Latent Inhibition Of Predator Recognition By Embryonic Amphibians

Main Category: Biology / Biochemistry
Also Included In: Veterinary
Article Date: 03 Dec 2008 - 9:00 PDT

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It is crucial for prey to be able to learn to discriminate between predators and non-predators. While this task can be challenging and dangerous for prey animals, it appears that amphibian embryos have found a way to get a head start on their homework.

The present study indicates that woodfrogs can learn to distinguish their future predators from their future non-predators while still in the egg. Woodfrog embryos repeatedly exposed to a novel odour (salamander odour) without any reinforcement are subsequently unable to label this odour as threatening.

This mechanism, known as latent inhibition, is likely useful at limiting the number of stimuli mistakenly recognized as potentially dangerous by prey.

Royal Society Journal Biology Letters

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Biology Letters