Although neither group set out to test specifically for sex differences in spatial representations, Langston pointed out that they found all of the rats to be consistent. That in itself, Langston noted, was "an interesting finding that came from our results considering the debate about the navigational skills of men versus women!"
The two studies also did not uncover how the rats make use of their cognitive maps. Langston is starting work that will study how early life experience shapes map development and how they use these representations in the future.
Representing the world
The distinction between a partially innate model of spatial representation and fully learned model might seem minute or trifling—especially with the bourgeoning selection of navigational gadgetry at our fingertips that can not only pinpoint our home on a city plan but also point us in the right direction to find our car in a parking lot. But Palmer, whose background is in Kantian philosophy, finds the results quite relevant and "very encouraging."
"On the philosophical side, it's really fascinating to think about the question of how we represent the world," she says. And the difference between experientially developed and (at least partially) biologically innate means that in philosophical terms some of our understanding of the world is absolute, rather than relative, such as notions of left and right, near and far. "The thing about space is it's cognitive—it's a representation of the world, and to have something like that be innate is really interesting," she notes.
Similar studies are not possible in humans, unless they are being treated for rare brain disorders, due to the invasive nature of the procedure. Researchers can, however, use fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to look for more general neuronal activity in the brain as space is represented and correlate that to readings from individually recorded cells in rodents.
But the patterns of neuronal development in rats are likely to be similar to that of humans—if on a different timescale—Cacucci noted. The ability to use a single visual landmark for spatial orientation occurs in rats about 15 days after birth and at about six months in humans. Being able to construct a maplike concept of a space, however, does not occur until about 21 days after birth in rats—and nine months in babies—both ages around the time of weaning, she pointed out.
If these senses of space and orientation are even more hardwired that had previously been thought, it begs the question: "Where does it come from?" Palmer notes. "We would assume that the brain is shaped by evolution, so that means it must be good enough for reproductive success…but does that mean it's accurate?"
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9 Comments
Add CommentI'm not aware of any scholarly debate about the navigational skills of men versus women, but there often seems to be a conflict whenever both are a little lost together.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI understand it's been previously noted that men primarily seem to try to envision the spatial layout of the desired path, whereas women primarily look for critical landmarks along the way. Success seems to depend mostly on the complexity of the potential paths, the availability of landmarks along the desired path and the intensity of disagreement...
"Being able to construct a maplike concept of a space, however, does not occur until about 21 days after birth in ratsand nine months in babiesboth ages around the time of weaning, she pointed out."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI find it very odd that Cacucci thinks that nine months is "around the time of weaning" for humans. According to anthropologist Katherine Dettwyler, PhD, "The minimum predicted age for a natural age of weaning in humans is 2.5 years, with a maximum of 7.0 years."
My daughter weaned at 4 1/2 years and my son is still going strong at 3 1/2.
I have known for a long time that the internal map is not related to the external information. I always take the wrong turn and get lost easily. I tell myself where things ought to be but my brain tells me differently. I thought I was dyslexic. Because my mother language is Spanish, phonetic all the way, I never had problems learning to read. I did very well in school and have a PhD in quantitative Sociology. But I get lost inside buildings and have no sense of direction at all! I depend on my GPS.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIs there an innate sense of direction: I would suggest that there is but that it can be observed in a person with Acquired Brain Injury. As a person with same, I find this article most interesting. The suggestion that baby rats have a basic spatial framework that activates when they leave the nest interests me. The grid and idea of distance is also interesting.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAged 32 and following a riding accident; a fractured skull, speech, sight, mobility/balance problems, hearing, I found that while I could operate in a limited and basic spatial framework, it was the loss in memory span, attention and cognitive abilities that caused me to lose orientation. This then created a form of anxiety and frustration and the critical comparison. As the years lapsed the comparison became more acute as my memory became episodic. The grid failed to measure distance hence complicating life further.
My point is that nearly 20 years into living with an episodic memory and having gone through the painful endeavours of trying to get myself out of muddled states, I realised that my flaw was that I was thinking pre-accident and spatial capability at that time and this caused the anxiety which in turn caused unwarranted confusion hence the problem. Therefore according to the theory raised in this article, there could be an innate sense of direction but hampered by temperament and anxiety.
The irony is and the reason I believe that there is something innate about the spatial concept is that I early on recognised that if I returned to living in a geographic area that I knew well both driving, walking and living in, then I could cope more successfully with the ABI but at a slower pace of living. This has proved to be a wise decision.
Science is about learning and I appreciate that one must study the performance of the rat population but sometimes I wish that the person who has the experience of ABI, illness, experience is not consulted.
Michelle
Is there an innate sense of direction: I would suggest that there is but that it can be observed in a person with Acquired Brain Injury. As a person with same, I find this article most interesting. The suggestion that baby rats have a basic spatial framework that activates when they leave the nest interests me. The grid and idea of distance is also interesting.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAged 32 and following a riding accident; a fractured skull, speech, sight, mobility/balance problems, hearing, I found that while I could operate in a limited and basic spatial framework, it was the loss in memory span, attention and cognitive abilities that caused me to lose orientation. This then created a form of anxiety and frustration and the critical comparison. As the years lapsed the comparison became more acute as my memory became episodic. The grid failed to measure distance hence complicating life further.
My point is that nearly 20 years into living with an episodic memory and having gone through the painful endeavours of trying to get myself out of muddled states, I realised that my flaw was that I was thinking pre-accident and spatial capability at that time and this caused the anxiety which in turn caused unwarranted confusion hence the problem. Therefore according to the theory raised in this article, there could be an innate sense of direction but hampered by temperament and anxiety.
The irony is and the reason I believe that there is something innate about the spatial concept is that I early on recognised that if I returned to living in a geographic area that I knew well both driving, walking and living in, then I could cope more successfully with the ABI but at a slower pace of living. This has proved to be a wise decision.
Science is about learning and I appreciate that one must study the performance of the rat population but sometimes I wish that the person who has the experience of ABI, illness, experience is not consulted.
Michelle
I apologize in advance for my cryptic reflex comments sans the benefit of reading the complete report. Genetic memory is about the species in its habitual habitat + archetype genes to be influenced by environmental circumstances presenting a threat to its biological integrity. Claiming that we inherit the ability to orient ourselves in ecological niches unfamiliar to our species constitutes a categorical error UNLESS either we are thinking in archetypes being able to conceptually infer a probable solution for a new spatial (or otherwise ,, see Jacques & Monod) contingency OR that we suscribe to the idea of being able to inherit acquired data absent from their genetic endowment, a la Lysenko, i.e., extragerminal cell inheritance. This aspect should be expanded by the author. Dr.d
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt is an interesting reconsideration of Kant's aesthetics (his theory of space and time as synthetic a priori intuitions). I'm sure that research in this direction will reveal interesting things in the future. Particularly in relation to our intuition of time.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thistime, hmmm?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisthe point is that we Are born with this particular sense; and rapidly develop its attachments.
I think I found "physiological evidence" that we have synthetic a priori intuition of space, as Kant asserted. But this will be the subject of a separate scientific communication (whether I will survive in this crisis). However, these investigations seem to lead decisively in the direction of Kantian aesthetics confirmation and denial of Locke's empiricist theory that our mind is in its relationship with the "objective reality" out there, a tabula rasa.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI wrote a book on this subject, but unfortunately I have not yet translated into English only a few pages.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/17474184/Marcel-Chelba-Kantian-tetralogy-Vol-I-Critical-Introduction-Kantinomus