False memories in cuttlefish

Abstract

Episodic memory is a reconstructive process per se, which means that during an event, the features composing it are encoded and stored separately in the brain, then reconstructed when the event’s memory is retrieved. However, because of this reconstruction, and even with processes monitoring the reliability of the memory such as source memory (e.g. did I see it, smell it, or hear it?), some mistakes can occur. These mnemonic mistakes happen especially when different events share several common features, producing overlaps difficult to discriminate, leading to the creation of false memories. The common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) is known to demonstrate an ability to remember specific events about whjat happened where and when, namely episodic-like memory. In order to investigate whether this memory, like human episodic memory, is based on reconstructive processes we elaborated a protocol promoting false memory formation in the cuttlefish. The results obtained suggest that cuttlefish do form visual false memories, but not olfactory false memories, and this susceptibility might be influenced by the level of sustained attention to the misleading event. These memory errors might be the first indication of the presence of reconstructive processes in the memory of cephalopods.