1
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Tomonaga M, Haraguchi D, Wilkinson A. Slowly walking down to the more food: relative quantity discrimination in African spurred tortoises (Centrochelys sulcata). Anim Cogn 2023; 26:1675-1683. [PMID: 37477740 PMCID: PMC10442272 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01812-y] [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: 03/24/2023] [Revised: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Quantity discrimination, is thought to be highly adaptive as it allows an organism to select greater amounts of food or larger social groups. In contrast to mammals, the processes underlying this ability are not as well understood in reptiles. This study examined the effects of ratio and number size on relative quantity discrimination in African spurred tortoises (Centrochelys sulcata). To assess these effects, tortoises were presented with trays containing favored food pieces in all possible number combinations between 1 and 7. The tortoises had to approach the tray they perceived as having the larger quantity. If correct, they received one piece of food as reinforcement. The results revealed that relative quantity discrimination was influenced by the ratio between the numbers of pieces, with performance improving as the ratio between the numbers increased. This finding suggests that the approximate number system or analogue magnitude estimation may control their behavior. However, as the number size increased, their performance declined, also suggesting that the approximate number system alone could not explain the present results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masaki Tomonaga
- Japan Monkey Centre, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-0081, Japan.
- University of Human Environments, Matsuyama, Ehime, 790-0825, Japan.
| | | | - Anna Wilkinson
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, LN6 7DL, UK.
- Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, 606-8203, Japan.
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2
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Krochmal AR, Roth TC. The case for investigating the cognitive map in nonavian reptiles. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
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3
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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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4
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Sarkar R, Bhadra A. How do animals navigate the urban jungle? A review of cognition in urban-adapted animals. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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5
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Huey RB, Buckley LB. Designing a Seasonal Acclimation Study Presents Challenges and Opportunities. Integr Org Biol 2022; 4:obac016. [PMID: 35692903 PMCID: PMC9175191 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obac016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Organisms living in seasonal environments often adjust physiological capacities and sensitivities in response to (or in anticipation of) environment shifts. Such physiological and morphological adjustments (“acclimation” and related terms) inspire opportunities to explore the mechanistic bases underlying these adjustments, to detect cues inducing adjustments, and to elucidate their ecological and evolutionary consequences. Seasonal adjustments (“seasonal acclimation”) can be detected either by measuring physiological capacities and sensitivities of organisms retrieved directly from nature (or outdoor enclosures) in different seasons or less directly by rearing and measuring organisms maintained in the laboratory under conditions that attempt to mimic or track natural ones. But mimicking natural conditions in the laboratory is challenging—doing so requires prior natural-history knowledge of ecologically relevant body temperature cycles, photoperiods, food rations, social environments, among other variables. We argue that traditional laboratory-based conditions usually fail to approximate natural seasonal conditions (temperature, photoperiod, food, “lockdown”). Consequently, whether the resulting acclimation shifts correctly approximate those in nature is uncertain, and sometimes is dubious. We argue that background natural history information provides opportunities to design acclimation protocols that are not only more ecologically relevant, but also serve as templates for testing the validity of traditional protocols. Finally, we suggest several best practices to help enhance ecological realism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raymond B Huey
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lauren B Buckley
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
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6
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Hoehfurtner T, Wilkinson A, Nagabaskaran G, Burman OH. Does the provision of environmental enrichment affect the behaviour and welfare of captive snakes? Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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7
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Warwick C, Grant R, Steedman C, Howell TJ, Arena PC, Lambiris AJL, Nash AE, Jessop M, Pilny A, Amarello M, Gorzula S, Spain M, Walton A, Nicholas E, Mancera K, Whitehead M, Martínez-Silvestre A, Cadenas V, Whittaker A, Wilson A. Getting It Straight: Accommodating Rectilinear Behavior in Captive Snakes-A Review of Recommendations and Their Evidence Base. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11051459. [PMID: 34069685 PMCID: PMC8160691 DOI: 10.3390/ani11051459] [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: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Snakes are sentient animals and should be subject to the accepted general welfare principles of other species. However, they are also the only vertebrates commonly housed in conditions that prevent them from adopting rectilinear behavior (ability to fully stretch out). To assess the evidence bases for historical and current guidance on snake spatial considerations, we conducted a literature search and review regarding recommendations consistent with or specifying ≥1 × and <1 × snake length enclosure size. We identified 65 publications referring to snake enclosure sizes, which were separated into three categories: peer-reviewed literature (article or chapter appearing in a peer-reviewed journal or book, n = 31), grey literature (government or other report or scientific letter, n = 18), and opaque literature (non-scientifically indexed reports, care sheets, articles, husbandry books, website or other information for which originating source is not based on scientific evidence or where scientific evidence was not provided, n = 16). We found that recommendations suggesting enclosure sizes shorter than the snakes were based entirely on decades-old 'rule of thumb' practices that were unsupported by scientific evidence. In contrast, recommendations suggesting enclosure sizes that allowed snakes to fully stretch utilized scientific evidence and considerations of animal welfare. Providing snakes with enclosures that enable them to fully stretch does not suggest that so doing allows adequate space for all necessary normal and important considerations. However, such enclosures are vital to allow for a limited number of essential welfare-associated behaviors, of which rectilinear posturing is one, making them absolute minimum facilities even for short-term housing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clifford Warwick
- Emergent Disease Foundation, Suite 114, 80 Churchill Square Business Centre, King’s Hill, Kent ME19 4YU, UK; (C.S.); (A.J.L.L.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Rachel Grant
- School of Applied Sciences, London South Bank University, 103 Borough Rd, London SE1 0AA, UK;
| | - Catrina Steedman
- Emergent Disease Foundation, Suite 114, 80 Churchill Square Business Centre, King’s Hill, Kent ME19 4YU, UK; (C.S.); (A.J.L.L.)
| | - Tiffani J. Howell
- School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Bendigo, VIC 3552, Australia;
| | - Phillip C. Arena
- Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education) Department, Murdoch University, Mandurah, WA 6210, Australia;
| | - Angelo J. L. Lambiris
- Emergent Disease Foundation, Suite 114, 80 Churchill Square Business Centre, King’s Hill, Kent ME19 4YU, UK; (C.S.); (A.J.L.L.)
| | - Ann-Elizabeth Nash
- Colorado Reptile Humane Society, 13941 Elmore Road, Longmont, Colorado, CO 80504, USA;
| | - Mike Jessop
- Veterinary Expert, P.O. Box 575, Swansea SA8 9AW, UK;
| | - Anthony Pilny
- Arizona Exotic Animal Hospital, 2340 E Beardsley Road Ste 100, Phoenix, Arizona, AZ 85024, USA;
| | - Melissa Amarello
- Advocates for Snake Preservation, P.O. Box 2752, Silver City, NM 88062, USA;
| | - Steve Gorzula
- Freelance Consultant, 7724 Glenister Drive, Springfield, VA 22152, USA;
| | - Marisa Spain
- Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens, 370 Zoo Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32218, USA;
| | - Adrian Walton
- Dewdney Animal Hospital, 11965 228th Street, Maple Ridge, BC V2X 6M1, Canada;
| | - Emma Nicholas
- Notting Hill Medivet, 106 Talbot Road, London W11 1JR, UK;
| | - Karen Mancera
- Facultad deMedicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Avenida Insurgentes Sur s/n, Ciudad Universitaria CDMX, Ciudad de México 04510, Mexico;
| | - Martin Whitehead
- Chipping Norton Veterinary Hospital, Banbury Road, Chipping Norton OX7 5SY, UK;
| | | | - Vanessa Cadenas
- Animal Protection Biodiversity & Environment Section, Government of Catalonia, 43004 Tarragona, Spain;
| | - Alexandra Whittaker
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Roseworthy, SA 5371, Australia;
| | - Alix Wilson
- Center for Avian and Exotic Medicine, 562 Columbus Avenue, New York, NY 10024, USA;
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8
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Environmental enrichment impacts discrimination between familiar and unfamiliar human odours in snakes (Pantherophis guttata). Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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9
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Kundey SMA, Phillips M. Recognition of novelty in leopard geckos (Eublepharis macularius) and tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum). Behav Processes 2021; 184:104320. [PMID: 33460726 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 01/08/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Novelty recognition helps organisms identify changes over time. Studies to date have usually involved mammals, particularly rodents. We explored leopard geckos' (Eublepharis macularius; Experiment 1) and tiger salamanders' (Ambystoma tigrinum, Experiment 2) sensitivity to spatial and object novelty. We used an exploratory paradigm adapted from rodents where time spent near objects in an open-field box was compared. Subjects first habituated to three objects. To evaluate spatial novelty recognition, one object was moved to a new location. Subjects again habituated to the objects' locations. To evaluate object novelty recognition, one object that had not been moved earlier was replaced with an unfamiliar object. Results indicated when one object was moved to a new location, geckos and salamanders spent more time near that spatially-displaced object. Additionally, when a familiar object was replaced with a new object, geckos and salamanders spent more time near the substituted object. These results suggest geckos and salamanders recognized changes in objects' identities and locations. Geckos and salamanders acted differentially depending on familiarity in both spatial and object domains. These results support attempts to include lesser-studied species in our efforts to characterize cognition.
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10
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Szabo B, Noble DWA, Whiting MJ. Learning in non-avian reptiles 40 years on: advances and promising new directions. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 96:331-356. [PMID: 33073470 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12658] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2019] [Revised: 09/30/2020] [Accepted: 10/05/2020] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Recently, there has been a surge in cognition research using non-avian reptile systems. As a diverse group of animals, non-avian reptiles [turtles, the tuatara, crocodylians, and squamates (lizards, snakes and amphisbaenids)] are good model systems for answering questions related to cognitive ecology, from the role of the environment on the brain, behaviour and learning, to how social and life-history factors correlate with learning ability. Furthermore, given their variable social structure and degree of sociality, studies on reptiles have shown that group living is not a pre-condition for social learning. Past research has demonstrated that non-avian reptiles are capable of more than just instinctive reactions and basic cognition. Despite their ability to provide answers to fundamental questions in cognitive ecology, and a growing literature, there have been no recent systematic syntheses of research in this group. Here, we systematically, and comprehensively review studies on reptile learning. We identify 92 new studies investigating learning in reptiles not included in previous reviews on this topic - affording a unique opportunity to provide a more in-depth synthesis of existing work, its taxonomic distribution, the types of cognitive domains tested and methodologies that have been used. Our review therefore provides a major update on our current state of knowledge and ties the collective evidence together under nine umbrella research areas: (i) habituation of behaviour, (ii) animal training through conditioning, (iii) avoiding aversive stimuli, (iv) spatial learning and memory, (v) learning during foraging, (vi) quality and quantity discrimination, (vii) responding to change, (viii) solving novel problems, and (ix) social learning. Importantly, we identify knowledge gaps and propose themes which offer important future research opportunities including how cognitive ability might influence fitness and survival, testing cognition in ecologically relevant situations, comparing cognition in invasive and non-invasive populations of species, and social learning. To move the field forward, it will be immensely important to build upon the descriptive approach of testing whether a species can learn a task with experimental studies elucidating causal reasons for cognitive variation within and among species. With the appropriate methodology, this young but rapidly growing field of research should advance greatly in the coming years providing significant opportunities for addressing general questions in cognitive ecology and beyond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Birgit Szabo
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia.,Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, Bern, 3032, Switzerland
| | - Daniel W A Noble
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia
| | - Martin J Whiting
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW, 2109, Australia
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11
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Soulsbury CD, Gray HE, Smith LM, Braithwaite V, Cotter SC, Elwood RW, Wilkinson A, Collins LM. The welfare and ethics of research involving wild animals: A primer. Methods Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Helen E. Gray
- Faculty of Biological Sciences University of Leeds Leeds UK
| | | | | | | | - Robert W. Elwood
- School of Biological Sciences Queen's University Belfast Belfast UK
| | - Anna Wilkinson
- School of Life Sciences University of Lincoln Lincoln UK
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12
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Roth TC, Rosier M, Krochmal AR, Clark L. A multi‐trait, field‐based examination of personality in a semi‐aquatic turtle. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy C. Roth
- Department of Psychology Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster PA USA
| | - Maxwell Rosier
- Department of Psychology Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster PA USA
- 18 Rose Lane PA USA
| | | | - Lisa Clark
- Department of Psychology Franklin and Marshall College Lancaster PA USA
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13
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Bräuer J, Hanus D, Pika S, Gray R, Uomini N. Old and New Approaches to Animal Cognition: There Is Not "One Cognition". J Intell 2020; 8:E28. [PMID: 32630788 PMCID: PMC7555673 DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence8030028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2020] [Revised: 05/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Using the comparative approach, researchers draw inferences about the evolution of cognition. Psychologists have postulated several hypotheses to explain why certain species are cognitively more flexible than others, and these hypotheses assume that certain cognitive skills are linked together to create a generally "smart" species. However, empirical findings suggest that several animal species are highly specialized, showing exceptional skills in single cognitive domains while performing poorly in others. Although some cognitive skills may indeed overlap, we cannot a priori assume that they do across species. We argue that the term "cognition" has often been used by applying an anthropocentric viewpoint rather than a biocentric one. As a result, researchers tend to overrate cognitive skills that are human-like and assume that certain skills cluster together in other animals as they do in our own species. In this paper, we emphasize that specific physical and social environments create selection pressures that lead to the evolution of certain cognitive adaptations. Skills such as following the pointing gesture, tool-use, perspective-taking, or the ability to cooperate evolve independently from each other as a concrete result of specific selection pressures, and thus have appeared in distantly related species. Thus, there is not "one cognition". Our argument is founded upon traditional Darwinian thinking, which-although always at the forefront of biology-has sometimes been neglected in animal cognition research. In accordance with the biocentric approach, we advocate a broader empirical perspective as we are convinced that to better understand animal minds, comparative researchers should focus much more on questions and experiments that are ecologically valid. We should investigate nonhuman cognition for its own sake, not only in comparison to the human model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juliane Bräuer
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Kahlaische Strasse 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
- Department of General Psychology, Friedrich-Schiller-University, Am Steiger 3, 07743 Jena, Germany
| | - Daniel Hanus
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Simone Pika
- Institute of Cognitive Science, Comparative BioCognition, University of Osnabrück, Artilleriestrasse 34, 49076 Osnabrück, Germany
| | - Russell Gray
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Kahlaische Strasse 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Natalie Uomini
- Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Kahlaische Strasse 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
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14
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Learmonth MJ. The Matter of Non-Avian Reptile Sentience, and Why It "Matters" to Them: A Conceptual, Ethical and Scientific Review. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:E901. [PMID: 32455969 PMCID: PMC7278454 DOI: 10.3390/ani10050901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The concept of sentience, how it is characterised and which non-human animals possess it have long been of contention in academic and intellectual debates. Many have argued that there is no way to empirically know that animals have conscious experiences. Yet others argue that consciousness, awareness and sentience in non-human animals can be quite obvious, and can indeed be measured empirically. Most modern declarations of animal sentience from official organisations and governments now include all vertebrate animals as sentient beings, including reptiles and fish. Some declarations also include some invertebrate species. This conceptual, ethical and scientific review first focuses on conceptual components and definitions of consciousness, awareness and sentience. It then specifically discusses how cognitive, neurobiological, ethological and comparative psychological research in non-avian reptiles over the last century has evidenced many capacities that historically were denied to this class of animals. Non-avian reptiles do indeed possess all of the necessary capacities to be declared as sentient beings, at least in the small proportion of reptile species that have actually been empirically investigated so far. It is suggested that much innovative future research will continue to uncover evidence of capabilities linked to sentience within a wide range of species, including non-avian reptiles, fish and invertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark James Learmonth
- Animal Welfare Science Centre, The University of Melbourne, Parkville 3010, VIC, Australia
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15
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Billings BK, Behroozi M, Helluy X, Bhagwandin A, Manger PR, Güntürkün O, Ströckens F. A three-dimensional digital atlas of the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) forebrain. Brain Struct Funct 2020; 225:683-703. [PMID: 32009190 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-020-02028-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The phylogenetic position of crocodilians in relation to birds and mammals makes them an interesting animal model for investigating the evolution of the nervous system in amniote vertebrates. A few neuroanatomical atlases are available for reptiles, but with a growing interest in these animals within the comparative neurosciences, a need for these anatomical reference templates is becoming apparent. With the advent of MRI being used more frequently in comparative neuroscience, the aim of this study was to create a three-dimensional MRI-based atlas of the Nile crocodile (Crocodylus niloticus) brain to provide a common reference template for the interpretation of the crocodilian, and more broadly reptilian, brain. Ex vivo MRI acquisitions in combination with histological data were used to delineate crocodilian brain areas at telencephalic, diencephalic, mesencephalic, and rhombencephalic levels. A total of 50 anatomical structures were successfully identified and outlined to create a 3-D model of the Nile crocodile brain. The majority of structures were more readily discerned within the forebrain of the crocodile with the methods used to produce this atlas. The anatomy outlined herein corresponds with both classical and recent crocodilian anatomical analyses, barring a few areas of contention predominantly related to a lack of functional data and conflicting nomenclature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brendon K Billings
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
| | - Mehdi Behroozi
- Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Xavier Helluy
- Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Adhil Bhagwandin
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa.,Faculty of Health Sciences, Department of Human Biology, Division of Clinical Anatomy and Biological Anthropology, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Paul R Manger
- Faculty of Health Sciences, School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 7 York Road, Parktown, Johannesburg, 2193, South Africa
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Felix Ströckens
- Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Biopsychology, Ruhr-University Bochum, Universitätsstraße 150, 44780, Bochum, Germany.
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16
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Spatial learning in captive and wild-born lizards: heritability and environmental effects. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-2805-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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17
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Gutnick T, Weissenbacher A, Kuba MJ. The underestimated giants: operant conditioning, visual discrimination and long-term memory in giant tortoises. Anim Cogn 2019; 23:159-167. [PMID: 31720927 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-019-01326-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2019] [Revised: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 10/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Relatively little is known about cognition in turtles, and most studies have focused on aquatic animals. Almost nothing is known about the giant land tortoises. These are visual animals that travel large distances in the wild, interact with each other and with their environment, and live extremely long lives. Here, we show that Galapagos and Seychelle tortoises, housed in a zoo environment, readily underwent operant conditioning and we provide evidence that they learned faster when trained in the presence of a group rather than individually. The animals readily learned to distinguish colors in a two-choice discrimination task. However, since each animal was assigned its own individual colour for this task, the presence of the group had no obvious effect on the speed of learning. When tested 95 days after the initial training, all animals remembered the operant task. When tested in the discrimination task, most animals relearned the task up to three times faster than naïve animals. Remarkably, animals that were tested 9 years after the initial training still retained the operant conditioning. As animals remembered the operant task, but needed to relearn the discrimination task constitutes the first evidence for a differentiation between implicit and explicit memory in tortoises. Our study is a first step towards a wider appreciation of the cognitive abilities of these unique animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Gutnick
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Graduate University, Okinawa, 904 0495, Japan.
- Department of Neurobiology, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University, 91904, Jerusalem, Israel.
| | | | - Michael J Kuba
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Graduate University, Okinawa, 904 0495, Japan.
- Department of Neurobiology, Institute of Life Sciences, The Hebrew University, 91904, Jerusalem, Israel.
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18
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Kundey SM, Phillips M. Tiger salamanders’ (Ambystoma tigrinum) use of features. Behav Processes 2019; 167:103919. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2019.103919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2019] [Revised: 07/21/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Rapid learning of a spatial memory task in a lacertid lizard (Podarcis liolepis). Behav Processes 2019; 169:103963. [PMID: 31545992 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2019.103963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Revised: 07/19/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Mammals and birds are capable of navigating to a goal using learned map-like representations of space (i.e. place learning), but research assessing this navigational strategy in reptiles has produced inconclusive results, in part due to the use of procedures that do not take account of the peculiarities of reptilian behavior and physiology. Here I present a procedure suitable for testing spatial cognition that exploits a naturally evolved, ethologically relevant ability common to many lizards (i.e. refuge seeking behavior). The procedure requires lizards to learn the location of an open refuge inside a rectangular arena containing artificial refuges in every corner, using distal extramaze visual cues and with no local cues marking the location of the open refuge. The procedure probes the lizards' place learning ability and effectively rules out the use of egocentric and response-based strategies. The described procedure was successfully used to demonstrate place learning in a lacertid lizard (Podarcis liolepis). Over the course of two weeks of training both the latency to entering the open refuge and the number of corners visited in each trial decreased gradually, indicating that learning had taken place in over 60% of the lizards tested. These results confirm that, under certain circumstances, lizards are capable of navigating to a goal using a place learning strategy.
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Khvatov IA, Sokolov AY, Kharitonov AN. Snakes Elaphe Radiata May Acquire Awareness of Their Body Limits When Trying to Hide in a Shelter. Behav Sci (Basel) 2019; 9:E67. [PMID: 31248003 PMCID: PMC6681033 DOI: 10.3390/bs9070067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Revised: 06/20/2019] [Accepted: 06/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Body awareness was studied experimentally in the rat snakes Elaphe radiata. The experimental design required that the snakes take into account the limits of their bodies when choosing a suitable hole for penetration into the shelter. The experimental setup consisted of two compartments, a launch chamber and a shelter, separated by a partition with openings of different diameters. The diameters of the holes and/or their position in the partition were changeable. The subjects were 20 snakes divided into two groups, for one of which only the locations of the holes varied; for another, both the location of the holes and the limits of the body varied. The body was increased by feeding the snakes. In the course of the first three experimental series the snakes formed the skill of taking into account the body limits, which manifested in the reduced number of unsuccessful attempts to select holes too small for their bodies. During the fourth series, with the locations of holes randomized for each trial, the snakes demonstrated behavioral flexibility, significantly more often penetrating into the shelter from the first attempt irrespectively of the location of the suitable hole. We argue that these results demonstrate the body-awareness in snakes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ivan A Khvatov
- Center for Biopsychological Studies, Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis, 121170 Moscow, Russia.
| | - Alexey Yu Sokolov
- Center for Biopsychological Studies, Moscow Institute of Psychoanalysis, 121170 Moscow, Russia.
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Simpson J, O'Hara SJ. Gaze following in an asocial reptile (Eublepharis macularius). Anim Cogn 2018; 22:145-152. [PMID: 30580392 PMCID: PMC6373252 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-018-1230-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/24/2018] [Revised: 10/24/2018] [Accepted: 12/10/2018] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Gaze following is the ability to utilise information from another's gaze. It is most often seen in a social context or as a reflexive response to interesting external stimuli. Social species can potentially reveal utilisable knowledge about another's future intentions by attending to the target of their gaze. However, in even more fundamental situations, being sensitive to another's gaze can also be useful such as when it can facilitate greater foraging efficiency or lead to earlier predator detection. While gaze sensitivity has been shown to be prevalent in a number of social species, little is currently known about the potential for gaze following in asocial species. The current study investigated whether an asocial reptile, the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius), could reliably use the visual indicators of attention to follow the gaze of a conspecific around a barrier. We operated three trial conditions and found subjects (N = 6) responded significantly more to the conspecific demonstrator looking up at a laser stimulus projected onto an occluder during the experimental condition compared to either of two control conditions. The study's findings point toward growing evidence for gaze-following ability in reptiles, who are typically categorised as asocial. Furthermore, our findings support developing comparative social cognition research showing the origins of gaze following and other cognitive behaviours that may be more widely distributed across taxonomic groups than hitherto thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joe Simpson
- School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Peel Building, Salford, M5 4WT, UK.
| | - Sean J O'Hara
- School of Environment and Life Sciences, University of Salford, Peel Building, Salford, M5 4WT, UK
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22
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Testing domain general learning in an Australian lizard. Anim Cogn 2018; 21:595-602. [DOI: 10.1007/s10071-018-1194-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2017] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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Vasudeva R, Deeming D, Eady P. Larval developmental temperature and ambient temperature affect copulation duration in a seed beetle. BEHAVIOUR 2018. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
The effects of temperature on cellular, systemic and whole-organism processes can be short-term, acting within seconds or minutes of a temperature change, or long-term, acting across ontogenetic stages to affect an organism’s morphology, physiology and behavioural phenotype. Here we examine the effect of larval development temperature on adult copulatory behaviour in the bruchid beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus. As predicted by temperature’s kinetic effects, copulation duration was longest at the lowest ambient temperature. However, where ambient temperature was fixed and developmental temperature experimentally varied, males reared at the highest temperature were least likely to engage in copulation, whilst those reared at the lowest temperature copulated for longer. Previous research has shown males reared at cooler temperatures inseminate fewer sperm. Thus, in this species longer copulations are associated with reduced sperm transfer. We argue that knowledge of preceding ontogenetic conditions will help to elucidate the causes of variation in copulatory behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Vasudeva
- aUniversity of East Anglia, School of Biological Sciences, Norwich Research Park, Norwich, UK
| | - D.C. Deeming
- bSchool of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Lincoln, LN6 7DL, UK
| | - P.E. Eady
- bSchool of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Joseph Banks Laboratories, Lincoln, LN6 7DL, UK
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