Control of spatial orientation in terrestrial toads (Rhinella arenarum).

DANERI, M.F.; CASANAVE, E.B.; MUZIO, R.N.

Journal of Comparative Psychology

American Psychological Association.

Año: 2011 vol. 125 p. 296 - 307

Three experiments were conducted to determine problem-solving strategies used by toads, Rhinella arenarum (Bufo arenarum), in spatial learning situations, using water as reward. Experiment 1 showed that toads can acquire a spatial orientation based on a body-centered turn -an internal self-reference cue. Experiment 2 showed that toads can use a fixed landmark (visual cue) as guidance to solve a spatial problem. Experiment 3 determined whether maze learning was based on “body-centered turn” or “guidance”. In this case, animals were trained with a fixed visual cue in relation to a body-centered turn (i.e., simultaneously with the internal self-reference cue) and then tested with the visual cue dissociated from positional cues. Toads trained with the combination of a visual cue and a body-centered turn preferred the latter (turn response) when the two sources of information were set in conflict on probetrials. Toads showed behavioral patterns similar to those described in rodents trained under similar condition, thus, suggesting an early evolutionary origin for these problem-solving strategies.Keywords: spatial orientation, discrimination learning, toads <!-- /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0cm; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language:ES; mso-fareast-language:ES;} @page Section1 {size:612.0pt 792.0pt; margin:70.85pt 3.0cm 70.85pt 3.0cm; mso-header-margin:36.0pt; mso-footer-margin:36.0pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} -->