Effects of diencephalic lesions on approach responses and color preferences in quail

The effects of stereotaxic radio-frequency lesions on artificially selected approach responses and artificially selected or imprinted red or blue preferences were studied in Japanese quail chicks. No effects were found from lesions in anterior preoptic or pretectal areas and only slight attenuation of red preferences by lesions in nucleus rotundus, opticus principalis thalami and geniculatus lateralis pars ventralis. Extensive lesions in medial diencephalic and bordering areas of telencephalon, ansa lenticularis, lateral and medial forebrain bundle diminished approach tendencies and greatly attenuated the genetically influenced red preferences. Medial diencephalic lesions confined to the dorsomedial thalamic complex and lateral hypothalamus left approach tendencies intact but similarly attenuated only red preferences. Imprinted red or blue preferences of a highly imprintable quail line were also attenuated; red preference strongly, blue preference moderately. The data indicate differential diencephalic mediation of the quail's genetically distinct color preferences and suggest diverse subtelencephalic channels for mediation of approach responses and stimulus preferences. The results also suggest common neural mediation of genetically determined and acquired stimulus preferences.