A translational and multidisciplinary approach to studying the Garcia effect, a higher form of learning with deep evolutionary roots

Journal of Experimental Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 227(8)

Published: April 15, 2024

Animals, including humans, learn and remember to avoid a novel food when its ingestion is followed, hours later, by sickness - phenomenon initially identified during World War II as potential means of pest control. In the 1960s, John Garcia (for whom effect now named) demonstrated that this form conditioned taste aversion had broader implications, showing it rapid but long-lasting taste-specific with fundamental role in evolution behaviour. From mid-1970s onward, principles were translated different clinical conditions (e.g. side-effects linked chemotherapy). However, last two decades, number studies on has undergone considerable decline. Since discovery rodents, learning was thought be exclusive mammals; however, we recently provided first demonstration can formed an invertebrate model organism, pond snail Lymnaea stagnalis. Thus, Commentary, after reviewing experiments led characterization describe recent evidence for L. stagnalis, which may pave way future other invertebrates mammals. This article aims inspire translational ecological characterize conserved mechanisms underlying deep evolutionary roots, used address range biological questions.

Language: Английский

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Growing Confidence and Remaining Uncertainty About Animal Consciousness

Qeios, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 17, 2024

While the study of consciousness has had a controversial history and, until recently, pessimistic prognosis, recent views within neuroscientific community suggest that maturing if incomplete scientific understanding is close at hand. Most published definitions boil down to focus on it as process arising in nervous system engaged with body and its environment, giving rise subjective (personal) experience. A broad consensus phenomenology sees consisting minimum (1) awarenessand focused attention, (2) unity perception, (3) qualitative variations content, (4) mental causation, (5) sense self. There also agreement substrate requires sizeable, complex systems organized into several hierarchical levels processing. Further insight gained by reconstructing evolution phenomenological experience ― most likely from multiple origins, hosted diversity brain architectures, diverging markedly different forms across animal kingdom. The three major mysteries remain about are neurological correlates consciousness, apparent gap between mechanism, agent monitors activity admitted consciousness.

Language: Английский

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Growing Confidence and Remaining Uncertainty About Animal Consciousness

Qeios, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Feb. 26, 2024

While the study of consciousness has had a controversial history and, until recently, pessimistic prognosis, recent views within neuroscientific community suggest that maturing if incomplete scientific understanding is close at hand. The purpose this essay to specify major points on which in my opinion there widespread though not universal agreement, as proposed benchmarks for current state research across phylogenetic spectrum. Most published definitions boil down focus it process arising nervous system engaged with body and its environment, giving rise subjective (personal) experience. A broad consensus phenomenology sees consisting minimum (1) awarenessand focused attention, (2) unity perception, (3) qualitative variations content, (4) mental causation, (5) sense self. There also agreement substrate requires sizeable, complex systems organized into several hierarchical levels processing. Further insight gained by reconstructing evolution phenomenological experience ― most likely from multiple origins, hosted diversity brain architectures, diverging markedly different forms animal kingdom. However, three mysteries about remain unresolved are neurological correlates consciousness, apparent gap between mechanism, monitors activity admitted consciousness.

Language: Английский

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Consciousness makes sense in the light of evolution

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 164, P. 105824 - 105824

Published: July 22, 2024

I believe consciousness is a property of advanced nervous systems, and as such product evolution. Thus, to understand we need describe the trajectory leading its evolution selective advantages conferred. A deeper understanding neurology would be significant contribution, but other functions, hearing vision, are explained with comparable lack detailed knowledge brain processes responsible. In this paper, try add details credence previously suggested, evolution-based model consciousness. According model, feature started evolve in early amniotes (reptiles, birds, mammals) some 320 million years ago. The reason was introduction feelings strategy for making behavioral decisions.

Language: Английский

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Deciphering regeneration through non-model animals: A century of experiments on cephalopod mollusks and an outlook at the future

Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 10

Published: Jan. 9, 2023

The advent of marine stations in the last quarter 19th Century has given biologists possibility observing and experimenting upon myriad organisms. Among them, cephalopod mollusks have attracted great attention from onset, thanks to their remarkable adaptability captivity a number biologically unique features including sophisticate behavioral repertoire, body patterning capacities under direct neural control complexity nervous system rivalling vertebrates. Surprisingly, capacity regenerate tissues complex structures, such as appendages, albeit been known for centuries, understudied over decades. Here, we will first review limited number, but fundamental studies on subject published between 1920 1970 discuss what they added our knowledge regeneration biological phenomenon. We also speculate how these relate epistemic disciplinary context, setting base study taxon. then frame peripherality cephalopods relation with experimental accessibility, comparison, established models, either simpler (such planarians), or more promising terms translation (urodeles). Last, explore potential growing relevance prospective models today, light novel opportunities provided by technological methodological advances, reconsider old problems new ones. recent development cutting-edge technologies made available cephalopods, like genome editing, is allowing important findings opening way toward avenues. contribution offered increase regenerative mechanisms through cross-species comparison lead better understanding cellular molecular machinery involved, shedding common pathways strategies different taxa evolved promote organs. Through dialogue biological/experimental historical/contextual perspectives, this article stimulate discussion around changing relations availability animal specificity, technical developments scientific trends contemporary biology medicine.

Language: Английский

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