Predation risk modifies behavior by shaping the response of identified brain neurons

FIORELLA MAGANI; TOMAS LUPPI; JESUS NUÑES; DANIEL TOMSIC

JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY

COMPANY OF BIOLOGISTS LTD

Lugar: Cambridge; Año: 2016 vol. 219 p. 1172 - 1177

0022-0949

Interpopulation comparisons in species that show behavioural variations associated with particular ecological disparities offer good opportunities for assessing how environmental factors may foster specific functional adaptations in the brain. Yet, studies on the neural substrate that can account for interpopulation behavioural adaptations are scarce. Predation is one of the strongest driving forces for behavioural evolvability and, consequently, for shaping structural and functional brain adaptations. We analyzed the escape response of crabs Neohelice granulata from two isolated populations exposed to different risk of avian predation. Individuals from the high risk area proved to be more reactive to a visual danger stimulus (VDS) than those from where predators are rare. Control experiments indicate that the response difference would be specific for impending visual threats. Thereafter, we analyzed the response to VDS of a group of giant brain neurons that are thought to play a main role in the visually guided escape respose of the crab. Neurons from animals of the population with the stronger escape response were more responsive to VDS than neurons from animals of the less reactive population. Our results suggest a robust linkage between the pressure imposed by the predation risk, the response of identified neurons and the behavioural outcome.