Visual lateralization of pattern discrimination in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus).
The aim of the present study was to investigate whether bottlenose dolphins have cerebral asymmetries of visual processing. The monocular performance of the adult dolphin Goliath was tested using a large number of simultaneous multiple pattern discrimination tasks. The experiments revealed a clear right eye advantage in the acquisition and the retention of pattern discriminations as well as asymmetries in the interhemispheric transfer of visual information. As a result of a complete decussation at the optic nerve, this right eye superiority is probably related to a left hemisphere dominance in visual processing.
von Fersen
L
L
Tiergarten Nürnberg, Germany.
Schall
U
U
Güntürkün
O
O
D000818:Animals; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D004289:Dolphins / Q000502:physiology*; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000502:physiology; D010364:Pattern Recognition, Visual / Q000502:physiology*; D012153:Retention, Psychology / Q000502:physiology; D015349:Vision, Monocular / Q000502:physiology