Transfer of Spatial Behaviour Controlled by a Landmark Array with a Distinctive Shape

Abstract

In two experiments, rats swam to a submerged platform in one corner of a rectangular or kite-shaped array created by four identical landmarks attached to the walls of a circular pool. After training in the rectangular array, rats expressed a preference for the corner in the kite-shaped array that was geometrically equivalent to where the platform was located previously. After training in either array, the removal of two landmarks from the rectangular array, or the landmark at the apex of the kite-shaped array, did not affect the control over searching exerted by the remaining landmarks. The results imply that rats use local rather than global spatial representations when searching for a hidden goal with reference to an array of landmarks.