Global warming is leading to a greater frequency of heat waves, generally defined as an increase in temperature of at least 5°C compared to the average maximum temperature for at least 5 days. Heat waves do not only increase mortality in animals, but can also have important consequences on behavioral traits, including cognitively demanding behavioral traits, which in turn can influence mortality and reproductive success. Thermal condition is well documented to affect behavioral traits in freshwater teleosts, and like most organisms, freshwater communities will have to deal with an increasing number of extreme heat events in the coming decades. The consequences for behavior and, specifically, for the cognitive capacities underlying behavior remain largely unknown. Here, we tested the effects of a simulated heat wave on spatial cognitive abilities and associative learning in the model organism Poecilia reticulata. Previous studies have demonstrated the ability of guppies to learn to navigate a simple maze, decreasing their exit time after each trial. Therefore, we used maze learning as an indicator of spatial cognitive abilities in order to test whether heat waves affect cognition.

Global warming is leading to a greater frequency of heat waves, generally defined as an increase in temperature of at least 5°C compared to the average maximum temperature for at least 5 days. Heat waves do not only increase mortality in animals, but can also have important consequences on behavioral traits, including cognitively demanding behavioral traits, which in turn can influence mortality and reproductive success. Thermal condition is well documented to affect behavioral traits in freshwater teleosts, and like most organisms, freshwater communities will have to deal with an increasing number of extreme heat events in the coming decades. The consequences for behavior and, specifically, for the cognitive capacities underlying behavior remain largely unknown. Here, we tested the effects of a simulated heat wave on spatial cognitive abilities and associative learning in the model organism Poecilia reticulata. Previous studies have demonstrated the ability of guppies to learn to navigate a simple maze, decreasing their exit time after each trial. Therefore, we used maze learning as an indicator of spatial cognitive abilities in order to test whether heat waves affect cognition.

Effects of a simulated heat wave on spatial cognitive abilities and associative learning in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata

PADOVAN, SAMUELE
2021/2022

Abstract

Global warming is leading to a greater frequency of heat waves, generally defined as an increase in temperature of at least 5°C compared to the average maximum temperature for at least 5 days. Heat waves do not only increase mortality in animals, but can also have important consequences on behavioral traits, including cognitively demanding behavioral traits, which in turn can influence mortality and reproductive success. Thermal condition is well documented to affect behavioral traits in freshwater teleosts, and like most organisms, freshwater communities will have to deal with an increasing number of extreme heat events in the coming decades. The consequences for behavior and, specifically, for the cognitive capacities underlying behavior remain largely unknown. Here, we tested the effects of a simulated heat wave on spatial cognitive abilities and associative learning in the model organism Poecilia reticulata. Previous studies have demonstrated the ability of guppies to learn to navigate a simple maze, decreasing their exit time after each trial. Therefore, we used maze learning as an indicator of spatial cognitive abilities in order to test whether heat waves affect cognition.
2021
Effects of a simulated heat wave on spatial cognitive abilities and associative learning in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata
Global warming is leading to a greater frequency of heat waves, generally defined as an increase in temperature of at least 5°C compared to the average maximum temperature for at least 5 days. Heat waves do not only increase mortality in animals, but can also have important consequences on behavioral traits, including cognitively demanding behavioral traits, which in turn can influence mortality and reproductive success. Thermal condition is well documented to affect behavioral traits in freshwater teleosts, and like most organisms, freshwater communities will have to deal with an increasing number of extreme heat events in the coming decades. The consequences for behavior and, specifically, for the cognitive capacities underlying behavior remain largely unknown. Here, we tested the effects of a simulated heat wave on spatial cognitive abilities and associative learning in the model organism Poecilia reticulata. Previous studies have demonstrated the ability of guppies to learn to navigate a simple maze, decreasing their exit time after each trial. Therefore, we used maze learning as an indicator of spatial cognitive abilities in order to test whether heat waves affect cognition.
Poecilia reticulata
Cognition
Heat Wave
Maze Learning
Heat Stress
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12608/40434