Spatial cognition in birds

Ben-Tov, Gutfreund · Current Biology · 2022 · neuroscience · 10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.080 · record Ben-Tov2022-spatial-cognition-in-birds
tag layer · index · concepts · authors · עברית

Where this record's text came from. faceted 2026-08 by reading the locally held text (pdftext); every evidence string verified as an exact substring of that text before merging. IMPORTANT SOURCE ISSUE: the extracted file opens with the tail of a different Current Biology piece (G.R. Martin's primer on bird vision, including its reference list) before the line 'Primer Spatial cognition in birds Mor Ben-Tov and Yoram Gutfreund'. Every quote above was taken only from the Ben-Tov and Gutfreund primer. Only one claim_relation is recorded: the primer names O'Keefe's discovery and Tolman's book but almost all other work is cited only in a Further Reading list without in-text attribution, so no further explicit self-relations could be grounded. A cross-species contrast the primer itself draws is anchored by: 'Quotation withheld' replication status untested because a primer reports no replication of its own synthesis. 2026-08-14 schema-0.3 pass: every quote verified as an exact substring of the staged text and anchored at merge time; concept terms verified present; every edge endpoint an existing node.

This record’s own method is review, and the tags below follow from that. A review’s findings, quantities and statistics are things stated IN this paper, and some of them report results obtained elsewhere. No tag on this page names a different author. Measured across every review in this corpus, 81% of a review’s tags carry no citation at all — most of them are the review speaking. The corpus does not adjudicate the rest: read an unmarked tag as a claim this paper makes, not necessarily one it made first.

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Tags on this paper

Every tag the record carries, each linking to every other paper in the corpus that carries it. A tag appears here whether or not its words occur in the article — the spans below are only the ones a sentence in this paper licenses. Of the 5 concept tags on this paper, all 5 are grounded in a quoted sentence.

place cells avian homologue mammalian hippocampus cognitive maps criterion Species differ in place-cell abundance because the ecological demand for spatial memory differs: caching and homing species that must remember many locations develop robust place coding, species that do not need it show little Because caching birds must retrieve many hidden items, selection for that behaviour is what produces the enlarged hippocampus and abundant place cells, so place cells are proposed to serve spatial memory rather than merely accompany it Head direction tuning in a migratory seabird is anchored by the earth's magnetic field, the cells encoding head angle relative to magnetic north Knowing one's own place and heading requires converting head- and body-centred sensory input into an environment-fixed frame, a transformation performed in and upstream of the hippocampus spatial cognition place cell cognitive map border cells central-place foraging head direction cells grid cells review

Legend

relation to other work	`claim_relations`	how this paper stands to another: agrees, contradicts, extends, qualifies
claim type	`claim_type`	the shape of the claim: existence, mechanism, method, critique, prediction, null
concept	`concepts`	an idea the paper works with, quoted where the paper uses it
content tag	`content_tags`	a finding, definition, quantity, statistic or variable named in the paper
limitation	`limitations`	what the paper says its evidence cannot support
mechanism	`mechanisms`	how the reported effect is said to come about
method	`method`	how the paper produced its evidence
phenomenon	`phenomenon`	the effect or regularity under study
sense	`senses`	a distinct use of a term, quoted where the paper fixes it

The paper

The full text is not reproduced here. This article is not cleared for redistribution, so the page carries the tag layer only. Its evidence sentences are withheld; the grounding status remains with each tag, and the article itself is at https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.06.080. The reading view exists for the papers whose licence permits it.

Every tag on this page

claim_relations 1 · claim_type 1 · concepts 5 · content_tags 24 · limitations 5 · mechanisms 4 · method 1 · phenomenon 1 · senses 3

This record holds no relations between concepts or controls. A layer is empty when the tagger recorded nothing in it — which is not the same as the paper having nothing to record.

facet	tag	field	conf.	whose words
claim_type	existence Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`claim_type`		the paper's words
phenomenon	spatial cognition in birds Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`phenomenon`		the paper's words
method	review Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: review	`method`		the paper's words
mechanisms	mechanisms Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: Species differ in place-cell abundance because the ecological demand for spatial memory differs: caching and homing species that must remember many locations develop robust place coding, species that do not need it show little	`mechanisms[0]`		the tagger's words
mechanisms	mechanisms Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: Because caching birds must retrieve many hidden items, selection for that behaviour is what produces the enlarged hippocampus and abundant place cells, so place cells are proposed to serve spatial memory rather than merely accompany it	`mechanisms[1]`		the tagger's words
mechanisms	mechanisms Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: Head direction tuning in a migratory seabird is anchored by the earth's magnetic field, the cells encoding head angle relative to magnetic north	`mechanisms[2]`		the tagger's words
mechanisms	mechanisms Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: Knowing one's own place and heading requires converting head- and body-centred sensory input into an environment-fixed frame, a transformation performed in and upstream of the hippocampus	`mechanisms[3]`		the tagger's words
limitations	The neural mechanisms of avian spatial cognition remain poorly understood. Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. what this limits: any mechanistic claim in the review: OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE NEURAL MECHANISMS OF SPATIAL COGNITION IN BIRDS IS STILL POOR	`limitations[0]`		the tagger's words
limitations	All avian hippocampal recordings so far come from small enclosures, unlike the scales at which birds actually navigate. Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. what this limits: every avian hippocampal recording in the literature: TO DATE, ALL THE EXPERIMENTS IN WHICH BRAIN ACTIVITY WAS RECORDED IN THE HIPPOCAMPUS OF BIRDS HAVE BEEN CONDUCTED IN RELATIVELY SMALL ENVIRONMENTS - unlike the scales at which birds navigate	`limitations[1]`		the tagger's words
limitations	How the earth's magnetic field shapes the avian head-direction system is not yet resolved. Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. what this limits: the magnetic-field question specifically: FURTHER EXAMINATION OF HEAD DIRECTION CELLS IN STREAKED SHEARWATER AND OTHER BIRDS IS NECESSARY TO RESOLVE HOW THE HEAD DIRECTION SYSTEM IN THE AVIAN HIPPOCAMPUS IS INFLUENCED BY THE EARTH'S MAGNETIC FIELD	`limitations[2]`		the tagger's words
limitations	The category's criterion comes from another species, and 2% of the units tested meet it. Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. what this limits: any claim about place cells in birds: of more than 2,000 single units recorded in quail hippocampus, only about 2% passed the criterion for place cells, and most of those did not show the clear single field expected from the classical place cells found in rodents	`limitations[3]`	1.0	the tagger's words
limitations	The structure is called a homologue and stated to differ fundamentally in architecture. Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. what this limits: any transfer of a mammalian hippocampal result to birds: the avian homologue of the mammalian hippocampus has an architecture that, after three hundred million years of independent evolution, differs fundamentally from the mammalian one	`limitations[4]`	1.0	the tagger's words
concepts	place cells Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: place cells	`concepts[0]`		the paper's words
concepts	avian homologue Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: avian homologue	`concepts[1]`		the paper's words
concepts	mammalian hippocampus Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: mammalian hippocampus	`concepts[2]`		the paper's words
concepts	cognitive maps Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: cognitive maps	`concepts[3]`		the paper's words
concepts	criterion Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: criterion	`concepts[4]`		the paper's words
senses	a place cell - A RODENT-DERIVED CRITERION APPLIED ACROSS A PHYLUM: about 2% of more than 2,000 quail hippocampal units passed the criterion, and most of those lacked the clear single field of activity the classical rodent place cells show, so the category is being tested in birds by a standard defined on the animal it was discovered in Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`senses[0]`	1.0	the tagger's words
senses	the avian hippocampus - A HOMOLOGUE THAT DIFFERS FUNDAMENTALLY: identified as the avian homologue of the mammalian hippocampus by development, connectivity and cellular markers, and stated in the next sentence to have an architecture fundamentally different after three hundred million years of independent evolution - the correspondence and the difference are asserted together Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`senses[1]`	1.0	the tagger's words
senses	a cognitive map - A DIFFERENT ORDER OF MAGNITUDE IN BIRDS: the well-studied rodent maps cover small areas while avian maps must represent ranges of hundreds and thousands of kilometres, so the same term names representations whose spatial scale differs by several orders Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`senses[2]`	1.0	the tagger's words
claim_relations	builds-on → Edward Tolman, 'Cognitive maps in rats and men' Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`claim_relations[0]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	The avian hippocampus is a neuronal sheet on the dorsal surface of the caudal medial pallium, whereas the mammalian hippocampus is a folded structure below the neocortex. Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`content_tags.findings[0]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	The avian hippocampus lacks the granule layer that defines the mammalian structure. Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`content_tags.findings[1]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	Hippocampal-lesioned homing pigeons consistently show impaired homing. Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`content_tags.findings[2]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	Immediate-early gene expression rises in hippocampal neurons of birds searching remembered food locations, a second line of evidence tying the structure to spatial memory. Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`content_tags.findings[3]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	In food-caching species such as titmice, chickadees and jays, the hippocampus is larger than in most non-caching birds. Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`content_tags.findings[4]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	Recordings in Japanese quail found that only about 2% of units passed the place-cell criterion, and most of these lacked a clear single field. Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`content_tags.findings[5]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	The tufted titmouse recordings gave the first clear evidence of place cells in a bird species. Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`content_tags.findings[6]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	In the non-caching zebra finch, place cells were significantly rarer and less robust. Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`content_tags.findings[7]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	Preliminary recordings found hippocampal cells in flying barn owls that fired reliably when the owl flew through a confined region of the flight room. Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`content_tags.findings[8]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	Head direction cells in these birds mostly pointed to or near north. Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`content_tags.findings[9]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	spatial cognition Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: spatial cognition	`content_tags.definitions[0]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	place cell Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: place cell	`content_tags.definitions[1]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	cognitive map Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: cognitive map	`content_tags.definitions[2]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	border cells Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. about this quote: THE QUOTE CONTINUES A SENTENCE THAT THIS COPY CUTS IN TWO - another paragraph, moved between the list and its tail, stands between it and the words it follows, which read 'a whole range of spatial cell types have been discovered'. also in: border cells	`content_tags.definitions[4]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	central-place foraging Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: central-place foraging	`content_tags.definitions[5]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	place cells Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: place cells	`content_tags.definitions[6]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	head direction cells Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: head direction cells	`content_tags.definitions[7]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	grid cells Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: grid cells	`content_tags.definitions[8]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	~2% — Proportion of recorded quail hippocampal units meeting the place-cell criterion Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`content_tags.quantities[0]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	about 12% — Proportion of quail hippocampal cells classified as head direction cells Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`content_tags.quantities[1]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	More than 60% — Proportion of recorded tufted titmouse hippocampal cells classified as place cells Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`content_tags.quantities[2]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	more than 2,000 — Single units analysed in the quail hippocampus study Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`content_tags.quantities[3]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	around 300 million years — Time since the bird and mammal lineages diverged, the evolutionary distance that makes the comparison informative Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`content_tags.quantities[4]`		the tagger's words
content_tags	200-meter-long — Length of the tunnel in which flying bats showed multifocal place fields, the cited evidence that spatial coding changes with environment scale Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above.	`content_tags.quantities[5]`		the tagger's words

Interpretive choices

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none — every tag was located in the text

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