Welcome to the new version of CaltechAUTHORS. Login is currently restricted to library staff. If you notice any issues, please email coda@library.caltech.edu
Published October 21, 2013 | Supplemental Material + Accepted Version
Journal Article Open

Rapid Innate Defensive Responses of Mice to Looming Visual Stimuli

Abstract

Much of brain science is concerned with understanding the neural circuits that underlie specific behaviors. While the mouse has become a favorite experimental subject, the behaviors of this species are still poorly explored. For example, the mouse retina, like that of other mammals, contains ∼20 different circuits that compute distinct features of the visual scene [1 and 2]. By comparison, only a handful of innate visual behaviors are known in this species—the pupil reflex [3], phototaxis [4], the optomotor response [5], and the cliff response [6]—two of which are simple reflexes that require little visual processing. We explored the behavior of mice under a visual display that simulates an approaching object, which causes defensive reactions in some other species [7 and 8]. We show that mice respond to this stimulus either by initiating escape within a second or by freezing for an extended period. The probability of these defensive behaviors is strongly dependent on the parameters of the visual stimulus. Directed experiments identify candidate retinal circuits underlying the behavior and lead the way into detailed study of these neural pathways. This response is a new addition to the repertoire of innate defensive behaviors in the mouse that allows the detection and avoidance of aerial predators.

Additional Information

© 2013 Elsevier Ltd. Available online 10 October 2013. We thank Xavier Burgos-Artizzu for advice on video analysis, and David Anderson, Joshua Sanes, and Rachel Wilson for comments on the manuscript. This work was supported by grants from the NIH to M.M.

Attached Files

Accepted Version - nihms514919.pdf

Supplemental Material - MovieS1.mp4

Supplemental Material - MovieS2.mp4

Supplemental Material - mmc1.pdf

Files

nihms514919.pdf
Files (15.3 MB)
Name Size Download all
md5:b45f46d12f2a82668923846f153a8821
1.9 MB Download
md5:76929be7d176c20afadf50f13afe9d76
12.3 MB Download
md5:f8425bc34b7a96ce10e9dafae26d2833
1.0 MB Preview Download
md5:474e3dd8ac88472a90c1859195bba1a0
39.5 kB Preview Download

Additional details

Created:
August 19, 2023
Modified:
October 25, 2023