Animal groups on the move can take different configurations. For example, of fish either be 'shoals' or 'schools': shoals are simply aggregations individuals; schools exhibiting polarized, synchronized motion. Here we demonstrate that polarization distributions zebrafish (Danio rerio) bimodal, showing two distinct modes collective motion corresponding to definitions shoaling and schooling. Other features group's also vary consistently between modes: faster less dense than shoals. Habituation...

During consensus decision making, individuals in groups balance personal information (based on their own past experiences) with social the behavior of other individuals), allowing group to reach a single collective choice. Previous studies making processes have focused informational aspects behavioral choice, assuming that make choices based solely likelihood being beneficial (e.g., rewarded). However, decisions by both humans and nonhuman animals systematically violate such expectations....

K. Cheng (1986) suggested that learning the geometry of enclosing surfaces takes place in a geometric module blind to other spatial information. Failures find blocking or overshadowing by features near goal seem consistent with this view. The authors present an operant model which competes learning, as Rescorla-Wagner model. Relative total associative strength cues at location determines choice and thus frequencies reward paired each cue. shows how competitive local can appear result...

Learning has been studied extensively in the context of isolated individuals. However, many organisms are social and consequently make decisions both individually as part a collective. Reaching consensus necessarily means that single option is chosen by group, even when there dissenting opinions. This decision-making process decouples otherwise direct relationship between animals' preferences their experiences (the outcomes decisions). Instead, because an individual's learned influence what...

The authors report a novel approach to testing episodic-like memory for single events. Pigeons were trained in separate sessions match the identity of sample on touch screen, its location, and length retention interval. When these 3 tasks mixed randomly within sessions, birds more than 80% correct each task. However, performance 2 different tests succession after was not consistent with an integrated time, identity. Experiment tested binding location memories ways. results again independent...

The effects of environmental enrichment have been well documented in mammals and birds, but less work has focused on reptiles. Because snakes are common captivity, both as pets research/commercial facilities, it is critical to explore how they react standard captive housing. Here, we examined the brain development a popular pet snake species, western hognose (Heterodon nasicus). Hognose (n = 15) were individually housed for one year either enriched or environments before their brains...

The evolution of social behaviour in Astyanax mexicanus , which exists as a sighted, surface-dwelling morph and blind, cave-dwelling morph, provides model for understanding how environmental pressures shape behaviours. We compared the shoaling blind surface A. to that zebrafish ( Danio rerio ), examined effects nutritional state neuropeptides isotocin (IT) arginine vasotocin (AVT) on their behaviour. Blind cavefish not only fail form shoals, but actively avoid conspecifics, with hunger...

Though we cannot directly assess consciousness in nonhuman animals, an increasing number of researchers are adopting the marker approach — amassing evidence behaviours that may indicate to determine which species likely be conscious. Here, I review for behavioural markers sentience (also sometimes called phenomenal consciousness) reptiles, a historically understudied class. Reptiles show some experiencing pain, stress, and pleasure, demonstrate active sleep open-ended associative learning,...

In a recent article, the authors (Miller & Shettleworth, 2007) showed how apparently exceptional features of behavior in geometry learning ("reorientation") experiments can be modeled by assuming that geometric and other at given locations an arena are learned competitively as Rescorla-Wagner model probability visiting location is proportional to total associative strength cues relative all relevant locations. Reinforced or unreinforced visits drive changes strengths. Dawson, Kelly, Spetch,...

Mark tests, in which an animal uses a mirror to locate and examine otherwise unnoticeable mark on its own body, are commonly used assess self-recognition, may have implications for self-awareness. Recently, several olfactory-reliant species appeared pass odour-based versions of the test, though it has never been attempted reptiles. We conducted test two snakes, Eastern gartersnakes ball pythons, with widely divergent ecologies (i.e. terrestrial foragers that communally brumate versus...

The mammalian temporal cortex can be functionally segregated into regions that encode spatial information and others are predominantly responsible for object recognition. In the present study, we report comparable functional segregation in avian brain. Using Japanese quail, find bilateral lesions of hippocampus (Hp) produce robust deficits performance a foraging array (FA) memory task, while sparing spontaneous recognition (SOR). contrast, to adjacent area parahippocampalis (APH) compromise...