Abstract
AbstractHibernation, a hypometabolic state associated with low body temperature and reduced metabolic and activity rates, represents one adaptation to harsh seasonal environmental conditions. As a consequence of hypometabolism, energetically costly neuronal processes also ought to be reduced. Since active neuronal pathways are prerequisites for learning and memory, and because previous studies revealed variable patterns, it remains unclear whether and how hibernating animals retain memories, however. Here, we investigated the effect of seasonally reduced activity on memory retention in 36 wild grey mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus). Data from activity loggers confirmed that female grey mouse lemurs entered hibernation during the cool dry season, whereas males exhibited episodic bursts of activity throughout the austral winter. Thus, compared to males, we predicted females to show lower memory retention of visual and spatial stimulus–reward associations learned before hibernation. In contrast to our prediction, all individuals performed worse in the post‐hibernation testing session in both types of tests, compared to the pre‐hibernation learning session, and males (N = 11) performed even worse than females (N = 14) in the post‐hibernation testing session. Although females (N = 9) equipped with activity loggers tended to be less active than males (N = 4), sex‐specific activity levels were unrelated to interindividual differences in memory retention. Hence, the post‐hibernation decrease in performance of grey mouse lemurs may reflect a more general disability to retain stimulus–reward associations than a lack of memory retention due to seasonal hypometabolism, as suggested for some species of bats or squirrels.
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