Scholarlink

Background <p>To navigate, animals balance nearby perceptual cues, random search, and memory. Isolating the role of memory, however, remains difficult.</p> Methods <p>Here, we use a mechanistic movement model to do so, simulating animals responding solely to local perceptual cues (i.e., lacking memory) and comparing their paths with actual routes taken. By comparing route efficiency, we evaluate whether actual routes incorporate knowledge beyond the perceptual range (i.e., spatial memory).</p> Results <p>We show that wolverines (<i>Gulo gulo</i>) employ spatial memory to plan routes through a rugged, mountainous landscape. Furthermore, we find that wolverines most commonly plan routes to destinations 5.3–9.8&#xa0;km ahead. We estimate that route-planning saves wolverines, on average, 19.3&#xa0;kcal per 135&#xa0;min of movement.</p> Conclusions <p>Our findings provide a template for evaluating how free-living animals recall the world beyond their perceptual range, offer a window into the cognitive mechanics underpinning navigation for this species, and support adding wolverines to the primate-dominated list of species with complex spatial memory.</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Wolverines use spatial memory to plan efficient routes through rugged terrain

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2025年6月21日

查看全文
  • Thomas W. Glass,
  • Jeffery P. Copeland,
  • Lucretia E. Olson,
  • John S. Waller,
  • John R. Squires

摘要

Background

To navigate, animals balance nearby perceptual cues, random search, and memory. Isolating the role of memory, however, remains difficult.

Methods

Here, we use a mechanistic movement model to do so, simulating animals responding solely to local perceptual cues (i.e., lacking memory) and comparing their paths with actual routes taken. By comparing route efficiency, we evaluate whether actual routes incorporate knowledge beyond the perceptual range (i.e., spatial memory).

Results

We show that wolverines (Gulo gulo) employ spatial memory to plan routes through a rugged, mountainous landscape. Furthermore, we find that wolverines most commonly plan routes to destinations 5.3–9.8 km ahead. We estimate that route-planning saves wolverines, on average, 19.3 kcal per 135 min of movement.

Conclusions

Our findings provide a template for evaluating how free-living animals recall the world beyond their perceptual range, offer a window into the cognitive mechanics underpinning navigation for this species, and support adding wolverines to the primate-dominated list of species with complex spatial memory.