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One of the primary functions of nervous systems is to extract information
from the outside world and use that information to guide and coordinate
behavior. When studying a particular nervous system, it is therefore
important to consider the ecological context and evolutionary forces that
have shaped that animal's natural behavior. The Carlson lab combines
electrophysiology, neuroanatomy, computational modeling, and behavioral
analysis to study information processing in the electrosensory systems of
weakly electric fish from Africa and South America. These unique creatures
are well suited to establishing direct links between the physiology of
individual neurons and quantitative characteristics of natural behaviors,
and are therefore an attractive model system for addressing basic
questions about information processing by sensory systems. How do the
activity patterns of peripheral sensory neurons represent information
about the outside world? How do central sensory neurons extract
biologically-relevant information from these patterns of activity? How do
central sensory neurons integrate information from multiple sources? By
focusing on specific research topics related to these broad questions, we
are beginning to elucidate the impressive computational power of nervous
systems.
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Brienomyrus brachyistius, a weakly electric fish from West Africa (photo by Robert Lewis).
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