Does episodic-like memory in cuttlefish depend on reconstructive processes?
When we remember events of our own lives, our memories are not perfect: sometimes some details are distorted and we can even remember events that have not really happened. This occurs because when we remember an event, we mentally reconstruct the memory by associating different features that were present during the original event. While episodic memory has been explored in a variety of species, from apes to rodents, including cephalopods, its reconstructive nature has not been directly studied in animals. In order to explore the reconstructive processes of episodic-like memory, we decided to use an innovative mean: a procedure promoting the formation of false memories.
In this study published in IScience, we showed that cuttlefish can form false memories. This suggests that they do not encode events as filmstrips but rather mentally reconstruct the event by associating different features that were present during the original event
To our knowledge, our experiment provides the first indications that an invertebrate may form false memories and therefore possess mnemonic processes sharing the reconstructive characteristics described in episodic cognition in humans.
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