How do they, indeed? A reply to Biegler et al.

Kamil, Alan C.; Jones, Juli E.

doi:10.1006/anbe.1998.1004

Cited by 9 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…This suggests a qualitative difference between what the distance and bearing groups learned, although further data on this issue are needed. Biegler, McGregor, and Healy (1998; see also Kamil & Jones, 1998) have suggested that nutcrackers may solve geometric problems such as halfway between two landmarks by learning separate landmark-goal vectors for each interlandmark distance used during training. For example, birds in the half group might have learned a conditional discrimination based on the interlandmark distance, of the form "if the landmarks are X cm apart, search Y cm southeast of the northern one."…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Biegler, McGregor, and Healy (1998; see also Kamil & Jones, 1998) have suggested that nutcrackers may solve geometric problems such as halfway between two landmarks by learning separate landmark–goal vectors for each interlandmark distance used during training. For example, birds in the half group might have learned a conditional discrimination based on the interlandmark distance, of the form “if the landmarks are X cm apart, search Y cm southeast of the northern one.” Such conditional learning would not directly or indirectly involve the constant relationship that Y is one half of X.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Geometric rule learning by Clark's nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana).

Kamil¹,

Jones²

2000

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes

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Clark's nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana) were trained to search in a location defined by its geometric relationship to 2 landmarks. Two groups were trained to search at different points along the line connecting the landmarks, and 2 groups were trained to find the 3rd point of a triangle, on the basis of either direction or distance from the landmarks. All groups learned and transferred to new interlandmark distances. However, the constant-distance group learned more slowly, searched less accurately, and showed less transfer than the other 3 groups. When tested with new orientations of the landmarks, the birds tended to follow small but not large rotations. When tested with a single landmark, birds in the half , quarter, and constant-bearing groups searched in the appropriate direction from the landmark, but birds in the distance group did not. These results demonstrate that nutcrackers can learn a variety of geometric principles, that directional information may be weighted more heavily than distance information, and that the birds can use both absolute and relative information about spatial relationships. All buried-seed test trials were videotaped. The videotape for each session was played back on an NEC JC-1401 computer monitor connected to a TARGA videographics board and a Panasonic AG-1730

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Geometric rule learning by Clark's nutcrackers (Nucifraga columbiana).

Kamil¹,

Jones²

2000

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes

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“…In addition to pigeons, Clark’s nutcrackers were found to make separate decisions about directional and distance information (Kamil & Jones, 1997). Thus, vector averaging in the animal literature is different from vector averaging in the mathematical sense proper (see also Kamil & Jones, 1999). If the inter-landmark distance of a landmark array is increased, the learned goal-landmark vectors end short of the middle point between the landmarks.…”

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confidence: 99%

Searching in the middle—Capuchins’ (Cebus apella) and bonobos’ (Pan paniscus) behavior during a spatial search task.

Potì

Kanngießer

Saporiti

et al. 2010

Journal of Experimental Psychology: Animal Behavior Processes

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In this study we show that bonobos and capuchin monkeys can learn to search in the middle of a landmark configuration in a small-scale space. Five bonobos (Pan paniscus) and 2 capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) were tested in a series of experiments with the expansion test paradigm. The primates were trained to search in the middle of a 4- or 2-landmark configuration, and were then tested with the same configuration expanded. Neither species searched in the middle of the expanded 4-landmark configuration. When presented with a 2-landmark configuration and a constant or variable inter-landmark training distance, the subjects sometimes searched preferentially in the middle of the expanded configuration. We discuss 2 alternative explanations of the results: extracting a middle rule or averaging between different goal-landmark vectors. In any case, compared to adult humans, primates appear highly constrained in their abilities to search in the middle of a configuration of detached landmarks. We discuss some of the factors that may influence the primates' behavior in this task.

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“…nutcrackers readily learned the task. When the landmarks were presented at novel interlandmark distances within the range with which they had been trained, birds continued to search halfway between the landmarks, demonstrating they had probably learned something about the geometric relationship between the goal and landmarks rather than memorizing the training configurations (but see Biegler, McGregor, & Healy, 1999, and the reply by Kamil & Jones, 1999).…”

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confidence: 99%