The Experts below are selected from a list of 132 Experts worldwide ranked by ideXlab platform
Nicola S Clayton - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
The Cognition of Caching and Recovery in Food-Storing Birds
Advances in The Study of Behavior, 2020Co-Authors: C.r. Raby, Nicola S ClaytonAbstract:Abstract Many food-hoarding birds use memory to relocate their caches. The hippocampus plays an important role in spatial memory. Although these birds tend to have a larger hippocampus relative to body size than nonfood hoarders, the relationship between food-hoarding intensity and hippocampal volume is inconsistent. We discuss a number of possible reasons for this. There is considerable variation at family, species, and population level in food-hoarding and associated cognitive skills, and we advocate adopting a modular approach to food-storing and recovery behaviors that are not homogeneous. The hippocampus is implicated in a variety of behaviors beyond spatial memory processing that may be demonstrated by some food-storing species but not by others. We use the Western Scrub-Jay as an example of a food-storing bird that has been shown to use a number of cognitive skills beyond spatial memory in food-storing and recovery, many of which may be mediated by the hippocampus.
-
translational research into intertemporal choice the Western Scrub Jay as an animal model for future thinking
Behavioural Processes, 2015Co-Authors: James M Thom, Nicola S ClaytonAbstract:Abstract Decisions often involve outcomes that will not materialise until later, and choices between immediate gratification and future consequences are thought to be important for human health and welfare. Combined human and animal research has identified impulsive intertemporal choice as an important factor in drug-taking and pathological gambling. In this paper, we give an overview of recent research into intertemporal choice in non-human animals, and argue that this work could offer insight into human behaviour through the development of animal models. As an example, we discuss the role of future-thinking in intertemporal choice, and review the case for the Western Scrub-Jay ( Aphelocoma californica ) as an animal model of such prospective cognition. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Tribute to Tom Zentall.
-
No evidence of temporal preferences in caching by Western Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma californica)
Behavioural Processes, 2013Co-Authors: James M Thom, Nicola S ClaytonAbstract:Humans and other animals often favour immediate gratification over long-term gain. Primates, including humans, appear more willing to wait for rewards than other animals, such as rats or pigeons. Another group displaying impressive patience are the corvids, which possess large brains and show sophisticated cognitive abilities. Here, we assess intertemporal choice in one corvid species, the Western Scrub-Jay (Aphelocoma californica). These birds cache food for future consumption and respond flexibly to future needs. Cache-theft and cache-degradation are time-dependent processes in Scrub-Jay ecology that might necessitate sensitivity to delays between caching and retrieval. We adopt a caching paradigm with delays of up to 49 h. Across two experiments we find no evidence of a preference for earlier recovery. We highlight the possibility that, although Scrub-Jays can discriminate between the present and the future, they may not understand how far into the future an event will occur.
-
The development of caching and object permanence in Western Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma californica): which emerges first?
Journal of Comparative Psychology, 2009Co-Authors: Lucie H. Salwiczek, Nathan J Emery, Barney A. Schlinger, Nicola S ClaytonAbstract:Recent studies on the food-caching behavior of corvids have revealed complex physical and social skills, yet little is known about the ontogeny of food caching in relation to the development of cognitive capacities. Piagetian object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are no longer visible. Here, the authors focus on Piagetian Stages 3 and 4, because they are hallmarks in the cognitive development of both young children and animals. Our aim is to determine in a food-caching corvid, the Western Scrub-Jay, whether (1) Piagetian Stage 4 competence and tentative caching (i.e., hiding an item invisibly and retrieving it without delay), emerge concomitantly or consecutively; (2) whether experiencing the reappearance of hidden objects enhances the timing of the appearance of object permanence; and (3) discuss how the development of object permanence is related to behavioral development and sensorimotor intelligence. Our findings suggest that object permanence Stage 4 emerges before tentative caching, and independent of environmental influences, but that once the birds have developed simple object-permanence, then social learning might advance the interval after which tentative caching commences.
-
social cognition by food caching corvids the Western Scrub Jay as a natural psychologist
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 2007Co-Authors: Nicola S Clayton, Joanna M Dally, Nathan J EmeryAbstract:Food-caching corvids hide food, but such caches are susceptible to pilfering by other individuals. Consequently, the birds use several counter strategies to protect their caches from theft, e.g. hiding most of them out of sight. When observed by potential pilferers at the time of caching, experienced Jays that have been thieves themselves, take further protective action. Once the potential pilferers have left, they move caches those birds have seen, re-hiding them in new places. Naive birds that had no thieving experience do not do so. By focusing on the counter strategies of the cacher when previously observed by a potential pilferer, these results raise the intriguing possibility that re-caching is based on a form of mental attribution, namely the simulation of another bird's viewpoint. Furthermore, the Jays also keep track of the observer which was watching when they cached and take protective action accordingly, thus suggesting that they may also be aware of others' knowledge states.
Todd Pitlik - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
Visual coverage and scanning behavior in two corvid species: American crow and Western Scrub Jay
Journal of Comparative Physiology A, 2010Co-Authors: Esteban Fernández-juricic, Colleen O’rourke, Todd PitlikAbstract:Inter-specific differences in the configuration of avian visual fields and degree of eye/head movements have been associated with foraging and anti-predator behaviors. Our goal was to study visual fields, eye movements, and head movements in two species of corvids: American crow ( Corvus brachyrhynchos ) and Western Scrub Jay ( Aphelocoma californica ). American crows had wider binocular overlap, longer vertical binocular fields, narrower blind areas, and higher amplitude of eye movement than Western Scrub Jays. American crows can converge their eyes and see their own bill tip, which may facilitate using different foraging techniques (e.g., pecking, probing) and manufacturing and handing rudimentary tools. Western Scrub Jays had a higher head movement rate than American crows while on the ground, and the opposite between-species difference was found when individuals were perching. Faster head movements may enhance the ability to scan the environment, which may be related to a higher perceived risk of predation of Western Scrub Jays when on the ground, and American crows when perching. The visual field configuration of these species appears influenced mostly by foraging techniques while their scaning behavior, by predation risk.
-
visual coverage and scanning behavior in two corvid species american crow and Western Scrub Jay a neuroethology sensory neural and behavioral physiology
Journal of Comparative Physiology A-neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology, 2010Co-Authors: Esteban Fernandezjuricic, Colleen Orourke, Todd PitlikAbstract:Inter-specific differences in the configuration of avian visual fields and degree of eye/head movements have been associated with foraging and anti-predator behaviors. Our goal was to study visual fields, eye movements, and head movements in two species of corvids: American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and Western Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma californica). American crows had wider binocular overlap, longer vertical binocular fields, narrower blind areas, and higher amplitude of eye movement than Western Scrub Jays. American crows can converge their eyes and see their own bill tip, which may facilitate using different foraging techniques (e.g., pecking, probing) and manufacturing and handing rudimentary tools. Western Scrub Jays had a higher head movement rate than American crows while on the ground, and the opposite between-species difference was found when individuals were perching. Faster head movements may enhance the ability to scan the environment, which may be related to a higher perceived risk of predation of Western Scrub Jays when on the ground, and American crows when perching. The visual field configuration of these species appears influenced mostly by foraging techniques while their scaning behavior, by predation risk.
Nathan J Emery - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
The development of caching and object permanence in Western Scrub-Jays (Aphelocoma californica): which emerges first?
Journal of Comparative Psychology, 2009Co-Authors: Lucie H. Salwiczek, Nathan J Emery, Barney A. Schlinger, Nicola S ClaytonAbstract:Recent studies on the food-caching behavior of corvids have revealed complex physical and social skills, yet little is known about the ontogeny of food caching in relation to the development of cognitive capacities. Piagetian object permanence is the understanding that objects continue to exist even when they are no longer visible. Here, the authors focus on Piagetian Stages 3 and 4, because they are hallmarks in the cognitive development of both young children and animals. Our aim is to determine in a food-caching corvid, the Western Scrub-Jay, whether (1) Piagetian Stage 4 competence and tentative caching (i.e., hiding an item invisibly and retrieving it without delay), emerge concomitantly or consecutively; (2) whether experiencing the reappearance of hidden objects enhances the timing of the appearance of object permanence; and (3) discuss how the development of object permanence is related to behavioral development and sensorimotor intelligence. Our findings suggest that object permanence Stage 4 emerges before tentative caching, and independent of environmental influences, but that once the birds have developed simple object-permanence, then social learning might advance the interval after which tentative caching commences.
-
social cognition by food caching corvids the Western Scrub Jay as a natural psychologist
Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 2007Co-Authors: Nicola S Clayton, Joanna M Dally, Nathan J EmeryAbstract:Food-caching corvids hide food, but such caches are susceptible to pilfering by other individuals. Consequently, the birds use several counter strategies to protect their caches from theft, e.g. hiding most of them out of sight. When observed by potential pilferers at the time of caching, experienced Jays that have been thieves themselves, take further protective action. Once the potential pilferers have left, they move caches those birds have seen, re-hiding them in new places. Naive birds that had no thieving experience do not do so. By focusing on the counter strategies of the cacher when previously observed by a potential pilferer, these results raise the intriguing possibility that re-caching is based on a form of mental attribution, namely the simulation of another bird's viewpoint. Furthermore, the Jays also keep track of the observer which was watching when they cached and take protective action accordingly, thus suggesting that they may also be aware of others' knowledge states.
S R De Kort - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
is the Western Scrub Jay aphelocoma californica really an underdog among food caching corvids when it comes to hippocampal volume and food caching propensity
Brain Behavior and Evolution, 2006Co-Authors: V V Pravosudov, S R De KortAbstract:Food caching has been linked to better performance on spatial memory tasks and enlarged hippocampal volume in both birds and mammals. Within food-caching birds, it has also been predicted that species
Esteban Fernandezjuricic - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
-
visual coverage and scanning behavior in two corvid species american crow and Western Scrub Jay a neuroethology sensory neural and behavioral physiology
Journal of Comparative Physiology A-neuroethology Sensory Neural and Behavioral Physiology, 2010Co-Authors: Esteban Fernandezjuricic, Colleen Orourke, Todd PitlikAbstract:Inter-specific differences in the configuration of avian visual fields and degree of eye/head movements have been associated with foraging and anti-predator behaviors. Our goal was to study visual fields, eye movements, and head movements in two species of corvids: American crow (Corvus brachyrhynchos) and Western Scrub Jay (Aphelocoma californica). American crows had wider binocular overlap, longer vertical binocular fields, narrower blind areas, and higher amplitude of eye movement than Western Scrub Jays. American crows can converge their eyes and see their own bill tip, which may facilitate using different foraging techniques (e.g., pecking, probing) and manufacturing and handing rudimentary tools. Western Scrub Jays had a higher head movement rate than American crows while on the ground, and the opposite between-species difference was found when individuals were perching. Faster head movements may enhance the ability to scan the environment, which may be related to a higher perceived risk of predation of Western Scrub Jays when on the ground, and American crows when perching. The visual field configuration of these species appears influenced mostly by foraging techniques while their scaning behavior, by predation risk.
