When observer rats were exposed to a novel food odor on a demonstrator rat's breath,and then had their hippocampus lesioned,what happened to the lesioned rats' preferences for the novel food?
A)Their preference was reduced the most if the lesion occurred 30 days after their being exposed to the odor.
B)Their preference was reduced the most if the lesion occurred 1 day after their being exposed to the odor.
C)Their preference was enhanced the most if the lesion occurred 30 days after their being exposed to the odor.
D)Their preference was enhanced the most if the lesion occurred 1 day after their being exposed to the odor.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

When observer rats were exposed to a novel food odor on a demonstrator rat's breath and then had their hippocampus lesioned, their preference for the novel food was reduced the most if the lesion occurred 1 day after their being exposed to the odor. This suggests that the hippocampus plays a role in forming long-term memories for food preferences based on olfactory cues. If the lesion occurred 30 days after exposure to the odor, the rats' preference for the food was not significantly affected, indicating that the memory had already been consolidated and was not dependent on the hippocampus.

When Observer Rats Were Exposed to a Novel Food Odor