title: Processing of transient signals in the visual system of the European starling (Sturnus vulgaris) and humans.
abstract: The double-pulse resolution (DPR) measures the processing performance for transient visual signals as the threshold duration for detecting a temporal gap between two light flashes in relation to gap duration. The DPR of four European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) and four humans was measured in an operant Go/NoGo procedure. We applied the method of constant stimuli and determined thresholds using signal-detection theory. The starling DPR (22.2 ms±2.3 ms SE) was significantly shorter than human DPR (35.2 ms±1.3 ms SE; p<0.01, t-test). The difference suggests that starlings have a higher temporal resolution for transient visual signals than humans.
authors.affiliation: Department for Animal Physiology & Behaviour, C.v.O University Oldenburg, PO Box 2503, D-26111 Oldenburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Arne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Feinkohl
authors.forename: Georg
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Klump
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D006801:Humans; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology; D017603:Signal Detection, Psychological / Q000502:physiology*; D046749:Starlings; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000502:physiology*