Neural Mechanisms of Visual Orientation in Rodents: Targets Versus Places

Abstract

In many vertebrates, including mammals, the primary sensory system for the organization of behavior in space is vision. For example, the complex and exquisite movements that are made by predators as they pursue their prey are in many cases clearly under visual control, as are the equally impressive maneuvers made by the prey as they attempt to elude their would-be captors. But both predator and prey are not simply changing their direction and rate of locomotion in response to the movements of one another; they are also avoiding obstacles and negotiating barriers in the terrain through which they are moving. Moreover, the prey may be locomoting toward a particular and visible target such as a tree into which the predator cannot follow, or toward a particular but invisible place such as a burrow in which it can take refuge. Finally, during the performance of these patterns of behavior, the information arriving through the eyes is constantly being integrated with information provided by the other receptor systems.