| Summary: | 碩士 === 國立清華大學 === 系統神經科學研究所 === 98 === Abstract
Observational learning is the ability to learn through observing others’ behavior. The benefit of observational learning is clear in that individuals can save time and energy without try-and-error learning, and enhance the chance of survival and reproduction. Cephalopods (squid, octopus, and cuttlefish) have the most sophisticated central nervous system among invertebrates, thus it is conceivable that cephalopods can develop some forms of cognition. Although it has been suggested that octopus equips the capacity of observational learning, a previous study has indicated that cuttlefish do not improve their predation tactics by observing conspecifics. Given that the danger avoidance is important for survival, we sought to reevaluate whether cuttlefish show some form of observational learning under threatening circumstances. Cuttlefish (Sepia pharaonis) were divided into two groups, the Self-Experience Group and the Observe-Other Group. Two background patterns were used to probe the threat-place association learning in these experiments. In the training phase, a toy submarine was remotely controlled to expel the cuttlefish at its innately preferred place to establish the threat-place association in the Self-Experience Group. In the Observe-Other Group, the threat-place association was established by expelling the conspecific demonstrator at the observer’s innately preferred place while the observer watched the whole process behind a transparent divider. In the testing phase, the choice of safe place in the absence of threat was used to probe the learning of cuttlefish in both groups. In the Self-Experience Group, we found that most animals chose the safe side more often than their innately preferred side, an indication of the association learning. However, in the Observe-Other Group, only a subset of animals showed this threat-place association by observation. Thus, our results suggest that some cuttlefish can learn by observing others, but individual difference exists.
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