Abstract: In this paper, we shall examine spatial learning in voles from a neurobiological perspective. Male meadow voles have very large home ranges and have better navigational skills than female. The males in polygamous species would have larger hippocampuses than females, but that no such sex difference in hippocampul size would be seen in monogamous species of voles. Researchers found that the parietal and prefrontal cortex areas of brain also played an important role in the spatial learning process, and in particular that the number of dendritic spines is correlated with learning. Mallards have the ability to sleep with one eye open and the other eye close. In essence, these birds sleep with half of their brain awake and half of their brain asleep. This sleep state allows quick responses to predators, but it does not interfere with the sleep half the birds brain until danger in present. In aquatic mammals like dolphins, whales, fur seals and sea lions, unihemi-spheric sleep is thought to allow individuals to swim to the surface and breathe during sleep. Using electroencephalograms and brain temperature measurement, animal behaviorists are able to study brain dynamics during sleep. These analysis shed light not only on animal behavior per se (in itself), but they revealed completely new brain activities, one such activity being unihemispheric sleep.  

Key words: animal behavior, neurobiology, vole, mallard duck, spatial learning, unihemispheric sleep