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Behavioural and neural evidence for separate visual memory systems in embryos and juveniles of cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis).| old_uid | 9268 |
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| title | Behavioural and neural evidence for separate visual memory systems in embryos and juveniles of cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis). |
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| start_date | 2010/11/19 |
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| schedule | 11h-12h30 |
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| online | no |
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| summary | Among invertebrates, cephalopod mollusks (cuttlefishes, squids, and octopuses) exhibit very high behavioural flexibility from predatory to defensive behavior as well as interindividual communication. They also display impressive memory ability in a wide range of learning. These behavioral skills are controlled by the most developed and centralized nervous system of all invertebrates. Amongst Cephalopods, cuttlefish are particularly valuable models to study the ontogenesis of memory systems : in juvenile, memory abilities seem to mature gradually during development. Very short term memory processes involved in prey-pursuit behaviour develop early in life (within the first few days after hatching) while long term retention performance of an associative learning task (learned inhibition of the predatory behaviour) increase throughout the first three months of life. These phenomena are correlated with the post-embryonic maturation of the vertical lobe complex, a highly associative brain structure in cephalopods. Paradoxically cuttlefish will prefer, for days, to feed on prey to which they were familiarized at early stages of development (in ovo or just after hatching). These recent data suggest the existence of food imprinting in early juveniles of Sepia. Putative neural basis and adaptive advantages of such early visual memory abilities will be discussed. |
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| responsibles | Rämä |
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