Laterality enhances numerical skills in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata
It has been hypothesized that cerebral lateralization can significantly enhance cognition and that this was one of the primary selective forces shaping its wide-spread evolution amongst vertebrate taxa. Here we tested this hypothesis by examining the link between cerebral lateralization and numerica...
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2015-10-01
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Series: | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
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Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00285/full |
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author | Marco eDadda Christian eAgrillo Angelo eBisazza Culum eBrown |
author_facet | Marco eDadda Christian eAgrillo Angelo eBisazza Culum eBrown |
author_sort | Marco eDadda |
collection | DOAJ |
description | It has been hypothesized that cerebral lateralization can significantly enhance cognition and that this was one of the primary selective forces shaping its wide-spread evolution amongst vertebrate taxa. Here we tested this hypothesis by examining the link between cerebral lateralization and numerical discrimination. Guppies, Poecilia reticulata, were sorted into left, right and non-lateralized groups using a standard mirror test and their numerical discrimination abilities tested in both natural shoal choice and abstract contexts. Our results show that strongly lateralized guppies have enhanced numerical abilities compared to non-lateralized guppies irrespective of context. These data provide further credence to the notion that cerebral lateralization can enhance cognitive efficiency |
first_indexed | 2024-12-19T04:59:08Z |
format | Article |
id | doaj.art-3243fb18b789402e8dbb5cc9d05bd20f |
institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
issn | 1662-5153 |
language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-12-19T04:59:08Z |
publishDate | 2015-10-01 |
publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
record_format | Article |
series | Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience |
spelling | doaj.art-3243fb18b789402e8dbb5cc9d05bd20f2022-12-21T20:35:08ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience1662-51532015-10-01910.3389/fnbeh.2015.00285140727Laterality enhances numerical skills in the guppy, Poecilia reticulataMarco eDadda0Christian eAgrillo1Angelo eBisazza2Culum eBrown3University of PadovaUniversity of PadovaUniversity of PadovaMacquarie UniversityIt has been hypothesized that cerebral lateralization can significantly enhance cognition and that this was one of the primary selective forces shaping its wide-spread evolution amongst vertebrate taxa. Here we tested this hypothesis by examining the link between cerebral lateralization and numerical discrimination. Guppies, Poecilia reticulata, were sorted into left, right and non-lateralized groups using a standard mirror test and their numerical discrimination abilities tested in both natural shoal choice and abstract contexts. Our results show that strongly lateralized guppies have enhanced numerical abilities compared to non-lateralized guppies irrespective of context. These data provide further credence to the notion that cerebral lateralization can enhance cognitive efficiencyhttp://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00285/fullFishesoperant conditioningquantity discriminationnumerical discriminationfunctional asymmetries |
spellingShingle | Marco eDadda Christian eAgrillo Angelo eBisazza Culum eBrown Laterality enhances numerical skills in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience Fishes operant conditioning quantity discrimination numerical discrimination functional asymmetries |
title | Laterality enhances numerical skills in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata |
title_full | Laterality enhances numerical skills in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata |
title_fullStr | Laterality enhances numerical skills in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata |
title_full_unstemmed | Laterality enhances numerical skills in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata |
title_short | Laterality enhances numerical skills in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata |
title_sort | laterality enhances numerical skills in the guppy poecilia reticulata |
topic | Fishes operant conditioning quantity discrimination numerical discrimination functional asymmetries |
url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fnbeh.2015.00285/full |
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