The relationship between monoaminergic gene expression, learning, and optimism in red junglefowl chicks.

ABSTRACT: Intra-species cognitive variation is commonly observed, but explanations for why individuals within a species differ in cognition are still understudied and not yet clear. Cognitive processes are likely influenced by genetic differences, with genes in the monoaminergic systems predicted to be important. To explore the potential role of these genes in association with individual variation in cognition, we exposed red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) chicks to behavioural assays measuring variation in learning (discriminative learning, reversal learning, and cognitive flexibility) and optimism (measured in a cognitive judgement bias test). Following this, we analysed prefrontal cortex gene expression of several dopaminergic and serotonergic genes in these chicks. Of our explored genes, serotonin r

SUBMITTER: Boddington R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7415762 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature