5/16/2023 0 Comments Berry picking model diagram author![]() Thus, while the movement of an animal may, initially, appear to simply be a readout of the decision made by the brain-and consequently, not particularly informative-this view overlooks important dynamical properties introduced into the decision-making process that result from the inevitable time-varying geometrical relationships between an organism and spatially distributed options (i.e., potential “targets” in space).ĭue to a dearth of existing studies and with the objective to develop the necessary foundational understanding of the “geometry” of decision-making, we focus here-first theoretically and then experimentally-on the consequences of the recursive interplay between movement and (collective) vectorial integration in the brain during relatively simple spatial decisions. Such neuronal representations must, and do, change as animals move through space. Motion is, however, crucial in terms of how space is represented by organisms during spatial decision-making the brains of a wide range of species, from insects ( 7, 8) to vertebrates ( 9, 10), have been shown to represent egocentric spatial relationships, such as the position of desired targets, via explicit vectorial representation ( 11, 12). Despite this, most studies have focused on the outcome of decisions ( 1– 3) (i.e., which option among alternatives is chosen), as well as the time taken to make decisions ( 4– 6), but seldom on the movement of animals throughout the decision-making process. Experiments with fruit flies, desert locusts, and larval zebrafish reveal that they exhibit these same bifurcations, demonstrating that across taxa and ecological contexts, there exist fundamental geometric principles that are essential to explain how, and why, animals move the way they do.Īnimals constantly face the need to make decisions, and many such decisions require choosing among multiple spatially distributed options. ![]() Thus, we predict that the brain repeatedly breaks multichoice decisions into a series of binary decisions in space–time. This bifurcation process repeats until only one option-the one ultimately selected-remains. ![]() In computational models of this process, we reveal the occurrence of spontaneous and abrupt “critical” transitions (associated with specific geometrical relationships) whereby organisms spontaneously switch from averaging vectorial information among, to suddenly excluding one among, the remaining options. Using an integrated theoretical and experimental approach (employing immersive virtual reality), we consider the interplay between movement and vectorial integration during decision-making regarding two, or more, options in space. Choosing among spatially distributed options is a central challenge for animals, from deciding among alternative potential food sources or refuges to choosing with whom to associate. ![]()
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