Hemispheric specialization and dual processing in strongly versus weakly lateralized chicks

Abstract

Lateralization of various functions is well established in the domestic chick and other vertebrates. The function of lateralization is a question under investigation now. In a previous study, it was shown that chicks incubated in the dark (Da), which prevents the development of lateralization of visual foraging and predator detection, did not perform well when two tasks requiring simultaneous use of the expertise of the right and left eye systems were presented. Performance of a task requiring the chick to find grains against a background of pebbles deteriorated in the Da chicks in the presence of a predator. In the study reported here, the two simultaneous tasks were tested in both binocular and monocular conditions to establish the role of each eye system. Learning of the pebble-floor task was poor in Da chicks tested binocularly or monocularly and in the light-exposed (Li) chicks using the left eye (LE). The time taken to complete the pebble-floor task in the presence of a predator was significantly longer for the Da chicks. This was because pecking was interrupted for longer times when the predator was presented, and the Da chicks made more distress calls than the Li. The latency to detect the predator was longest in the Li chicks using the right eye (RE) (i.e., the Li were lateralized). In the Li chicks, sustained initial viewing of the predator was by the LE. There was no LE/RE difference in the Da chicks. The intensity of responses decreased with continued presentation of the predator but forced use of the RE slowed this habituation. Exposure to light before hatching affects lateralization of both learning of the pebble-floor task and the detection of an overhead predator. Attending to the foraging and predator vigilance tasks simultaneously is impaired in the Da chicks and the superior ability of Li (lateralized) chicks is due to a specific effect of light stimulation of the RE prior to hatching. We have shown that superior performance on the dual task results from the ability to allocate food searching to one hemisphere (left) and predator vigilance to the other (right) hemisphere, achieved only by Li chicks.