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Integration of spatial maps in pigeons

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Abstract

The integration of spatial maps in pigeons was investigated using a spatial analog to sensory preconditioning. The pigeons were tested in an open-field arena in which they had to locate hidden food among a 4×4 grid of gravel-filled cups. In phase 1, the pigeons were exposed to a consistent spatial relationship (vector) between landmark L (a red L-shaped block of wood), landmark T (a blue T-shaped block of wood) and the hidden food goal. In phase 2, the pigeons were then exposed to landmark T with a different spatial vector to the hidden food goal. Following phase 2, pigeons were tested with trials on which they were presented with only landmark L to examine the potential integration of the phase 1 and 2 vectors via their shared common elements. When these test trials were preceded by phase 1 and phase 2 reminder trials, pigeons searched for the goal most often at a location consistent with their integration of the L→T phase 1 and T→phase 2 goal vectors. This result indicates that integration of spatial vectors acquired during phases 1 and 2 allowed the pigeons to compute a novel L→goal vector. This suggests that spatial maps may be enlarged by successively integrating additional spatial information through the linkage of common elements.

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Acknowledgements

Support for this research was provided by NIMH Grant MH12531–02 (A.P. Blaisdell) and NSF Grant IBN-0080816 (R.G. Cook). We would like to thank Sarah Gillett, Rachel Koppelman, Elizabeth McDonald, Kemal Sirin, and Tiffany Trahan for assistance with the collection of data. This research was conducted following the relevant ethics guidelines for research with animals and was approved by Tufts University’s institutional IACUC. Requests for reprints should be addressed to Aaron P. Blaisdell, UCLA Department of Psychology, 1285 Franz Hall, Box 951563, Los Angeles, CA 90095–1563, U.S.A.; e-mail: blaisdell@psych.ucla.edu.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychology, University of California, Los Angeles, 1285 Franz Hall, Box 951563, Los Angeles, CA 90095–1563, USA

    Aaron P. Blaisdell

  2. Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA

    Robert G. Cook

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  1. Aaron P. Blaisdell
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  2. Robert G. Cook
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Correspondence to Aaron P. Blaisdell.

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Blaisdell, A.P., Cook, R.G. Integration of spatial maps in pigeons. Anim Cogn 8, 7–16 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-004-0223-1

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