Innate face- selectivity in the brain of young domestic chicks

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Kobylkov, Dmitry; Salva, Orsola Rosa -; Zanon, Mirko; Vallortigara, Giorgio
• 署名单位: University of Trento
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-9285
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2410404121
• 发表日期: 2024-10-01
• 关键词: superior temporal sulcus; spatial-frequencies; newborns preference; response properties; cortical region; neurons; perception; cortex; domain; AREA

摘要

Shortly after birth, both na & iuml;ve animals and newborn babies exhibit a spontaneous attraction to faces and face- like stimuli. While neurons selectively responding to faces have been found in the inferotemporal cortex of adult primates, face- selective domains in the brains of young monkeys seem to develop only later in life after exposure to faces. This has fueled a debate on the role of experience in the development of face- detector mechanisms, since face preferences are well documented in na & iuml;ve animals, such as domestic chicks reared without exposure to faces. Here, we demonstrate that neurons in a higher- order processing brain area of one- week- old face- na & iuml;ve domestic chicks selectively respond to a face- like configuration. Our single- cell recordings show that these neurons do not respond to alternative configurations or isolated facial features. Moreover, the population activity of face- selective neurons accurately encoded the face- like stimulus as a unique category. Thus, our findings show that face selectivity is present in the brains of very young animals without preexisting experience.