Variability in locomotor dynamics reveals the critical role of feedback in task control

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-1-2020

Abstract

Animals vary considerably in size, shape, and physiological features across individuals, but yet achieve remarkably similar behavioral performances. We examined how animals compensate for morphophysiological variation by measuring the system dynamics of individual knifefish (Eigenmannia virescens) in a refuge tracking task. Kinematic measurements of Eigenmannia were used to generate individualized estimates of each fish’s locomotor plant and controller, revealing substantial variability between fish. To test the impact of this variability on behavioral performance, these models were used to perform simulated ‘brain transplants’—computationally swapping controllers and plants between individuals. We found that simulated closed-loop performance was robust to mismatch between plant and controller. This suggests that animals rely on feedback rather than precisely tuned neural controllers to compensate for morphophysiological variability.

Identifier

85079125057 (Scopus)

Publication Title

Elife

External Full Text Location

https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.51219

e-ISSN

2050084X

PubMed ID

31971509

Volume

9

Grant

1557858

Fund Ref

National Science Foundation

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS