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Cue processing and spatial navigation in the terrestrial isopod

Buzzelli, Christopher
http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9279-2663
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1492166083535544

Abstract Details

2017, Doctor of Philosophy, University of Akron, Psychology-Adult Development and Aging.
Survival for the individual and for the continuation of the species requires processing spatially derived information and responding adaptively. Thus, the physiological, cognitive, and behavioral processes that serve spatial navigation are considered core abilities in living organisms. Prior to this work, the spatial abilities of the monophyletic terrestrial isopod were unknown. A series of spatially based experiments discovered the cues terrestrial isopods use to navigate and an ability to learn. The first experiment manipulated the availability of the visual nest cues to discover that terrestrial isopods use visual information to locate a target by manipulating the availability of the visual information that identified the nest. This experiment eliminated olfaction and substrate color as cue sources. The second experiment revealed the ability to locate a target is affected by the extra maze environment and nest color. These findings implicate the visual system of the terrestrial isopod is adept at using proximal and distal cues provided the contrast of the target to the background does not exceed their resolving ability. Additionally, this experiment revealed that under the proper conditions of contrast, the performance of the terrestrial isopod improved over time indicating the presence of learning. The third study found the terrestrial isopod capable of detecting visual information under a wide luminance range from 2.5 lux to modest light of 300 lux. The visual system of the species was not effective in near dark conditions of 0.5 lux. The fourth experiment by manipulating the ommatidia and tactile apparatuses of the terrestrial isopods verified that information via the ommatidia guide navigation and that antennae do not contribute to the ability to locate a target. The last experiment sought to explore the learning potential of Onsicidean isopods by reducing their proclivity for positively thigmokenetic behavior by creating a special arena that featured a water perimeter. Following 5 rewarded trials, isopods successfully discriminated between the nest encountered during training and a decoy nest on an unrewarded probe trial. This experiment is the first to discover discrimination-based learning in the suborder Oniscidea.
Kevin Kaut, Ph.D (Advisor)
232 p.
Entomology; Psychology
Isopod; terrestrial isopod; spatial navigation; learning; invertebrate learning; discrimination learning; vision; visual system; ommatidia; Oniscidea; maze; aversive maze;

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Buzzelli, C. (2017). Cue processing and spatial navigation in the terrestrial isopod [Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1492166083535544

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Buzzelli, Christopher. Cue processing and spatial navigation in the terrestrial isopod. 2017. University of Akron, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1492166083535544.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Buzzelli, Christopher. "Cue processing and spatial navigation in the terrestrial isopod." Doctoral dissertation, University of Akron, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1492166083535544

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

akron1492166083535544
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© 2017, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by University of Akron and OhioLINK.