Memory Effects on Movement Behavior in Animal Foraging

Bracis, Chloe; Gurarie, Eliezer; Moorter, Bram Van; Goodwin, R. Andrew

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0136057

Cited by 101 publications

(116 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…2c, Bracis et al 2015). This confirms the immense value of memory for animals living in environments with patchily distributed resources (Boyer and Walsh 2010).…”

Section: Impact Of Memory On Seed Removal From a Single Plant (Predicsupporting

confidence: 59%

“…Learning and memory are metabolically costly (Burns et al 2011;Mery and Kawecki 2005) and medium-to long-term memory of resource location may only have value greater than its cost in environments where resources are patchily and predictably distributed (Bracis et al 2015;Eliassen et al 2009). As fruit is usually patchily distributed in space and time (Fleming et al 1987) but often recurs in the same location at relatively long but predictable periods, we might predict that long-term memory would be adaptive for frugivores.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Plant ecology meets animal cognition: impacts of animal memory on seed dispersal

et al. 2016

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We propose that an understanding of animal learning and memory is critical to predicting the impacts of animals on plant populations through processes such as seed dispersal, pollination and herbivory. Focussing on endozoochory, we review the evidence that animal memory plays a role in seed dispersal, and present a model which allows us to explore the fundamental consequences of memory for this process. We demonstrate that decision-making by animals based on their previous experiences has the potential to determine which plants are visited, which fruits are selected to be eaten from the plant and where seeds are subsequently deposited, as well as being an important determinant of animal survival. Collectively, these results suggest that the impact of animal learning and memory on seed dispersal is likely to be extremely important, although to date our understanding of these processes suffers from a conspicuous lack of empirical support. This is partly because of the difficulty of conducting appropriate experiments but is also the result of limited interaction between plant ecologists and those who work on animal cognition.We believe that an improved understanding of the effects of animal memory in endozoochorous interactions will allow better prediction of the impacts of ecosystem changes such as habitat fragmentation, introductions of novel species of plants and animals and reintroductions of animal populations to areas from which they have been extirpated, and hope that the ideas we put forward here provide an impetus for further work in this area.

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“…2c, Bracis et al 2015). This confirms the immense value of memory for animals living in environments with patchily distributed resources (Boyer and Walsh 2010).…”

Section: Impact Of Memory On Seed Removal From a Single Plant (Predicsupporting

confidence: 59%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant ecology meets animal cognition: impacts of animal memory on seed dispersal

et al. 2016

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“…Higher order brain functions are essential for satisfying the desire to feed—the brain facilitates behavioral adaptations required for food accrual while generating a memory of the events for the next round of feeding [17,18]. The Ca 2+ /CaM kinase cascade up-regulates and activates CREB to induce downstream gene expression programs necessary for long-term memory (LTM) formation and different types of learning [19–22].…”

Section: Tissue-specific Metabolic Regulation By the Ca2+/cam-dependementioning

confidence: 99%

The Ca 2+ /Calmodulin/CaMKK2 Axis: Nature's Metabolic CaMshaft

Marcelo

Means

York

2016

Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism

178

142

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Calcium (Ca2+) is an essential ligand that binds its primary intracellular receptor Calmodulin (CaM) to trigger a variety of downstream processes and pathways. Central to the actions of Ca2+/CaM is the activation of a highly conserved Ca2+/CaM kinase (CaMK) cascade, which amplifies Ca2+ signals through a series of subsequent phosphorylation events. Proper regulation of Ca2+ flux is necessary for whole-body metabolism and disruption of Ca2+ homeostasis has been linked to a variety of metabolic diseases. Herein, we provide a synthesis of recent advances that highlight the roles of the Ca2+/CaM kinase axis in key metabolic tissues. An appreciation of this information is critical in order to understand the mechanisms by which Ca2+/CaM-dependent signaling contributes to metabolic homeostasis and disease.

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“…Recent work [12] suggests that long-term memory might impact on a range of ecological interactions and ecosystem processes. Red-footed tortoises are important seed dispersers in their natural environment [16], and so the retention of the knowledge of food values might affect herbivory or seed dispersal through endozoochory [12,21]. Plant fruiting cycles are usually predictable in time [22], and 18 months is longer than the fruiting interval of the majority of plants species in the red-footed tortoise's habitat [17].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long-term memory of relative reward values

et al. 2017

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Long-term memory can be adaptive as it allows animals to retain information that is crucial for survival, such as the appearance and location of key resources. This is generally examined by comparing choices of stimuli that have value to the animal with those that do not; however, in nature choices are rarely so clear cut. Animals are able to assess the relative value of a resource via direct comparison, but it remains unclear whether they are able to retain this information for a biologically meaningful amount of time. To test this, captive red-footed tortoises (Chelonoidis carbonaria) were first trained to associate visual cues with specific qualities and quantities of food, and their preferences for the different reward values determined. They were then retested after an interval of 18 months. We found that the tortoises were able to retain the information they had learned about the cues as indicators of relative reward values over this interval, demonstrating a memory for the relative quantity and quality of food over an extended period of time. This is likely to impact directly on an animal's foraging decisions, such as the exploitation of seasonally varying resources, with obvious fitness implications for the individual; however, the implications may also extend to the ecological interactions in which the animal is involved, affecting processes such as herbivory and seed dispersal.

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Memory Effects on Movement Behavior in Animal Foraging

Cited by 101 publications

References 63 publications

Plant ecology meets animal cognition: impacts of animal memory on seed dispersal

Plant ecology meets animal cognition: impacts of animal memory on seed dispersal

The Ca 2+ /Calmodulin/CaMKK2 Axis: Nature's Metabolic CaMshaft

Long-term memory of relative reward values

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