Slope-based encoding of a goal location is unaffected by hippocampal lesions in homing pigeons ( Columba livia)

Abstract

Using the same procedures as Nardi and Bingman (2009) [22], bilateral hippocampal lesions were found to have no detectable effect on the capacity of homing pigeons to use the slope of an inclined surface to encode a goal location. Hippocampal lesioned pigeons, like controls, also preferentially relied on slope over geometry when the two sources of information were set in conflict. As such, slope resembles visual features as a source of goal recognition information that is hippocampal independent.