Animal Behavior and Cognition

Development of equation of motion deciphering locomotion including omega turns of Caenorhabditis elegans

1. Taegon Chung
2. Iksoo Chang
3. Sangyeol Kim

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This useful study introduces a simple mechanical model of C. elegans locomotion that captures aspects of the worm's behavioral repertoire beyond forward crawling. While the kinetic model (ElegansBot) provides a compromise and starting point to help understand the mechanical components of C. elegans behavior, the claim that this work improves on extant mechanical models is incomplete, including modeling a 3-dimensional turning behavior with a 2-dimensional model without sufficient justification. In addition, the results of the application of the model to previously unstudied behaviors are primarily qualitative and do not produce new predictions.

Reviewed by eLife

Behavioral sequences across multiple animal species in the wild share common structural features

1. Pranav Minasandra
2. Emily M. Grout
3. Katrina Brock
4. Margaret C. Crofoot
5. Vlad Demartsev
6. Andrew S. Gersick
7. Ben T. Hirsch
8. Kay E. Holekamp
9. Lily Johnson-Ulrich
10. Amlan Nayak
11. Josué Ortega
12. Marie A. Roch
13. Eli D. Strauss
14. Ariana Strandburg-Peshkin

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

The archerfish uses motor adaptation in shooting to correct for changing physical conditions

1. Svetlana Volotsky
2. Opher Donchin
3. Ronen Segev

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This valuable study showed convincing evidence that archerfishes can adapt their shooting behaviors to airflow perturbations. The fish also exhibits adaptive behaviors indicative of an egocentric representation of the perturbation, though direct evidence is missing. Hence, this work will be of interest to those interested in cross-species comparisons for motor learning.

Reviewed by eLife

Risk-sensitive learning is a winning strategy for leading an urban invasion

1. Alexis J Breen
2. Dominik Deffner

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This important study uses a multi-pronged empirical and theoretical approach to advance our understanding of animal cognition. It presents convincing data on how differences in learning relate to differences in the ways that male versus female animals cope with urban environments, and more generally how reversal learning may benefit animals in urban habitats.

Reviewed by eLife

Optogenetic stimulation of the locus coeruleus enhances appetitive extinction in rats

1. Simon Lui
2. Ashleigh K Brink
3. Laura H Corbit

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  In this important study, Lui and colleagues examine whether the locus coeruleus is involved in extinction of an appetitive conditioned response. Using a set of optogenetic approaches aimed at manipulating the activity of locus coeruleus cells, the authors provide solid evidence that these neurons regulate the extinction of conditioned responses. Overall this study further highlights the key role of noradrenaline in cognitive processes and will be of interest to those interested in associative learning, extinction, noradrenaline, associated brain systems and translational endpoints.

Reviewed by eLife

Contextual and combinatorial structure in sperm whale vocalisations

1. Pratyusha Sharma
2. Shane Gero
3. Roger Payne
4. David F. Gruber
5. Daniela Rus
6. Antonio Torralba
7. Jacob Andreas

Reviewed by Arcadia Science

A preclinical model of THC edibles that produces high-dose cannabimimetic responses

1. Anthony English
2. Fleur Uittenbogaard
3. Alexa Torrens
4. Dennis Sarroza
5. Anna Veronica Elizabeth Slaven
6. Daniele Piomelli
7. Michael R Bruchas
8. Nephi Stella
9. Benjamin Bruce Land

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  This important study presents the validation of an oral delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) consumption mouse model utilizing highly palatable e-capsule gelatin. The results convincingly demonstrate that oral consumption produced THC behavioral and physiological effects, as well as measurable brain levels. The utility of the model for chronic consumption remains to be determined. The authors have clearly acknowledged limitations of their model and areas for future study and development. As the field of cannabinoid research moves toward application of routes of administration that mimic human use, these model systems will be pivotal in assessing the effects of cannabinoid-based drugs.

Reviewed by eLife

Recursive self-embedded vocal motifs in wild orangutans

1. Adriano R Lameira
2. Madeleine E Hardus
3. Andrea Ravignani
4. Teresa Raimondi
5. Marco Gamba

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  The paper represents a novel application of recursion theory to the long call vocalisations of orangutans to demonstrate repetitive, rhythmic sub-structuring. The authors use detailed acoustic analyses to show compelling evidence for self-embedded and nested isochronic motifs. These fundamental results have the potential to significantly advance current approaches used to compare nonhuman communication systems with human language.

Reviewed by eLife

Interactive bioacoustic playback as a tool for detecting and exploring nonhuman intelligence: “conversing” with an Alaskan humpback whale

1. Brenda McCowan
2. Josephine Hubbard
3. Lisa Walker
4. Fred Sharpe
5. Jodi Frediani
6. Laurance Doyle

Reviewed by PeerJ

Collaborative hunting in artificial agents with deep reinforcement learning

1. Kazushi Tsutsui
2. Ryoya Tanaka
3. Kazuya Takeda
4. Keisuke Fujii

• Curated by eLife

  eLife assessment

  In this study, deep learning methods are deployed in the context of a group hunting scenario wherein two predators pursue a single prey. Through deep learning, the two predators achieve higher predation success than occurs with single predators. Much of the evidence in this important study is solid, with implications for future work on the ethology and simulation of cooperative behaviors.

Reviewed by eLife