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Computational models of episodic-like memory in food-caching birds

Author

Listed:
  • Johanni Brea

    (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
    École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)

  • Nicola S. Clayton

    (University of Cambridge)

  • Wulfram Gerstner

    (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
    École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne)

Abstract

Birds of the crow family adapt food-caching strategies to anticipated needs at the time of cache recovery and rely on memory of the what, where and when of previous caching events to recover their hidden food. It is unclear if this behavior can be explained by simple associative learning or if it relies on higher cognitive processes like mental time-travel. We present a computational model and propose a neural implementation of food-caching behavior. The model has hunger variables for motivational control, reward-modulated update of retrieval and caching policies and an associative neural network for remembering caching events with a memory consolidation mechanism for flexible decoding of the age of a memory. Our methodology of formalizing experimental protocols is transferable to other domains and facilitates model evaluation and experiment design. Here, we show that memory-augmented, associative reinforcement learning without mental time-travel is sufficient to explain the results of 28 behavioral experiments with food-caching birds.

Suggested Citation

  • Johanni Brea & Nicola S. Clayton & Wulfram Gerstner, 2023. "Computational models of episodic-like memory in food-caching birds," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-38570-x
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38570-x
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nicola S. Clayton & Anthony Dickinson, 1998. "Episodic-like memory during cache recovery by scrub jays," Nature, Nature, vol. 395(6699), pages 272-274, September.
    2. J. Nicholas Betley & Shengjin Xu & Zhen Fang Huang Cao & Rong Gong & Christopher J. Magnus & Yang Yu & Scott M. Sternson, 2015. "Neurons for hunger and thirst transmit a negative-valence teaching signal," Nature, Nature, vol. 521(7551), pages 180-185, May.
    3. C. R. Raby & D. M. Alexis & A. Dickinson & N. S. Clayton, 2007. "Planning for the future by western scrub-jays," Nature, Nature, vol. 445(7130), pages 919-921, February.
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