The influence of prenatal tactile and vestibular stimulation on auditory and visual responsiveness in bobwhite quail: A matter of timing

The fact that the sensory systems do not become functional at the same time during prenatal development raises the question of how experience in a given modality can influence functioning in other sensory modalities. The present study exposed groups of bobwhite quail embryos to augmented tactile and vestibular stimulation at times that either coincided with or followed the period of onset of function in the later-developing auditory and visual modalities. Differences in the timing of augmented prenatal stimulation led to different patterns of subsequent auditory and visual responsiveness following hatching. No effect on normal visual responsiveness to species-typical maternal cues was found when exposure to tactile and vestibular stimulation coincided with the emergence of visual function (Days 14-19), but when exposure took place after the onset of visual functioning (Days 17-22), chicks displayed enhanced responsiveness to the same maternal visual cues. When augmented tactile and vestibular stimulation coincided with the onset of auditory function (Days 9-14), embryos subsequently failed to learn a species-typical maternal call prior to hatching. However, when given exposure to the same type and amount of augmented stimulation following the onset of auditory function (Days 14-19), embryos did learn the maternal call. These findings demonstrate that augmented stimulation to earlier-emerging sensory modalities can either facilitate or interfere with perceptual responsiveness in later-developing modalities, depending on when that stimulation takes place.