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.532372019

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.2019.005012018
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.2018.02.0122017
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/srep402962016

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/srep294112014
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