title: Pigeon (Columba livia) encoding of a goal location: the relative importance of shape geometry and slope information.
abstract: The ability to use the geometric shape of an environment as an orienting cue for goal location has been shown in many vertebrate groups. Experimentally, however, geometric spatial tasks are typically carried out on horizontal surfaces. The present study explored how learning a geometry task is affected by training on a surface extending in the vertical dimension-a slope. In a reference memory task, pigeons (Columba livia) were trained to locate a goal in an isosceles trapezoid arena. Learning on a slope proceeded more rapidly or with fewer errors than on a flat surface, presumably because of kinesthetic, vestibular, and visual information extractable from an inclined surface. Experiment 1 showed that, although the geometric shape of the arena was encoded, pigeons trained on a slope were guided by a goal representation based on the vertical and orthogonal axes of the slope to solve the task. Experiment 2 revealed that geometric learning was neither overshadowed nor facilitated by training on a slope. The data highlight a potentially important role for slope as an allocentric cue for goal location.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH, 43403, USA. dnardi@bgsu.edu
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nardi
authors.forename: Verner P
authors.initials: VP
authors.lastname: Bingman
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001245:Association Learning / Q000502:physiology; D010856:Columbidae / Q000502:physiology*; D003463:Cues; D004193:Discrimination Learning / Q000502:physiology; D005556:Form Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D006040:Goals; D007699:Kinesthesis / Q000502:physiology; D008568:Memory / Q000502:physiology; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology*; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology; D013028:Space Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D013037:Spatial Behavior / Q000502:physiology*