Habituation to sound during morning and night sessions in pigeons (Columba livia)

Author(s): Ferrari, E. A. M.

Journal/Book: Physiol Behav. 1997; 62: The Boulevard, Langford Lane, Kidlington, Oxford, England OX5 1GB. Pergamon-Elsevier Science Ltd. 1203-1209.

Abstract: Habituation to acoustic stimulation was analyzed through night and morning sessions in pigeons submitted to a 12:12 h light-dark (LD) cycle. We demonstrate a lack of habituation in nocturnal sessions as compared to typical habituation curves in morning sessions. Temporal organization of the habituation process raises issues concerning the biological meaning of sound in adaptation to the environment and/or the possible interaction of well known endogenous physiological rhythms with learning. A second experiment was performed to establish whether the LD cycle was responsible for the night/day difference observed in the first experiment. In this experiment, the animals were subjected to two days of continuous light (LL) before the learning sessions. No difference in habituation according to time of day was observed in these conditions suggesting a direct effect of the LD cycle in the habituation to sound.

Note: Article Valentinuzzi VS, Unicamp, Inst Biol, Dept Fisiol & Biofis, Lab Sistemas Neurais & Comportamento, BR-13083170 Campinas, Sp, BRAZIL

Keyword(s): Columba livia; habituation; diurnal rhythm; sound stimulation; CIRCADIAN-RHYTHMS; MELATONIN; SLEEP; PERFORMANCE; BRAIN

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