title: Advantages of having a lateralized brain.
abstract: Brain lateralization is common among vertebrates. However, despite its implications for higher-order cognitive functions, almost no empirical evidence has been provided to show that it may confer any advantage to the functioning of the brain. Here, we show in the domestic chick (Gallus gallus domesticus) that cerebral lateralization is associated with an enhanced ability to perform two tasks simultaneously: finding food and being vigilant for predators. This finding suggests that cerebral lateralization enhances brain efficiency in cognitive tasks that demand the simultaneous but different use of both hemispheres.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Neuroscience and Animal Behaviour, University of New England, Armidale, NSW 2351, Australia. lrogers@une.edu.au
authors.forename: Lesley J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Rogers
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zucca
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vallortigara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001070:Appetitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D002645:Chickens / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D008027:Light; D019370:Observation