| Chicks prefer to peck at insect-like elongated stimuli moving in a direction orthogonal to their longer axis. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 19466469 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
Spontaneous preferences towards possible prey have been little investigated using targets in motion. Preferences of domestic chicks (Gallus gallus) to peck at video-images of stimuli representing live insects moving along their longer body axis (i.e. "forwards") or along the shorter body axis (i.e. "sideways") were investigated. Chicks presented with both types of stimulus displayed a significant preference for pecking at stimuli moving sideways. This preference was already present on day 1 post-hatching, and it strengthened on day 6 for those chicks that had experienced pecking at live insects. Head angles used to fixate the stimuli prior to pecking were also analysed and were consistent (i.e. 30 degrees -35 degrees and 60 degrees -65 degrees ) with those reported for fixation of non-edible targets (larger stimuli at a distance). In a first control experiment the same video-presented stimuli were used but the insect's legs were removed to reduce flickering. In a second control experiment, paper-printed images of the whole insect were used. In both cases, the sideways direction of movement was clearly preferred. Overall, our data show that chicks have a spontaneous preference to peck at video-images resembling live insects moving along their shorter body axis. Sideways movement may constitute a crucial signal attracting chicks' attention and enhancing predatory responses possibly because of stronger stimulation of motion detectors. |
| | |
Authors:
|
Elena Clara; Lucia Regolin; Giorgio Vallortigara; Lesley J Rogers |
Related Documents
:
|
19485689 - Experts appear to use angle of elevation information in basketball shooting. 12185389 - The attentional modulation of the flash-lag effect. 1542059 - Model for the computation of self-motion in biological systems. 9593989 - Simultaneous learning of motion discrimination in two directions. 10828469 - The dependence of motion repulsion and rivalry on the distance between moving elements. 11719199 - Visual motion processing investigated using contrast agent-enhanced fmri in awake behav... 18626139 - Measurement of oscillopsia induced by vestibular coriolis stimulation. 19337749 - Action control according to tec (theory of event coding). 18271859 - Precision of the anchor influences the amount of adjustment. |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Date: 2009-05-23 |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: Animal cognition Volume: 12 ISSN: 1435-9456 ISO Abbreviation: Anim Cogn Publication Date: 2009 Nov |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 2009-10-16 Completed Date: 2009-10-29 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 9814573 Medline TA: Anim Cogn Country: Germany |
Other Details:
|
Languages: eng Pagination: 755-65 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
|
Centre for Neuroscience and Animal Behaviour, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia. elena.clara@unipd.it |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
Animals Chickens / physiology* Feeding Behavior / physiology* Insects Male Motion Motion Perception / physiology |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Memory for what, where, and when in the black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus).
Next Document: Prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus strains in an Australian cohort, 1989-2003: evidence for the low...