Dataset Information

A simple threat-detection strategy in mice.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Avoiding danger and accessing environmental resources are two fundamental, yet conflicting, survival instincts across species. To maintain a balance between these instincts, animals must efficiently distinguish approaching threats from low-threat cues. However, little is known about the key visual features that animals use to promptly detect such imminent danger and thus facilitate an immediate and appropriate behavioral response.

Results

We used an automatic behavior detection system in mice to quantify innate defensive behaviors, including freezing, flight, and rearing, to a series of looming visual stimuli with varying expanding speeds and varying initial and final sizes. Looming visual stimuli within a specific "alert range" induced flight behavior in mice. Looming stimuli with an angular size of 10-40° and an expanding speed of 57-320°/s were in this range. Stimuli with relatively low expanding speeds tended to trigger freezing behavior, while those with relatively high expanding speeds tended to trigger rearing behavior. If approaching objects are in this "alert range," their visual features will trigger a flight response; however, non-threatening objects, based on object size and speed, will not.

Conclusions

These results indicate a simple strategy in mice that is used to detect predators and suggest countermeasures that predators may have taken to overcome these defensive strategies.

SUBMITTER: Yang X

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7388474 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

A simple threat-detection strategy in mice.

Yang Xing X Liu Qingqing Q Zhong Jinling J Song Ru R Zhang Lin L Wang Liping L

BMC biology 20200729 1

<h4>Background</h4>Avoiding danger and accessing environmental resources are two fundamental, yet conflicting, survival instincts across species. To maintain a balance between these instincts, animals must efficiently distinguish approaching threats from low-threat cues. However, little is known about the key visual features that animals use to promptly detect such imminent danger and thus facilitate an immediate and appropriate behavioral response.<h4>Results</h4>We used an automatic behavior d ...[more]

PMID: 32727449

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Dataset Information

A simple threat-detection strategy in mice.

Background

Results

Conclusions

Publications

A simple threat-detection strategy in mice.

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