Inside the corvid brain—probing the physiology of cognition in crows

Nieder, Andreas

doi:10.1016/j.cobeha.2017.02.005

Cited by 67 publications

(63 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…In the same way as the PFC, the NCL integrates highly processed sensory information for all modalities and projects to premotor structures, is modulated by dopamine, and interacts with limbic, visceral and memory-related structures. Recent single-unit recordings in behaving crows confirm the resemblance of the NCL with the PFC by showing that NCL neurons encode sensory and cognitive variables during working memory, but also participate in the translation of cognitive signals to motor behaviours [68,69]. As we shall see later, the NCL also plays an important role in numerical cognition.…”

Section: (C) Evolution Of Mammalian and Avian Endbrainsmentioning

confidence: 80%

Evolution of cognitive and neural solutions enabling numerosity judgements: lessons from primates and corvids

Nieder¹

2018

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Brains that are capable of representing numerosity, the number of items in a set, have arisen repeatedly and independently in different animal taxa. This review compares the cognitive and physiological mechanisms found in a nonhuman primate, the rhesus macaque, and a corvid songbird, the carrion crow, in order to elucidate the evolutionary adaptations underlying numerical competence. Monkeys and corvids are known for their advanced cognitive competence, despite them both having independently and distinctly evolved endbrains that resulted from a long history of parallel evolution. In both species, numerosity is represented as an analogue magnitude by an approximate number system that obeys the Weber-Fechner Law. In addition, the activity of numerosity-selective neurons in the fronto-parietal association cortex of monkeys and the telencephalic associative area nidopallium caudolaterale of crows mirrors the animals' performance. In both species' brains, neuronal activity is tuned to a preferred numerosity, encodes the numerical value in an approximate fashion, and is best represented on a logarithmic scale. Collectively, the data show an impressive correspondence of the cognitive and neuronal mechanisms for numerosity representations across monkeys and crows. This suggests that remotely related vertebrates with distinctly developed endbrains adopted similar physiological solutions to common computational problems in numerosity processing.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The origins of numerical abilities'.

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Section: (C) Evolution Of Mammalian and Avian Endbrainsmentioning

confidence: 80%

Evolution of cognitive and neural solutions enabling numerosity judgements: lessons from primates and corvids

Nieder¹

2018

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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“…On a functional level, the PFC and NCL have been implicated in a range of behaviors that recruit self‐control, working memory and cognitive flexibility—the core concepts of executive functioning (Diamond, ; Fuster, ; Güntürkün, , ; Nieder, ). Lesion‐ and pharmacological blockade studies demonstrate that ablation of these executive structure interferes with performance on spatial and nonspatial working memory tasks (pigeon: Diekamp, Diekamp, Gagliardo, & Güntürkün, ; Gagliardo, Bonadonna, & Divac, ; Güntürkün, ; Lissek & Güntürkün, ; Mogensen & Divac, ; rat: Wikmark, Divac, & Weiss, ; cat: Divac, ; monkey: Rosvold & Szwarcbart, ; human: Müller & Knight, ), memory consolidation and learning (Hartmann & Güntürkün, ; Lengersdorf, Marks, Uengoer, Stüttgen, & Güntürkün, ; Lengersdorf, Stüttgen, Uengoer, & Güntürkün, ; Lissek, Diekamp, & Güntürkün, ; Lissek & Güntürkün, , ), and choice behavior (Kalenscher, Diekamp, & Gunturkun, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparative analysis of the dopaminergic innervation of the executive caudal nidopallium in pigeon, chicken, zebra finch, and carrion crow

Eugen

Tabrik

Güntürkün

et al. 2020

J of Comparative Neurology

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Despite the long, separate evolutionary history of birds and mammals, both lineages developed a rich behavioral repertoire of remarkably similar executive control generated by distinctly different brains. The seat for executive functioning in birds is the nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL) and the mammalian equivalent is known as the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Both are densely innervated by dopaminergic fibers, and are an integration center of sensory input and motor output. Whereas the variation of the PFC has been well documented in different mammalian orders, we know very little about the NCL across the avian clade. In order to investigate whether this structure adheres to species-specific variations, this study aimed to describe the trajectory of the NCL in pigeon, chicken, carrion crow and zebra finch. We employed immunohistochemistry to map dopaminergic innervation, and executed a Gallyas stain to visualize the dorsal arcopallial tract that runs between the NCL and the arcopallium. Our analysis showed that whereas the trajectory of the NCL in the chicken is highly comparable to the pigeon, the two Passeriformes show a strikingly different pattern. In both carrion crow and zebra finch, we identified four different subareas of high dopaminergic innervation that span the entire caudal forebrain. Based on their sensory input, motor output, and involvement in dopamine-related cognitive control of the delineated areas here, we propose that at least three morphologically different subareas constitute the NCL in these songbirds. Thus, our study shows that comparable to the PFC in mammals, the NCL in birds varies considerably across species.

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“…The family Corvidae includes species such as crows, rooks, ravens, magpies, jays, jackdaws, and treepies. Members of this family exhibit remarkable cognitive capabilities such as problem‐solving (Hoffmann, Rüttler, & Nieder, ; Veit & Nieder, ; Weir, Chappell, & Kacelnik, ; Wilson, Mackintosh, & Boakes, ; Zucca, Milos, & Vallortigara, ), tool‐use (New Caledonian crows; Chappell & Kacelnik, , ; Weir et al, ), performing numerosity judgments (carrion crows; Ditz & Nieder, ; Nieder, ), working memory (Balakhonov & Rose, ), and planning for future events (Western scrub jays; de Kort, Tebbich, Dally, & Emery, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The expression of tyrosine hydroxylase and DARPP‐32 in the house crow (Corvus splendens) brain

Sen

Parishar

Pundir

et al. 2019

J of Comparative Neurology

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Birds of the family Corvidae which includes diverse species such as crows, rooks, ravens, magpies, jays, and jackdaws are known for their amazing abilities at problem‐solving. Since the catecholaminergic system, especially the neurotransmitter dopamine, plays a role in cognition, we decided to study the distribution of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), the rate‐limiting enzyme in the synthesis of catecholamines in the brain of house crows (Corvus splendens). We also studied the expression of DARPP‐32 (dopamine and cAMP‐regulated phosphoprotein), which is expressed in dopaminoceptive neurons. Our results demonstrated that as in other avian species, the expression of both TH and DARPP‐32 was highest in the house crow striatum. The caudolateral nidopallium (NCL, the avian analogue of the mammalian prefrontal cortex) could be differentiated from the surrounding pallial regions based on a larger number of TH‐positive “baskets” of fibers around neurons in this region and greater intensity of DARPP‐32 staining in the neuropil in this region. House crows also possessed distinct nuclei in their brains which corresponded to song control regions in other songbirds. Whereas immunoreactivity for TH was higher in the vocal control region Area X compared to the surrounding MSt (medial striatum) in house crows, staining in RA and HVC was not as prominent. Furthermore, the arcopallial song control regions RA (nucleus robustus arcopallialis) and AId (intermediate arcopallium) were strikingly negative for DARPP‐32 staining, in contrast to the surrounding arcopallium. Patterns of immunoreactivity for TH and DARPP‐32 in “limbic” areas such as the hippocampus, septum, and extended amygdala have also been described.

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Inside the corvid brain—probing the physiology of cognition in crows

Cited by 67 publications

References 49 publications

Evolution of cognitive and neural solutions enabling numerosity judgements: lessons from primates and corvids

Evolution of cognitive and neural solutions enabling numerosity judgements: lessons from primates and corvids

A comparative analysis of the dopaminergic innervation of the executive caudal nidopallium in pigeon, chicken, zebra finch, and carrion crow

The expression of tyrosine hydroxylase and DARPP‐32 in the house crow (Corvus splendens) brain

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