Sensory systems and spatial memory in weakly electric fish
Institution: Queen’s University Belfast, Dept/School/Faculty: School of Biological Sciences
PhD Supervisor: Dr R Holland (email:r.holland@qub.ac.uk),
Co-Supervisor: Prof R W Elwood
Application Deadline: 10 January 2012
Funding Availability: Awaiting Funding Decision/Possible External Funding (the succesfull applicant will compete for a limited number of DEL awards against other students)
Background:
Animal learning and memory is a subject with a long history of study in birds and mammals, but has received far less attention in other animal classes. Many animals learn about and map their surroundings using visual landmarks, but a small number of animals can also use other non-visual systems to learn about space. Fish represent an excellent model in this case as they can use other senses such as the lateral line, which detects pressure changes and weakly electric fish can use small, self-generated electric currents to probe their surroundings. These sensory systems have different constraints than vision, but how this affects the animal's ability to map its environment is poorly understood. Understanding the interaction between different sensory systems has significance for neurobiology and comparative animal cognition. Recent data also shows consistent behavioural variation in traits such as boldness and exploration in animals, which are of importance in gathering information to learn about the environment, but the adaptive significance of such behavioural variation is not yet clear. Understanding how behavioural traits influence the way animals use information for learning tasks has significant impact for animal welfare.
Research aims:
This project will compare visual and non-visual sensory modalities and how they are used to remember locations in space, using learning paradigms such as 2 alternative forced choice and t-maze, to test the relative constraints of the sensory system in learning about the environment. We will contrast learning between fish with different behavioural traits to investigate the effect of boldness on learning ability and mechanisms.
Funding Notes:
There is a possibility that this project may be DEL funded (Department for Employment and Learning Studentships). For further information on eligibility for the above funding, please visit the following website:
http://www.delni.gov.uk.
References:
Moller (2002) Multimodal sensory integration in weakly electric fish: a behavioural account. J. Physiol 96:547-556.
Walton and Moller (2010). Maze Learning and Recall in a Weakly Electric Fish, Mormyrus rume proboscirostris Boulenger (Mormyridae, Teleostei). Ethology 116 (2010) 904–919
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