PLACE CELL-RELATED CALCIUM SIGNALS IN THE PIGEON HIPPOCAMPUS

The hippocampus is a structure critical for spatial cognition that is broadly conserved across the animal kingdom. The observation of the place cell in mammals provided the fundamental building block for a detailed model of spatial information processing in this class. The extent to which this model may be conserved in other classes of animals, like birds, remains an open question. Recent data have demonstrated place cells in a number of avian species that are remarkably similar to those seen in mammals. This, however, stands in stark contrast to earlier observations in pigeons that were very different. While it is possible that the pigeon hippocampus possesses a unique spatial coding system relative to other birds, it is also possible that these differences may be (at least in part) due to advances in recording technology in the decades between the pigeon and chickadee recordings. Resolving this question by revisiting pigeon spatial coding using next-generation techniques is important, as pigeons have a long history of study and are known for their advanced spatial cognition. Towards this goal, we recorded activity in freely moving pigeons using calcium photometry. Wiggentaler Pigeons were injected hippocampally with AAV8-jGCaMP7f, and subsequent activity was recorded using UCLA miniscopes. Preliminary results suggest mammalian-like place cell activity during navigation. These early results suggest local representations in freely moving pigeons that have the potential to advance understanding of spatial cognition across species.