The Development of Brain and Behaviour in the ChickenAs a model organism, the chick has provided valuable insights into broad issues of development in higher animals. The complex interactions between genetic, hormonal and environmental factors which occur in the developing chick provide a potent argument against unitary causal explanations for differences in behaviour. Study of the behaviour of the chick is also relevant to poultry science and the welfare of domesticated birds. This book reviews research on the development of brain and behaviour in the chick and juxtaposes this with similar work on other avian and, to a lesser extent, mammalian species. It begins by outlining the developmental stages of the chick embryo, including the effects of environmental stimulation. Behaviour and the neurochemistry of development and memory formation in the posthatching period are then discussed. The transitions that occur during the first two to three weeks of posthatching life are described, particularly in terms of changing hemispheric dominance. The final chapter examines avian cognition and some issues of welfare for the domestic chicken. The book provides a thorough review of the subject and will interest workers in animal neurophysiology and behaviour, experimental psychologists, and poultry scientists. |
Contents
Development of the Central Nervous System and Activity Patterns | 4 |
Autonomous motor control and selfstimulation | 18 |
Concluding Remarks | 39 |
Copyright | |
9 other sections not shown
Common terms and phrases
activity altricial Andrew archistriatum asymmetry auditory avian beak binocularly birds Brain Research cells changes Chapter chick embryo chicken chicks tested cognitive colour commissures copulation cues cycloheximide day E19 discrimination domestic chick effects eggs embryo exposure feeding females filial imprinting footedness forebrain function GABA GABA receptors Gallus glutamate Gottlieb Güntürkün hippocampus hormones imprinting stimulus increase incubation injection input interactions isthmo-optic Journal of Comparative lateralization learning left eye left hemisphere left IMHV lesions levels Lickliter light stimulation marsh tits maturation memory formation monocular Neurogenesis neurons Neuroscience NMDA receptors nucleus occur olfactory optic tectum passive avoidance pattern pebbles pecking pigeons preference prior to hatching processing proprioceptive region response retina right eye right hemisphere Rogers role sensitive period sensory systems sleep social song spatial species synapses tactile task tectofugal tectum testosterone thalamofugal visual projections thalamus visual imprinting visual stimulation visual system vocalizations young chicks zebra finch