Hippocampal lesions in homing pigeons do not impair feature-quality or feature-quantity discrimination. 2014

Vincent J Coppola, and Joy M Spencer, and Ryan M Peterson, and Verner P Bingman
Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, United States; J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green, OH, United States. Electronic address: vcoppol@bgsu.edu.

The role of the avian hippocampal formation (HF) in spatial cognition is well demonstrated. However, it remains uncertain if the avian hippocampus, like its mammalian counterpart, has a role in the integration of elements that could compose a memory independent of space. The two experiments in the current study examined whether the HF of homing pigeons (Columba livia) was required to encode into memory a discriminative representation of food quality (Experiment 1) and quantity (Experiment 2) with different food bowl-features. Pigeons were exposed to an array of different colored bowls, two of which contained food rewards differing in preferred quality or quantity. To render space irrelevant for memory encoding, the location of the food-rewarded bowls was altered between each trial, while the features of the rewarded bowls remained constant. Both groups learned the feature-based quality and quantity discrimination tasks and no difference in performance between control pigeons and those with bilateral lesions of the hippocampus were found. The findings do not support the hypothesis that the avian HF is recruited when only non-spatial elements are integrated into a unified memory. From the current study, and the literature as a whole, it appears that the avian HF, unlike the mammalian hippocampus, may play no necessary role in memory processes where space is irrelevant.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008568 Memory Complex mental function having four distinct phases: (1) memorizing or learning, (2) retention, (3) recall, and (4) recognition. Clinically, it is usually subdivided into immediate, recent, and remote memory.
D009483 Neuropsychological Tests Tests designed to assess neurological function associated with certain behaviors. They are used in diagnosing brain dysfunction or damage and central nervous system disorders or injury. Aphasia Tests,Cognitive Test,Cognitive Testing,Cognitive Tests,Memory for Designs Test,Neuropsychological Testing,AX-CPT,Behavioral Assessment of Dysexecutive Syndrome,CANTAB,Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery,Clock Test,Cognitive Function Scanner,Continuous Performance Task,Controlled Oral Word Association Test,Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System,Developmental Neuropsychological Assessment,Hooper Visual Organization Test,NEPSY,Neuropsychologic Tests,Neuropsychological Test,Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test,Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status,Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure,Symbol Digit Modalities Test,Test of Everyday Attention,Test, Neuropsychological,Tests, Neuropsychological,Tower of London Test,Neuropsychologic Test,Test, Cognitive,Testing, Cognitive,Testing, Neuropsychological,Tests, Cognitive
D010856 Columbidae Family in the order COLUMBIFORMES, comprised of pigeons or doves. They are BIRDS with short legs, stout bodies, small heads, and slender bills. Some sources call the smaller species doves and the larger pigeons, but the names are interchangeable. Columba livia,Doves,Pigeons,Domestic Pigeons,Feral Pigeons,Rock Doves,Rock Pigeons,Domestic Pigeon,Dove,Dove, Rock,Doves, Rock,Feral Pigeon,Pigeon,Pigeon, Domestic,Pigeon, Feral,Pigeon, Rock,Pigeons, Domestic,Pigeons, Feral,Pigeons, Rock,Rock Dove,Rock Pigeon
D011897 Random Allocation A process involving chance used in therapeutic trials or other research endeavor for allocating experimental subjects, human or animal, between treatment and control groups, or among treatment groups. It may also apply to experiments on inanimate objects. Randomization,Allocation, Random
D002755 Choice Behavior The act of making a selection among two or more alternatives, usually after a period of deliberation. Approach Behavior,Approach Behaviors,Behavior, Approach,Behavior, Choice,Behaviors, Approach,Behaviors, Choice,Choice Behaviors
D004193 Discrimination Learning Learning that is manifested in the ability to respond differentially to various stimuli. Discriminative Learning,Discrimination Learnings,Discriminative Learnings,Learning, Discrimination,Learning, Discriminative
D005502 Food Substances taken in by the body to provide nourishment. Foods
D006624 Hippocampus A curved elevation of GRAY MATTER extending the entire length of the floor of the TEMPORAL HORN of the LATERAL VENTRICLE (see also TEMPORAL LOBE). The hippocampus proper, subiculum, and DENTATE GYRUS constitute the hippocampal formation. Sometimes authors include the ENTORHINAL CORTEX in the hippocampal formation. Ammon Horn,Cornu Ammonis,Hippocampal Formation,Subiculum,Ammon's Horn,Hippocampus Proper,Ammons Horn,Formation, Hippocampal,Formations, Hippocampal,Hippocampal Formations,Hippocampus Propers,Horn, Ammon,Horn, Ammon's,Proper, Hippocampus,Propers, Hippocampus,Subiculums
D000818 Animals Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA. Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D012201 Reward An object or a situation that can serve to reinforce a response, to satisfy a motive, or to afford pleasure. Rewards

Related Publications

Vincent J Coppola, and Joy M Spencer, and Ryan M Peterson, and Verner P Bingman
February 1992, Behavioral neuroscience,
Vincent J Coppola, and Joy M Spencer, and Ryan M Peterson, and Verner P Bingman
August 2004, Behavioural brain research,
Vincent J Coppola, and Joy M Spencer, and Ryan M Peterson, and Verner P Bingman
September 2006, Neurobiology of learning and memory,
Vincent J Coppola, and Joy M Spencer, and Ryan M Peterson, and Verner P Bingman
August 2006, Behavioral neuroscience,
Vincent J Coppola, and Joy M Spencer, and Ryan M Peterson, and Verner P Bingman
August 2006, Behavioral neuroscience,
Vincent J Coppola, and Joy M Spencer, and Ryan M Peterson, and Verner P Bingman
September 2011, Neurobiology of learning and memory,
Vincent J Coppola, and Joy M Spencer, and Ryan M Peterson, and Verner P Bingman
December 1978, Journal of comparative and physiological psychology,
Vincent J Coppola, and Joy M Spencer, and Ryan M Peterson, and Verner P Bingman
July 2002, Neurobiology of learning and memory,
Vincent J Coppola, and Joy M Spencer, and Ryan M Peterson, and Verner P Bingman
December 1999, Journal of comparative physiology. A, Sensory, neural, and behavioral physiology,
Vincent J Coppola, and Joy M Spencer, and Ryan M Peterson, and Verner P Bingman
November 1994, The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience,
Copied contents to your clipboard!