I Know My Neighbour: Individual Recognition in Octopus vulgaris

Background: Little is known about individual recognition (IR) in octopuses, although they have been abundantly studied for their sophisticated behaviour and learning capacities. Indeed, the ability of octopuses to recognise conspecifics is suggested by a number of clues emerging from both laboratory studies (where they appear to form and maintain dominance hierarchies) and field observations (octopuses of neighbouring dens display little agonism between each other). To fill this gap in knowledge, we investigated the behaviour of 24 size-matched pairs of Octopus vulgaris in laboratory conditions. Methodology/Principal Findings: The experimental design was composed of 3 phases: Phase 1 (acclimatization): 12 ‘‘sightallowed’’ (and 12 ‘‘isolated’’) pairs were maintained for 3 days in contiguous tanks separated by a transparent (and opaque) partition to allow (and block) the vision of the conspecific; Phase 2 (cohabitation): members of each pair (both sight-allowed and isolated) were transferred into an experimental tank and were allowed to interact for 15 min every day for 3 consecutive days; Phase 3 (test): each pair (both sight-allowed and isolated) was subject to a switch of an octopus to form pairs composed of either familiar (‘‘sham switches’’) or unfamiliar conspecifics (‘‘real switches’’). Longer latencies (i.e. the time elapsed from the first interaction) and fewer physical contacts in the familiar pairs as opposed to the unfamiliar pairs were used as proxies for recognition. Conclusions: Octopuses appear able to recognise conspecifics and to remember the individual previously met for at leas

Cuerpos y prácticas: una década de estudios ctg

Resumen En este trabajo presentamos algunas investigaciones realizadas en el área de estudios sociales de la ciencia bajo el enfoque denominado Ciencia, Tecnología y Género (CTG). La intersección de los estudios sociales de la ciencia con la teoría feminista y los estudios de género ha dado lugar a este campo de estudio interdisciplinar. En el Estado español, se han llevado a cabo múltiples trabajos en esta línea, de los que exponemos algunos de los realizados por nuestro grupo de investigación al menos en los últimos diez años. Se centran en estudios de caso, que implican diferentes tecnologías biomédicas, y en los que los cuerpos juegan un papel fundamental estableciendo alianzas, resistencias o cuestionando los marcos normativos en los que cuerpos y tecnologías se hayan inmersos

Book Review Historical Persceptives and the International Status of Comaparative Psychology

E. Tobar Editor Historical Persceptives and the International Status of Comparative Psycholog