Navigation and Episodic-Like Memory in Mammals

Navigation and episodic memory are two of the most studied cognitive abilities in behavioral research. The capacity for efficient navigation is crucial to the survival of mammals; it allows them to optimally forage, search for mates, find shelter, and defend their territory, while conserving their energy and avoiding unnecessary exposure to predators. Episodic memory, the capacity to remember personal experiences, has unquestionably also increased the survival fitness of humans and of other mammals as well. In fact, as animals live in a continuously changing environment, the capacity for memory for unique experiences has presumably evolved to complement other types of memories specialized in extracting generalities from multiple experiences. For instance, the general knowledge that tigers are dangerous is adaptive, but remembering having seen a tiger near the river at dawn further benefits a potential prey. Navigation has been primarily studied in rodents, while episodic memory research has focused predominantly on humans. Although the two lines of research evolved rather independently for years, accumulating evidence indicates that both abilities share fundamental features and neural circuitry across mammalian species. The objectives of the present chapter are to review the behavioral approaches used to investigate navigation and episodic memory in different mammalian species, and to provide insight into the specific brain structures and potential neuronal mechanisms underlying both abilities.