Optimal searching behaviour generated intrinsically by the central pattern generator for locomotion

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  • David W Sims
    The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Plymouth, United Kingdom
  • Nicolas E Humphries
    The Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Plymouth, United Kingdom
  • Nan Hu
    Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
  • Violeta Medan
    Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires, Argentina
  • Jimena Berni
    Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom

Abstract

<jats:p>Efficient searching for resources such as food by animals is key to their survival. It has been proposed that diverse animals from insects to sharks and humans adopt searching patterns that resemble a simple Lévy random walk, which is theoretically optimal for ‘blind foragers’ to locate sparse, patchy resources. To test if such patterns are generated intrinsically, or arise via environmental interactions, we tracked free-moving Drosophila larvae with (and without) blocked synaptic activity in the brain, suboesophageal ganglion (SOG) and sensory neurons. In brain-blocked larvae, we found that extended substrate exploration emerges as multi-scale movement paths similar to truncated Lévy walks. Strikingly, power-law exponents of brain/SOG/sensory-blocked larvae averaged 1.96, close to a theoretical optimum (µ ≅ 2.0) for locating sparse resources. Thus, efficient spatial exploration can emerge from autonomous patterns in neural activity. Our results provide the strongest evidence so far for the intrinsic generation of Lévy-like movement patterns.</jats:p>

Journal

  • eLife

    eLife 8 1-, 2019-11-01

    eLife Sciences Publications, Ltd

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