G. Vallortigara

Innate face detectors in the nidopallium of young domestic chicks

This study shows that face-selective neurons exist in one-week-old domestic chicks without prior face exposure, suggesting innate face-detection mechanisms.

Fetal imidacloprid causes ASD-like impairment of biological motion perception in neonatal chicks

This study shows that fetal exposure to imidacloprid impairs biological motion perception in neonatal chicks, similar to effects seen with valproic acid and nAChR blockade.

Behavioural analysis of loss of function zebrafish supports baz1b as master regulator of domestication

This study uses zebrafish to test if baz1b loss-of-function causes domestication syndrome traits, supporting the NCDS hypothesis.

Archerfish number discrimination

This study shows archerfish can discriminate numbers abstractly, ignoring continuous physical stimulus attributes, for both small and large numbers.

Towards a standardization of non-symbolic numerical experiments: GeNEsIS, a flexible and user-friendly tool to generate controlled stimuli

This paper introduces GeNEsIS, a tool to generate controlled non-symbolic numerical stimuli for experiments on numerical cognition, addressing issues of variability in physical features.

Characterising ontogeny of quantity discrimination in zebrafish

This study shows juvenile zebrafish can discriminate group sizes from 21 dpf, but not all ratios, suggesting quantity processing involves attentional and cognitive mechanisms.

Young domestic chicks spontaneously represent the absence of objects

The paper investigates whether young domestic chicks can represent the absence of objects, finding distinct behavioral responses to presence and absence violations, including a sex-dependent left-eye-bias.

Resurgence of a perinatal attraction for animate objects via thyroid hormone T3

The paper shows that thyroid hormone T3 can re-establish early preferences for moving objects in chicks, suggesting shared molecular mechanisms for plasticity and predisposition.

Stability and individual variability of social attachment in imprinting

This study investigates how filial imprinting preferences develop over time in chicks, showing that prolonged exposure strengthens preferences, while shorter exposure leads to re-evaluation based on innate preferences and past experiences.

Transfer from number to size reveals abstract coding of magnitude in honeybees

The paper shows honeybees can transfer number discrimination to size discrimination, suggesting a general magnitude system in invertebrates.

A transient time window for early predispositions in newborn chicks

This study shows that a preference for speed changes in newborn chicks is fixed at the species level on day one but disappears by day three, indicating a transient time window for early predispositions.

Continuous and discrete quantity discrimination in tortoises

This study shows Hermanns tortoises can discriminate between quantities of food items based on size and numerousness, following Weber's Law.