Horses have the ability to generate a remarkable repertoire of facial expressions, some which have been linked to certain emotional states, for example pain. Studies suggest that facial expressions may be a more ‘honest’ expression of emotional state in horses than behavioral or physiological parameters. This study sought to describe the facial expressions during stress of healthy horses free of pain

The epidemiology of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is inherently linked to host mating dynamics. Studies across many taxa show that adult sex ratio, a major determinant of host mating dynamics, is often skewed - sometimes strongly - toward males or females. However, few predictions exist for the effects of skewed sex ratio on STI epidemiology, and none when coupled with sex biased disease characteristics

The decentralized cognition of animal groups is both a challenging biological problem and a potential basis for bio-inspired design. The understanding of these systems and their application can benefit from modeling and analysis of the underlying algorithms. In this study, we define a modeling framework that can be used to formally represent all components of such algorithms. As an example application

Social animals benefit from their group-mates, so why do they sometimes kill each other's offspring? A major barrier to understanding the evolution of infanticide is a lack of data from natural populations. Especially when perpetrated by females, infanticide remains poorly understood, because the increased mating opportunities that explain infanticide by males do not apply in females. Using 30 years

Sensory processing of environmental stimuli during locomotion is critical for the successful execution of goal-directed behaviors and navigating around obstacles. The outcome of these sensorimotor processes can be challenged by head movements that perturb the sensory coordinate frames directing behaviors. In the case of visually-guided behaviors, visual gaze stabilization results from the integrated

Automated visual tracking of animals is rapidly becoming an indispensable tool for the study of behavior. It offers a quantitative methodology by which organisms' sensing and decision-making can be studied in a wide range of ecological contexts. Despite this, existing solutions tend to be challenging to deploy in practice, especially when considering long and/or high-resolution video streams. Here

Deep learning has rapidly been filtrating many aspects of human lives. In particular, image recognition by convolutional neural networks has inspired numerous studies in this area. Hardware and software technologies as well as large quantities of data have contributed to the drastic development of the field. However, the application of deep learning is often hindered by the need for big data and the

Macaque monkeys are widely used to study the neural basis of cognition. In the traditional approach, the monkey is brought into a lab to perform tasks while it is restrained to obtain stable gaze tracking and neural recordings. This unnatural setting prevents studying brain activity during natural, social and complex behaviors. Here, we designed a naturalistic environment with an integrated behavioral

Motor deficits such as abnormal gait are an underappreciated yet characteristic phenotype of many neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs), including Williams Syndrome (WS) and Neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1). Compared to cognitive phenotypes, gait phenotypes are readily and comparably assessed in both humans and model organisms, and are controlled by well-defined CNS circuits. Discovery of a common gait

Designer Receptors Exclusively Activated by Designer Drugs (DREADDs) are chemogenetic tools commonly-used to manipulate brain activity. The most widely-used synthetic DREADD ligand, clozapine-N-oxide (CNO), is back-metabolized to clozapine which can itself activate endogenous receptors. Studies in non-DREADD-expressing rodents suggest CNO or a DREADD agonist that lacks active metabolites, such as Compound

Sex differences in behavior and cognition can be driven by differential selection pressures from the environment and in the underlying neuromolecular mechanisms of decision-making. The highly social cichlid fish Astatotilapia burtoni exhibits dynamic and complex social hierarchies, yet explicit cognitive testing (outside of social contexts) and investigations of sex differences in cognition have yet

Genetic relatedness in animal societies is often a factor that drives the structure of social groups. In the marine world, most studies which have investigated this question have focused on marine mammals such as whales and dolphins. For sharks, recent studies have demonstrated preferential associations among individuals from which social communities emerge. Assortment patterns have been found according

Songbirds have long been studied as a model system of sensory-motor learning. Many analyses of birdsong require time-consuming manual annotation of the individual elements of song, known as syllables or notes. Here we describe the first automated algorithm for birdsong annotation that is applicable to complex song such as canary song. We developed a neural network architecture, "TweetyNet", that is

Navigating across light gradients is essential for survival for many animals. However, we still have a poor understanding of the algorithms that underlie such behaviors. Here we develop a novel phototaxis assay for Drosophila larvae in which light intensity is always spatially uniform but updates depending on the location of the animal in the arena. Even though larvae can only rely on temporal cues

Domestication is the process by which species adapt to, and are artificially selected for, human-made environments. Few studies have explored how the process of domestication has affected the connection between behavioral traits and cognitive abilities in animals. This study investigated the relationship between personality and cognitive traits in domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Fifteen individuals

The extent to which nonhuman primate vocalizations are amenable to modification through experience is relevant for understanding the substrate from which human speech evolved. We examined the vocal behaviour of Guinea baboons, Papio papio, ranging in the Niokolo Koba National Park in Senegal. Guinea baboons live in a multi-level society, with units nested within parties nested within gangs. We investigated

Innate behaviors consist of a succession of genetically-hardwired motor and physiological subprograms that can be coupled to drastic morphogenetic changes. How these integrative responses are orchestrated is not completely understood. Here, we provide insight into these mechanisms by studying pupariation, a multi-step innate behavior of fly larvae that is critical for survival during metamorphosis

We simulate stable distributions to study the ideal movement pattern for the spread of a virus using autonomous carrier.

The behavior of many living organisms is not continuous. Rather, activity emerges in bouts that are separated by epochs of rest, a phenomenon known as intermittent behavior. Although intermittency is ubiquitous across phyla, empirical studies are scarce and the underlying neural mechanisms remain unknown. Here we present the first empirical evidence of intermittency during Drosophila larva free exploration

Behavioral neuroscience almost exclusively studies behavior during tasks and ignores the unstructured inter-trial interval (ITI). However, it is unlikely that the ITI is simply an idling or paused mode; instead, it is a likely time for globally focused cognition, in which attention is disengaged from the task at hand and oriented more broadly. To gain insight into the computational underpinnings of

Advances in drug vapor exposure systems utilizing e-cigarette technology have enabled evaluation of Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) vapor effects in laboratory animals. The purpose of this study was to 1) establish a range of parameters of THC vapor exposure in rats sufficient to produce a behavioral dose-effect curve in a battery of tasks sensitive to THC; 2) to investigate sex differences in the effects

Periodic ingestion of a protein-rich blood meal by adult female mosquitoes causes a drastic metabolic change in their innate physiological status, which is referred to as metabolic switch. Although the down-regulation of olfactory factors is key to restrain host-attraction, how the gut metabolic switch modulates brain functions, and resilience physiological homeostasis remains unexplored. Here, we

The perception of our body in space is flexible and manipulable. The predictive brain hypothesis explains this malleability as a consequence of the interplay between incoming sensory information and our body expectations. However, given the interaction between perception and action, we might also expect that actions would arise due to prediction errors, especially in conflicting situations. Here we

Several marine species have developed a magnetic perception that is essential for navigation and detection of prey and predators. One of these species is the transparent glass catfish that contains an ampullary organ dedicated to sense magnetic fields. Here we examine the behavior of the glass catfish in response to static magnetic fields which will provide valuable insight on function of this magnetic

In insects, the tyramine receptor 1 (TAR1) has been shown to control several physiological functions, including olfaction. We investigated the molecular and functional profile of the Halyomorpha halys type 1 tyramine receptor gene (HhTAR1) and its role in olfactory functions of this pest. Molecular and pharmacological analyses confirmed that the HhTAR1 gene codes for a true TAR1. The RT-qPCR analysis

Sociality is a fundamental organizing principle across taxa, thought to come with a suite of adaptive benefits. However, making causal inferences about these adaptive benefits requires experimental manipulation of the social environment, which is rarely feasible in the field. Here we manipulated the number of conspecifics in Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata) in the wild, and quantified how

Primary cilia are microtubule-based organelles present on most cells that regulate many physiological processes, ranging from maintaining energy homeostasis to renal function. However, the role of these structures in the regulation of behavior remains unknown. To study the role of cilia in behavior, we employ mouse models of the human ciliopathy, Bardet-Biedl Syndrome (BBS). Here, we demonstrate that

While it is well documented that insects exploit polarized sky light for navigation, their use of reflected polarized light for object detection has been less well studied. Recently, we have shown that the small white butterfly, Pieris rapae, distinguishes between host and non-host plants based on the degree of linear polarization (DoLP) of light reflected from their leaves. To determine how polarized

Reinforcement learning causes an action that yields a positive outcome more likely to be taken in the future. Here, we investigate how the time elapsed from an action affects subsequent decisions. Groups of C57BL6/J mice were housed in IntelliCages with access to water and chow ad libitum; they also had access to bottles with a reward: saccharin solution, alcohol or a mixture of the two. The probability

Animals often use assessment signals to communicate information about their quality to a variety of receivers, including potential mates, competitors, and predators. But what maintains reliable signaling and prevents signalers from signaling a better quality than they actually have? Previous work has shown that reliable signaling can be maintained if signalers pay fitness costs for signaling at different

Operant chambers are small enclosures used to test animal behavior and cognition. While traditionally reliant on simple technologies for presenting stimuli (e.g., lights and sounds) and recording responses made to basic manipulanda (e.g., levers and buttons), an increasing number of researchers are beginning to use Touchscreen-equipped Operant Chambers (TOCs). These TOCs have obvious advantages, namely

Northern elephant seals migrate long distances from feeding grounds to raise pups during a brief period on breeding beaches. Since gestation sets a parturition date months in advance, timing of the arrival must be precise. We used satellite-tracked animals to examine this timing, establishing arrival and birth dates in 106 migrating females and estimating how far they traveled in the days just before

Bipedal locomotion has several key challenges, such as balancing, foot placement, and gait optimization. We reach optimality from a very early age by using natural supports, such as our parent's hands, chairs, and training wheels, and bootstrap a new knowledge from the recently acquired one. In this paper, we propose a scaffolded learning method from an evolutionary robotics perspective, where a biped

Understanding the relationships between neural activity and behavior represents a critical challenge, one that requires generalizable statistical tools that can capture complex structures within large datasets. We developed Time-REsolved BehavioraL Embedding (TREBLE), a flexible method for analyzing behavioral data from freely moving animals. Using data from synthetic trajectories, fruit flies, and

Several animals, including bees, use visual search to distinguish targets of interest and ignore distractors. While bee flower choice is well studied, we know relatively little about how they choose between multiple rewarding flowers in complex floral environments. Two important factors that could influence bee visual search for multiple flowers are the physical saliency (colour contrast against the

The post-embryonal development of arthropod species, including crustaceans and insects, is characterized by ecdysis or molting. This process defines growth stages and is controlled by a conserved neuroendocrine system. Each molting event is divided in several critical time points, such as pre-molt, molt and post-molt, and leaves the animals in a temporarily highly vulnerable state while their cuticle

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by a triad of behavioural impairments and includes disruption in social behaviour. ASD has a clear genetic underpinning and hundreds of genes are implicated in its aetiology. However, how single penetrant genes disrupt activity of neural circuits which lead to affected behaviours is only beginning to be understood and less

Whip spiders Amblypygi reside in structurally complex habitats and are nocturnally active yet display notable navigational abilities. From the theory that uncertainty in sensory inputs should promote multisensory representations to guide behavior, we hypothesized that their navigation is supported by a configural, multisensory representation of navigational inputs, an ability documented in a few insects

Context by distorting values of options with respect to the distribution of available alternatives, remarkably affects learning behavior. Providing an explicit counterfactual component, outcome of unchosen option alongside with the chosen one (Complete feedback), would increase the contextual effect by inducing comparison-based strategy during learning. But It is not clear in the conditions where the

Dual declines in gait speed and cognitive performance are associated with increased risk of developing dementia. Characterizing the patterns of such impairments therefore is paramount to distinguishing healthy from pathological aging. Nonhuman primates such as vervet/African green monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops sabaeus) are important models of human neurocognitive aging, yet the trajectory of dual decline

Names for colors vary widely across languages, but color categories are remarkably consistent. Shared mechanisms of color perception help explain consistent partitions of visible light into discrete color vocabularies. But the mappings from colors to words are not identical across languages, which may reflect communicative needs - how often speakers must refer to objects of different color. Here we

Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), which has been proposed as a therapeutic or prophylactic drug for SARS-COV-2, has been administered to thousands of individuals with varying efficacy; however, our understanding of its adverse effects is insufficient. It was reported that HCQ induced psychiatric symptoms in a few patients with autoimmune diseases, but it is still uncertain whether HCQ poses a risk to mental

Flexible learning of changing reward contingencies can be realized with different strategies. A fast learning strategy involves forming a working memory of rewarding experiences with objects to improve future choices. A slower learning strategy uses prediction errors to gradually update value expectations to improve choices. How the fast and slow strategies work together in scenarios with real-world

Two experiments were performed for evaluating calibration curve (CC) and comparing negative and positive controls (CNP) as a major method for estimating of phytase phosphorus equivalence for layer and broiler chickens. In the first and second experiments, 360 Hy-line W-36 layer hens and 525 day-old Ross-308 broiler chickens were used in a complete randomized design, respectively. Evaluated methods

The tail immersion assay is a widely used method for measuring acute thermal pain in a way which is quantifiable and reproducible. It is non-invasive and measures response to a stimulus that may be encountered by an animal in its natural environment. However, tail withdrawal latency data are usually collected manually, and precise temperatures of the water at the time of measurement are most often

Economic choice is thought to involve the elicitation of the private and subjective values of various choice options. Thus far, the estimation of subjective values in animals has relied upon repeated choices and was expressed as an average from dozens of stochastic decisions. However, decisions are made moment-to-moment, and their consequences are usually felt immediately. Here we describe a Becker-DeGroot-Marschak

Much of our understanding of navigation has come from the study of rats, humans and simulated artificial agents. To date little attempt has been made to integrate these approaches into a common framework to understand mechanisms that may be shared across mammals and the extent to which different instantiations of agents best capture mammalian navigation behaviour. Here, we report a comparison of rats

Cultural complexity is strongly shaped by the efficiency and accuracy by which new knowledge is propagated. Different social learning strategies, where individuals biasedly learn particular behaviors or from specific demonstrators, can contribute to an individual's success. While social learning strategies have been mostly studied in isolation, their interaction and the interplay between individual

Mating changes female behaviour and physiology across a wide range of taxa, with important effects for male and female fitness. These changes are often induced by components of the male ejaculate, such as sperm and seminal fluid proteins. However, males can vary significantly in their ejaculates, due to factors such as age, mating history, or nutritional status. This male variation may therefore lead

Reversal learning paradigms are widely-used assays of behavioral flexibility with their probabilistic versions being more amenable to studying integration of reward outcomes over time. Prior research suggests differences between initial learning and learning following reversals including higher learning rates, a greater need for inhibitory control, and more perseveration after reversals. However, it

Background and Purpose: Cocaine addiction causes serious health problems and no effective treatment is available yet. We previously identified a genetic risk variant for cocaine addiction in the PLCB1 gene and found this gene upregulated in postmortem brains of cocaine abusers and in human dopaminergic neuron-like cells after an acute cocaine exposure. Here, we functionally tested the contribution

Previous research has shown that humans can discriminate two individual rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta), as well as two individual zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) by their vocalizations. The discrimination of individual zebra finches largely relies on differences in pitch contour, although this is not the only relevant cue. The purpose of the present experiment was to examine whether humans can

The COVID-19 pandemic does not fit into prevailing Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) models, or diagnostic criteria, yet emerging research shows traumatic stress symptoms as a result of this ongoing global stressor. Current pathogenic event models focus on past, and largely direct, trauma exposure to certain kinds of life-threatening events. Nevertheless, among a sample of online participants (

Introduction Dietary nitrate lowers blood pressure and improves athletic performance in humans, yet data supporting observations that it may increase cerebral blood flow and improve cognitive performance are mixed. Here we tested the hypothesis that nitrate and nitrite treatment would improve indicators of learning and cognitive performance in a zebrafish ( Danio rerio ) model. We also explored the

Markerless 3D pose estimation has become an indispensable tool for kinematic studies of laboratory animals. Most current methods recover 3D pose by multi-view triangulation of deep network-based 2D pose estimates. However, triangulation requires multiple, synchronised cameras per keypoint and elaborate calibration protocols that hinder its widespread adoption in laboratory studies. Here, we describe

Circadian rhythms, which respond to the day/night cycle on the earth, arise from the endogenous timekeeping system within organisms, called the biological clock. For accurate circadian rhythms, endogenous oscillations are synchronized to light and temperature. In social insects, both abiotic and biotic factors (i.e., social interactions) play a significant role in active/rest rhythm regulation. However

Across multiple species of social mammals, evidence is accumulating that sociality is associated with fitness. In long-lived species, like primates, lifespan is one of the main fitness components. Here, we provide the first direct evidence that females who provide more in social services live longer. We used 18 years of data from the Lomas Barbudal Monkey project to quantify sociality in 11 capuchin

Societies rely on individual contributions to sustain public goods that benefit the entire community. Several mechanisms, that specify how individuals change their decisions based on past experiences, have been proposed to explain how altruists are not outcompeted by selfish counterparts. A key aspect of such strategy updates involves a comparison of an individual’s latest payoff with that of a random

Urbanization exposes wild animals to increased levels of light, affecting particularly nocturnal animals. Artificial light at night might shift the balance of predator-prey interactions, for example of nocturnal echolocating bats and eared moths. Moths exposed to light show less last-ditch manoeuvres in response to attacking close-by bats. In contrast, the extent to which negative phonotaxis, moths’

Social insects are one of the best examples of complex self-organised systems exhibiting task allocation. How task allocation is achieved is the most fascinating question in behavioural ecology and complex systems science. However, it is difficult to comprehensively characterise task allocation patterns due to behavioural complexity, such as the individual variation, context dependency, and chronological