title: Vision Guides Selection of Freeze or Flight Defense Strategies in Mice.
abstract: In prey species such as mice, avoidance of predators is key to survival and drives instinctual behaviors like freeze or flight [1, 2]. Sensory signals guide the selection of appropriate behavior [3], and for aerial predators only vision provides useful information. Surprisingly, there is no evidence that vision can guide the selection of escape strategies. Fleeing behavior can be readily triggered by a rapidly looming overhead stimulus [4]. Freezing behavior, however, has previously been induced by real predators or their odors [5]. Here, we discover that a small moving disk, simulating the sweep of a predator cruising overhead, is sufficient to induce freezing response in mice. Looming and sweeping therefore provide visual triggers for opposing flight and freeze behaviors and provide evidence that mice innately make behavioral choices based on vision alone. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
authors: Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1H 0AP, UK.
authors: Gioia
authors: G
authors: De Franceschi
authors: Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1H 0AP, UK.
authors: Tipok
authors: T
authors: Vivattanasarn
authors: UCL Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London, London EC1V 9EL, UK.
authors: Aman B
authors: AB
authors: Saleem
authors: Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Behavioural Neuroscience, University College London, London WC1H 0AP, UK. Electronic address: s.solomon@ucl.ac.uk.
authors: Samuel G
authors: SG
authors: Solomon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D004924:Escape Reaction; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice / Q000502:physiology*; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D014785:Vision, Ocular; D014796:Visual Perception
keywords: innate behavior; mouse; predator and prey; visual pathways