suggest that migratory behaviour in adults is associated with maintained or increased neurogenesis and the differential production of new neurons may be the mechanism underpinning changes in the hippocampal architecture between adult migratory and non-migratory birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lara D LaDage
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, , 1664 North Virginia Street, MS 314, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
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Maury DL, Mauch RJ, Hammer AN, Bingman VP. Spatial and feature-based memory representation in free-flying homing pigeons. Anim Cogn 2010; 13:733-43. [DOI: 10.1007/s10071-010-0324-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2010] [Revised: 04/21/2010] [Accepted: 04/22/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Roth TC, Brodin A, Smulders TV, LaDage LD, Pravosudov VV. Is bigger always better? A critical appraisal of the use of volumetric analysis in the study of the hippocampus. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2010; 365:915-31. [PMID: 20156816 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2009.0208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
A well-developed spatial memory is important for many animals, but appears especially important for scatter-hoarding species. Consequently, the scatter-hoarding system provides an excellent paradigm in which to study the integrative aspects of memory use within an ecological and evolutionary framework. One of the main tenets of this paradigm is that selection for enhanced spatial memory for cache locations should specialize the brain areas involved in memory. One such brain area is the hippocampus (Hp). Many studies have examined this adaptive specialization hypothesis, typically relating spatial memory to Hp volume. However, it is unclear how the volume of the Hp is related to its function for spatial memory. Thus, the goal of this article is to evaluate volume as a main measurement of the degree of morphological and physiological adaptation of the Hp as it relates to memory. We will briefly review the evidence for the specialization of memory in food-hoarding animals and discuss the philosophy behind volume as the main currency. We will then examine the problems associated with this approach, attempting to understand the advantages and limitations of using volume and discuss alternatives that might yield more specific hypotheses. Overall, there is strong evidence that the Hp is involved in the specialization of spatial memory in scatter-hoarding animals. However, volume may be only a coarse proxy for more relevant and subtle changes in the structure of the brain underlying changes in behaviour. To better understand the nature of this brain/memory relationship, we suggest focusing on more specific and relevant features of the Hp, such as the number or size of neurons, variation in connectivity depending on dendritic and axonal arborization and the number of synapses. These should generate more specific hypotheses derived from a solid theoretical background and should provide a better understanding of both neural mechanisms of memory and their evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy C Roth
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
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Roth TC, Rattenborg NC, Pravosudov VV. The ecological relevance of sleep: the trade-off between sleep, memory and energy conservation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2010; 365:945-59. [PMID: 20156818 PMCID: PMC2830243 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2009.0209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
All animals in which sleep has been studied express signs of sleep-like behaviour, suggesting that sleep must have some fundamental functions that are sustained by natural selection. Those functions, however, are still not clear. Here, we examine the ecological relevance of sleep from the perspective of behavioural trade-offs that might affect fitness. Specifically, we highlight the advantage of using food-caching animals as a system in which a conflict might occur between engaging in sleep for memory/learning and hypothermia/torpor to conserve energy. We briefly review the evidence for the importance of sleep for memory, the importance of memory for food-caching animals and the conflicts that might occur between sleep and energy conservation in these animals. We suggest that the food-caching paradigm represents a naturalistic and experimentally practical system that provides the opportunity for a new direction in sleep research that will expand our understanding of sleep, especially within the context of ecological and evolutionary processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy C Roth
- Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, NV 89557, USA.
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Keagy J, Savard JF, Borgia G. Male satin bowerbird problem-solving ability predicts mating success. Anim Behav 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.07.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Mettke-Hofmann C, Lorentzen S, Schlicht E, Schneider J, Werner F. Spatial Neophilia and Spatial Neophobia in Resident and Migratory Warblers (Sylvia). Ethology 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2009.01632.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Pravosudov VV, Sanford K, Hahn TP. On the evolution of brain size in relation to migratory behaviour in birds. Anim Behav 2007; 73:535-539. [PMID: 18311316 PMCID: PMC1865118 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2006.10.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Migratory birds appear to have relatively smaller brain size compared to sedentary species. It has been hypothesized that initial differences in brain size underlying behavioural flexibility drove the evolution of migratory behaviour; birds with relatively large brains evolved sedentary habits and those with relatively small brains evolved migratory behaviour (migratory precursor hypothesis). Alternative hypotheses suggest that changes in brain size might follow different behavioural strategies and that sedentary species might have evolved larger brains because of differences in selection pressures on brain size in migratory and nonmigratory species. Here we present the first evidence arguing against the migratory precursor hypothesis. We compared relative brain volume of three subspecies of the white-crowned sparrow: sedentary Zonotrichia leucophrys nuttalli and migratory Z. l. gambelii and Z. l. oriantha. Within the five subspecies of the white-crowned sparrow, only Z. l. nuttalli is strictly sedentary. The sedentary behaviour of Z. l. nuttalli is probably a derived trait, because Z. l. nuttalli appears to be the most recent subspecies and because all species ancestral to Zonotrichia as well as all older subspecies of Z. leucophrys are migratory. Compared to migratory Z. l. gambelii and Z. l. oriantha, we found that sedentary Z. l. nuttalli had a significantly larger relative brain volume, suggesting that the larger brain of Z. l. nuttalli evolved after a switch to sedentary behaviour. Thus, in this group, brain size does not appear to be a precursor to the evolution of migratory or sedentary behaviour but rather an evolutionary consequence of a change in migratory strategy.
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Pravosudov VV, Kitaysky AS, Omanska A. The relationship between migratory behaviour, memory and the hippocampus: an intraspecific comparison. Proc Biol Sci 2006; 273:2641-9. [PMID: 17002950 PMCID: PMC1635458 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2006.3624] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been hypothesized that memory-demanding ecological conditions might result in enhanced memory and an enlarged hippocampus, an area of the brain involved in memory processing, either via extensive memory experience or through evolutionary changes. Avian migration appears to represent one of such memory-demanding ecological conditions. We compared two subspecies of the white-crowned sparrow: migratory Zonotrichia leucophrys gambelii and non-migratory Z. l. nuttalli. Compared to non-migratory Z. l. nuttalli, migratory Z. l. gambelii showed better memory performance on spatial one-trial associative learning tasks and had more hippocampal neurons. Migratory subspecies also had larger hippocampi relative to the remainder of the telencephalon but not relative to body mass. In adults, the differences between migratory and non-migratory sparrows were especially pronounced in the right hippocampus. Juvenile migratory Z. l. gambelii had relatively larger hippocampal volume compared to juvenile non-migratory Z. l. nuttalli. Adult migratory Z. l. gambelii had more neurons in their right hippocampus compared to juveniles but such differences were not found in non-migratory Z. l. nuttalli. Our results suggest that migratory behaviour might be related to enhanced spatial memory and an enlarged hippocampus with more neurons, and that differences in the hippocampus between migratory and non-migratory sparrows might be experience-dependent. Furthermore, for the first time our results suggest that the right hippocampus, which encodes global spatial information, might be involved in migratory behaviour.
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Bingman V, Cheng K. Mechanisms of animal global navigation: comparative perspectives and enduring challenges. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2005. [DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2005.9522584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Garamszegi LZ, Eens M. The evolution of hippocampus volume and brain size in relation to food hoarding in birds. Ecol Lett 2004. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2004.00685.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Abstract
In many birds, reproduction, molt, migration and other seasonal activities are controlled by endogenous circannual rhythmicity. Under constant conditions, this rhythm persists for many cycles with a period deviating from 12 months. Whether or not the rhythm is expressed depends on day length (photoperiod), which thus represents an important permissive factor in the process of rhythm generation. In nature, circannual rhythms are usually synchronized by the seasonal changes in photoperiod. However, equatorial birds may use daytime light intensity, which changes with the annual cycle of dry and rainy seasons, as a synchronizing zeitgeber. Photoperiod also modulates the rate of progress of the successive phases of the rhythmicity, such that an optimal adjustment to the annual environmental cycle is guaranteed. Populations of a given species may differ in their responsiveness to photoperiod in a manner that can be described as 'adaptive population-specific reaction norms'. In young migratory songbirds a circannual program determines changes in migratory direction and, at least partly, the time course and distance of migration. This circannual mechanism is replaced or supplemented in older birds by mechanisms formed on the basis of learning and memory. In general, circannual rhythms are intimately involved in the seasonal organization of a bird's behavior, providing the substrate onto which seasonal environmental factors act.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eberhard Gwinner
- Max Planck Research Center for Ornithology, Department of Biological Rhythms and Behavior, Von-der-Tann-Str. 7, D 82346 Andechs, Germany.
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