The effect of pyrazine odor on avoidance learning and memory in wild robins Erithacus rubecula  

作　　者：Emma C. SIDDALL Nicola M. MARPLES 

机构地区：[1]School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland

出　　处：《Current Zoology》2011年第2期208-214,共7页动物学报（英文版）

摘　　要：Toxic insects advertise their defended state to potential predators using warning displays. Frequently these displays use cues through more than one sensory modality, and combine color, smell and sound to produce a multimodal warning display. Signalling through more than one sensory pathway may enhance the rate of avoidance learning, and the memorability of the learned avoidance. A common insect warning odor, pyrazine, has previously been shown to increase the rate of learned avoidance of unpalatable yellow prey by domestic chicks （GaUus gallus domesticus）, and the odor also improved memory of this learned avoidance. However, to date no research has examined this response to pyrazine odor using wild birds under natural conditions. This study used wild robins （Erithacus rubecula） to investigate whether wild birds avoided yellow baits that smelled of pyrazine more strongly than those presented with no odor. The results provide some evidence that pyrazine odor does increase the level of protection an aposematic insect gains from a wild avian predator, but that the effect of pyrazine on learned avoidance was much weaker than was found with domestic chicks .

关 键 词：APOSEMATISM Learned avoidance Memory Multimodal warning display PYRAZINE ROBINS 

分 类 号：S855.3[农业科学—临床兽医学] TP18[农业科学—兽医学]