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Assessing spatial learning and working memory in plateau zokors in comparison with plateau pikas and laboratory rats

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Abstract

Spatial learning and memory skills are imperative for the survival and fitness of subterranean rodents because of the harsh underground niche in which they live that necessitates the avoidance of higher energy expenditures or probable conflicts with conspecifics or predators. Our study aims to assess the spatial learning and working memory performance of a subterranean rodent species, plateau zokors (Eospalax baileyi), compared to that of the surface-dwelling plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) and laboratory rats (Rattus norvegicus) which spend a considerable time of their lives above ground. Animals were tested with a spatial delayed alternation task in a T-maze for six consecutive days. Plateau zokors showed less efficient learning and working memory capacity in the T-maze compared to plateau pikas and laboratory rats, which maintained accurate and consistent increased spatial learning rates and working memory performances. The three species did not show bias towards a certain arm of the maze. Additionally, clear sex-specific differences were observed in the laboratory rats regarding spatial learning and working memory functions, while in pikas and zokors, no sex-specific variations were detected. The latency to accomplish the task was significantly lower in rats than in pikas and zokors, but no sex-specific differences were detected in all the species. The inferior performance of plateau zokors, compared to pikas and rats, in the T-maze might imply that although the functional significance of working memory may overlap in diverse taxonomic groups, the adaptive value thereof may differ considerably across taxa on account of the divergence in environmental stability, domestication, habitat structure, behavioural needs and the available sensory cues between species.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Professor Shangli Shi (Dean of School of Grassland Sciences, Gansu Agricultural University) and the Department of Hygiene, Zoonoses and Animal Behavior and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, for their moral and career support. The authors would like also to thank the two anonymous reviewers for their valuable suggestions that inevitably improved the status of the manuscript.

Funding

Funding for this work was supported by the Science and Technology Innovation Funds of Gansu Agricultural University (supporting funds for youth mentor, GAU-QDFC-2018-02), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (nos. 31460566 and 31760706), Gansu Provincial Natural Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars of China (no. 1606RJDA314), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (nos. 2015M572614 and 2016T90958, “Fuxi Talent” Plan of Gansu Agricultural University (Gaufx-02J03), Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem (Gansu Agricultural University), Ministry of Education (2017-GSAU-CYJ-03) and Talented Young Scientists fellowship (TYSP) of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecosystem (Ministry of Education), Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China

    Ibrahim M. Hegab, Yuchen Tan, Yukun Kang, Haifang Wang, Ahmed M. Hanafy & Junhu Su

  2. Gansu Agricultural University-Massey University Research Centre for Grassland Biodiversity, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou, 730070, China

    Ibrahim M. Hegab, Yuchen Tan, Yukun Kang, Haifang Wang, Weihong Ji, Ahmed M. Hanafy & Junhu Su

  3. Department of Hygiene, Zoonoses and Animal Behaviour and Management, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 41522, Egypt

    Ibrahim M. Hegab

  4. Institute of Natural and Mathematical Sciences, Massey University, Private Bag 102904 North Shore Mail Centre, Auckland, 0632, New Zealand

    Weihong Ji

  5. Animal Production Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Suez Canal University, Ismailia, 41522, Egypt

    Ahmed M. Hanafy

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  1. Ibrahim M. Hegab
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Correspondence to Junhu Su.

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Experimental procedures were approved by the animal ethics committee of Gansu Agricultural University (GSAU-CYAE01) and permission from the local authorities was required for capturing wild plateau zokors and pikas.

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Hegab, I.M., Tan, Y., Kang, Y. et al. Assessing spatial learning and working memory in plateau zokors in comparison with plateau pikas and laboratory rats. acta ethol 22, 163–173 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10211-019-00320-y

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