Space-luminance crossmodal correspondences in domestic chicks

Crossmodal correspondences are spontaneous associations of non-redundant information across different modalities. Infants and some non-human animals (i.e., chimpanzees, rhesus monkeys, and dogs) showed crossmodal correspondences like adult humans, suggesting a shared origin (at least among mammals) of such a phenomenon. Here we investigate visual-spatial crossmodal correspondences in a precocial avian species, i.e., the domestic chicken. Three-day-old chicks (n = 40) were presented with two (one in the left and one in the right hemispace of an arena) identical panels, either dyed black (low luminance) or white (high luminance). Chicks could circumnavigate either panel to obtain a food reward. Akin to humans, they preferentially chose the left side when presented with black panels and the right side when presented with white panels. The control group (n = 39), tested with grey panels, showed no spatial preference. In light of our results, we discuss crossmodal correspondences in terms of an early available mechanism widespread across different species.