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Pigs in space: spatial memory and its susceptibility to interference

Mendl1, Laughlin, Hitchcock

  • 1Genetics and Behavioural Sciences Department, Scottish Agricultural College, Edinburgh

Animal Behaviour
|December 16, 1998
PubMed
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Domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) demonstrate spatial memory but it is vulnerable to disruption by environmental stimuli. Mild disturbances during retention intervals increased memory errors in pigs.

Area of Science:

  • Animal behavior
  • Cognitive ethology
  • Comparative psychology

Background:

  • Spatial memory is crucial for foraging and survival in many species.
  • Understanding species-specific memory capabilities and vulnerabilities informs ecological and evolutionary studies.
  • Pigs (Sus scrofa) are intelligent animals with complex cognitive abilities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the spatial memory capabilities of domestic pigs.
  • To determine the susceptibility of pig spatial memory to disruption by environmental stimuli.
  • To compare pig memory resilience to that of other species like rats and pigeons.

Main Methods:

  • Eight male pigs were trained in a foraging arena to locate hidden food.
  • Pigs completed search and relocation trials with varying retention intervals (10 min, 2 h).

Related Experiment Videos

  • Environmental disturbances were introduced during retention intervals to assess memory disruption.

    • Main Results:

    • Pigs utilized systematic search strategies and memory to avoid revisiting empty areas.
    • Pigs successfully remembered food locations across 10-min and 2-h intervals.
    • Disturbances during 10-min retention intervals significantly increased relocation errors, indicating memory interference.

    Conclusions:

    • Domestic pig spatial memory is susceptible to disruption by mild environmental stimuli.
    • Unlike rats and pigeons, pig memory shows less resistance to retroactive interference.
    • Disturbances likely broadened the spatial memory 'search area' rather than erasing memory entirely.