There is a growing recognition of the influence of both genetic and ecological context in shaping different cognitive traits. The hippocampal region is identified as a critical area for memory and learning in mammals, susceptible to modification by environmental influences. Although previous studies have identified the effects of various factors on cognitive parameters during early development, comparatively few research was conducted on wild species to analyze the role of natural environmental stimuli in the formation of spatial learning and memory abilities. Thus, to assess the importance of exposure to a complex and challenging environment during early development, we compared spatial learning performance of captive-born tuco-tucos with previous data obtained in our laboratory from wild-born adult tuco-tucos. The results showed that wild-born individuals learned faster, requiring less time to complete a labyrinth and making fewer errors than those who had no experience in their natural environment. These findings underscore the importance of considering ecological factors in understanding the evolution of brains and cognitive abilities.

人们越来越认识到遗传和生态环境对塑造不同认知特征的影响。海马区被认为是哺乳动物记忆和学习的关键区域，容易受到环境影响的影响。尽管之前的研究已经确定了早期发育过程中各种因素对认知参数的影响，但对野生物种进行的研究相对较少，以分析自然环境刺激在空间学习和记忆能力形成中的作用。因此，为了评估早期发育过程中暴露于复杂且具有挑战性的环境的重要性，我们将圈养出生的 tuco-tucos 的空间学习表现与我们实验室之前从野生出生的成年 tuco-tucos 获得的数据进行了比较。结果表明，与那些在自然环境中没有经验的人相比，野外出生的人学得更快，完成迷宫所需的时间更少，犯的错误也更少。这些发现强调了在理解大脑和认知能力进化时考虑生态因素的重要性。