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Accurate memory for colour but not pattern contrast in chicks

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 05:08 authored by Daniel Colaco OsorioDaniel Colaco Osorio, Carl D Jones, Misha Vorobyev
The visual displays of animals and plants often look dramatic and colourful to us, but what information do they convey to their intended, non-human, audience [1] and [2]? One possibility is that stimulus values are judged accurately ¿ so, for example, a female might choose a suitor if he displays a specific colour [3]. Alternatively, as for human advertising, displays may attract attention without giving information, perhaps by exploiting innate preferences for bright colours or symmetry [2], [4] and [5]. To address this issue experimentally, we investigated chicks¿ memories of visual patterns. Food was placed in patterned paper containers which, like seed pods or insect prey, must be manipulated to extract food and their patterns learnt. To establish what was learnt, birds were tested on familiar stimuli and on alternative stimuli of differing colour or contrast. For colour, birds selected the trained stimulus; for contrast, they preferred high contrast patterns over the familiar. These differing responses to colour and contrast show how separate components of display patterns could serve different roles, with colour being judged accurately whereas pattern contrast attracts attention.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Current Biology

ISSN

0960-9822

Publisher

Current Biology

Volume

9

Page range

199-202

Pages

4.0

ISBN

0960-9822

Department affiliated with

  • Evolution, Behaviour and Environment Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-02-06

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