The Release of Visual Behavior in Toads: Stages of Parallel/Hierarchical Information Processing

摘要: The release of toad’s prey-catching behavior (orienting, approaching, fixating and snapping) is mediated by releasing schemas, also called mechanisms. present neuroethological investigation suggests the neuro-physiological equivalent a schema as combination neurons specified to encode significant coincidences stimulus cues in space time. A correspondingly coded command system results from parallel/hierarchical processing neural macro-network whose interacting components evaluate visual input under various aspects such features, background, space, motivation, past experience. Essential prey-related sensorimotor codes are T5.2 neurons. These tuned spatiotemporal properties moving objects, manner that elongated worm-like shapes preferred perpendicular direction movement neglected. Unlike cortical “orientation detectors,” function these tectal “configuration discriminators” does not depend on an anisotropic structure; anisotropy required for configurai discrimination lies time domain object itself. Evidence provided direction- velocity-invariant discriminatory brought about discrete, parallel evaluations spatial parameters two-filter operations pretectal structures, respectively, through their subtractive interaction. In amphibians, with motionless eyes, movement-specific analysis objects seems take advantage economical has sidestepped need sophisticated cortex-like structure known involve huge number asymmetric processors order meet direction-invariant operations.