A06

Social reward and sleep replay in memory consolidation: A cross-species study in zebra finches and honeybees

Sleep is a critical window for stabilizing memories, with neural replay playing a key role in transforming recent experiences into long-term memory. While replay has been extensively studied, especially in rodents, it remains unclear how different types of experiences—particularly socially reinforced ones—are selected for consolidation, and whether these processes operate similarly across species. Social memories are often more enduring and behaviorally relevant, raising the possibility that they engage distinct replay dynamics. However, systematic comparisons across reward types and taxa are lacking. This project aims to investigate how social and non-social memories are consolidated during sleep in two evolutionarily distant, highly social species: honeybees and zebra finches. We will test whether social reinforcement alters memory strength, replay dynamics, and the timing of consolidation across sleep stages.

Image Dr Susanne Seltmann

Archive – A06 (SFB1315/1)

Archive – A06 (SFB1315/2)

Graphical Abstract

Graphical abstract: Social memory consolidation across birds and bees

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