Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 2026
14:40
Instrumentation of Near-term Fetal Sheep for Multivariate Chronic Non-anesthetized Recordings
Published on: October 25, 2015
Executive decision-making in the domestic sheep
A Jennifer Morton1, Laura Avanzo
1Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom. ajm41@cam.ac.uk
Plos One
|February 10, 2011
Summary
Sheep demonstrate executive cognitive abilities comparable to primates, making them a promising large animal model for Huntington's disease (HD) research and cognitive studies. Their performance on complex tasks suggests potential for pre-clinical testing.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Animal Behavior
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Huntington's disease (HD) research requires suitable large animal models for pre-clinical studies.
- Macaques are considered 'gold-standard' for cognitive testing but present practical and ethical challenges.
- Sheep, despite comparable brain size to macaques, have not been evaluated for complex cognitive functions relevant to HD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cognitive capabilities of sheep, specifically executive functions.
- To assess the feasibility of using sheep as a large animal model for Huntington's disease research.
- To explore sheep's potential for studying cognitive function and behavioral evolution.
Main Methods:
- Sheep were tested on executive function tasks, including discrimination learning, reversal learning, and attentional set-shifting (intradimensional and extradimensional shifts).
- Performance metrics, such as errors to criterion, were analyzed and compared to human and macaque data.
Main Results:
- Sheep successfully performed discrimination learning and reversal learning tasks.
- Sheep demonstrated the ability to perform intradimensional (ID) and extradimensional (ED) set-shifting tasks.
- Performance on ID/ED shifts in sheep mirrored that of humans and macaques, with significantly more errors in ED shifts.
Conclusions:
- Sheep possess executive cognitive abilities previously undocumented in non-primate large animals.
- These findings support the potential of sheep as a valuable large animal model for Huntington's disease research.
- Sheep offer a unique model for investigating cognitive function and the evolution of complex behaviors.
Related Concept Videos
01:08Cloning of Dolly the Sheep
The first successfully cloned mammal was Dolly, a sheep, born on 5th July 1996 at Roslin Institute, Scotland. The cloned sheep was named after the American singer Dolly Parton. Dolly lived for seven years and died of respiratory complications, which is speculated to be due to the actual age of her DNA. Because the DNA in cloned cells belongs to an older individual, the cloned individual’s life expectancy may be affected. Indeed, analysis of Dolly’s DNA revealed shorter telomeres than other...
01:14Decision Making: Traditional Method
The process of hypothesis testing based on the traditional method includes calculating the critical value, testing the value of the test statistic using the sample data, and interpreting these values.
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is decided based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to this claim is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses, out of which a null hypothesis would be a...
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is decided based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to this claim is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses, out of which a null hypothesis would be a...
01:20Decision Making
Decision-making is a fundamental cognitive process that involves evaluating alternatives and selecting among them. This process can range from simple choices, such as deciding what to wear, to complex decisions, like choosing a major in college or a career path. The complexity of the decision often dictates the approach we use, which can be broadly categorized into two types: automatic and controlled decision-making.
Automatic decision-making is fast, intuitive, and relies on gut feelings...
Automatic decision-making is fast, intuitive, and relies on gut feelings...
01:09Decision Making: P-value Method
The process of hypothesis testing based on the P-value method includes calculating the P- value using the sample data and interpreting it.
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is proposed. The claim is based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to the claim is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses: a null hypothesis would be a neutral statement while the alternative hypothesis can have a...
First, a specific claim about the population parameter is proposed. The claim is based on the research question and is stated in a simple form. Further, an opposing statement to the claim is also stated. These statements can act as null and alternative hypotheses: a null hypothesis would be a neutral statement while the alternative hypothesis can have a...