Research

Artificial Intelligence, animal research, artificial intelligence and robotics

Interests

Her research focusses on foundations of knowledge and evolution of behaviour. Living beings come to this world equipped with unlearned capacities to interact with the environment. For instance, chicks do not need any training to preferentially approach animate objects, orient in space and recognize familiar individuals. Other predispositions include specialised mechanisms for learning that are used in filial imprinting and language. Her research is focussed on the evolution of the fundamental building blocks of behaviour and cognition, predisposed behaviours and specialised learning mechanisms. Her analyses span from behavioural to genomic data. Other research areas covered include: predispositions and social behaviour; artificial grammar learning; lateralisation; and experimental evolution.

Publications

Publications of specific relevance to Applied Data Science

2020

Versace E, Caffini M, Werkhoven Z and de Bivort BL (2020). Individual, but not population asymmetries, are modulated by social environment and genotype in Drosophila melanogaster. Nature Publishing Group  Scientific Reports  vol. 10, (1) 10.1038/s41598-020-61410-7

Versace E, Schloetterer C, Hsu S-K, Jaks ic AM, Nolte V, Lirakis M, Kofler R and Barghi N (2020). Rapid sex-specific adaptation to high temperature in Drosophila. Elife Sciences Publications Ltd  Elife  10.7554/eLife.53237

2019

Versace E, Ragusa M and Vallortigara G (2019). A transient time window for early predispositions in newborn chicks. Scientific Reports  vol. 9, (1) 10.1038/s41598-019-55255-y

Hebert M, Versace E and Vallortigara G (2019). Inexperienced preys know when to flee or to freeze in front of a threat. National Academy of Sciences  Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences of Usa  10.1073/pnas.1915504116

Versace E, Rogge JR, Shelton-May N and Ravignani A (2019). Positional encoding in cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus). Animal Cognition  vol. 22, (5) 825-838. 10.1007/s10071-019-01277-y

Lorenzi E, Pross A, Rosa-Salva O, Versace E, Sgadò P and Vallortigara G (2019). Embryonic exposure to valproic acid affects social predispositions for dynamic cues of animate motion in newly-hatched chicks. Frontiers in Physiology  vol. 10, (APR) 10.3389/fphys.2019.00501

2018

Versace E, Martinho-Truswell A, Kacelnik A and Vallortigara G (2018). Priors in Animal and Artificial Intelligence: Where Does Learning Begin? Trends in Cognitive Sciences  vol. 22, (11) 963-965. 10.1016/j.tics.2018.07.005

Belloni V, Galeazzi A, Bernini G, Mandrioli M, Versace E and Haase A (2018). Corrigendum to “Evolutionary compromises to metabolic toxins: Ammonia and urea tolerance in Drosophila suzukii and Drosophila melanogaster” [Physiol. Behav. 191, 1 July 2018, 146–154] (S0031938418301975) (10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.04.021)). Physiology and Behavior  vol. 194, 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.05.013

rosa-salva O, Fiser J, VERSACE E, Dolci C, Chehaimi S, Santolin C and Vallortigara G (2018). Spontaneous learning of visual structures in domestic chicks. Mdpi Ag  Animals  10.3390/ani8080135

Belloni V, Galeazzi A, Bernini G, Mandrioli M, Versace E and Haase A (2018). Evolutionary compromises to metabolic toxins: Ammonia and urea tolerance in Drosophila suzukii and Drosophila melanogaster. Physiology and Behavior  vol. 191, 146-154. 10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.04.021

Sgadò P, Rosa-Salva O, VERSACE E and Vallortigara G (2018). Embryonic Exposure to Valproic Acid Impairs Social Predispositions of Newly-Hatched Chicks. Nature Publishing Group  Scientific Reports  10.1038/s41598-018-24202-8

VERSACE E, Damini S, Caffini M and Stancher G (2018). Born to be asocial: Newly-hatched tortoises avoid unfamiliar individuals. Elsevier Masson  Animal Behaviour  10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.02.012

2017

Versace E, Spierings MJ, Caffini M, ten Cate C and Vallortigara G (2017). Spontaneous generalization of abstract multimodal patterns in young domestic chicks. Springer Nature  Animal Cognition  vol. 20, (3) 521-529. 10.1007/s10071-017-1079-5

Versace E, Fracasso I, Baldan G, Dalle Zotte A and Vallortigara G (2017). Newborn chicks show inherited variability in early social predispositions for hen-like stimuli. Springer Science and Business Media Llc  Scientific Reports  vol. 7, (1) 10.1038/srep40296

2016

Rogers LJ, Frasnelli E and Versace E (2016). Lateralized antennal control of aggression and sex differences in red mason bees, Osmia bicornis. Springer Science and Business Media Llc  Scientific Reports  vol. 6, (1) 10.1038/srep29411

2014

Versace E, Nolte V, Pandey RV, Tobler R and Schlötterer C (2014). Experimental evolution reveals habitat-specific fitness dynamics amongWolbachiaclades inDrosophila melanogaster. Wiley  Molecular Ecology  vol. 23, (4) 802-814. 10.1111/mec.12643