Dr Elisabetta Versace
Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor)
School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
Queen Mary University of London
Research
animal cognition, predispositions, experimental evolution, early cognition, crossmodality, dance science - positive psychology
Publications
Publications of specific relevance to the Centre for Brain and Behaviour
2024
Chen Z, Ozenturk U, Jamone L and Versace E (2024). Robotics for poultry farming: challenges and opportunities. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, Elsevier
07-09-2024
07-09-2024
Torrisi A, De Almeida Nolasco IS, Versace E and Benetos E (2024). Exploratory analysis of early-life chick calls. 4th International Workshop on Vocal Interactivity in-and-between Humans, Animals and Robots (VIHAR) Kos, Greece 6 Sep 2024.
06-09-2024
06-09-2024
Freeland LV, Emmerson MG, Vasas V, Gomes J and Versace E (2024). Assessing preferences for adult versus juvenile features in young animals: Newly hatched chicks spontaneously approach red and large stimuli. Learning & Behavior, Springer Nature, 1-12.
16-08-2024
16-08-2024
Gibbons M, Pasquini E, Kowalewska A, Read E, Gibson S, Crump A, Solvi C, Versace E and Chittka L (2024). Noxious stimulation induces self-protective behavior in bumblebees. iScience, Elsevier vol. 27 (8)
02-07-2024
02-07-2024
Wang S, Vasas V, Freeland L, Osorio D and Versace E (2024). Spontaneous biases enhance generalization in the neonate brain. iScience, Elsevier vol. 27 (7)
07-06-2024
07-06-2024
Hsu S-K, Lai W-Y, Novak J, Lehner F, Jakšić AM, Versace E and Schlötterer C (2024). Reproductive isolation arises during laboratory adaptation to a novel hot environment. Genome Biology, Springer Nature vol. 25 (1)
28-05-2024
28-05-2024
Versace E, Freeland L and Emmerson MG (2024). First-sight recognition of touched objects shows that chicks can solve Molyneux's problem. Biology Letters, The Royal Society vol. 20 (4)
01-04-2024
01-04-2024
2023
Nolasco I, Singh S, Morfi V, Lostanlen V, Strandburg-Peshkin A, Vidaña-Vila E, Gill L, Pamuła H, Whitehead H, Kiskin I, Jensen FH, Morford J, Emmerson MG, Versace E, Grout E, Liu H, Ghani B and Stowell D (2023). Learning to detect an animal sound from five examples. Ecological Informatics, Elsevier vol. 77
10-08-2023
10-08-2023
Loconsole M, Stancher G and Versace E (2023). Crossmodal association between visual and acoustic cues in a tortoise (Testudo hermanni). Biology Letters, The Royal Society vol. 19 (7)
01-07-2023
01-07-2023
Versace E, Bliss L, Vasas V, Freeland L, Roach R and Ferrè E (2023). A spontaneous gravity prior: Newborn chicks prefer stimuli that move against gravity. Biology Letters, The Royal Society
08-02-2023
08-02-2023
2022
Versace E, Gallo V, Xin Z, Abdallah D, Angioi M, Redding E, Ackroyd B and Galvan C (2022). MotionPerfection: An agile tool for the visualisation, analysis, annotation, and record of motor practice. SoftwareX, Elsevier
03-11-2022
03-11-2022
Wang C, Benetos E, Versace E and Wang S (2022). Joint Scattering for Automatic Chick Call
Recognition. 30th European Signal Processing Conference Belgrade, Serbia 29 Aug 2022 - 2 Sep 2022.
29-08-2022
29-08-2022
Gibbons M, Versace E, Crump A, Baran B and Chittka L (2022). Motivational trade-offs and modulation of nociception in bumblebees. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Sciences vol. 119 (31)
26-07-2022
26-07-2022
Versace E, Sgadò P, George J, Loveland JL, Ward J, Thorpe P, Jensen LJ, Spencer KA, Paracchini S and Vallortigara G (2022). Light-induced asymmetries in embryonic retinal gene expression are mediated by the vascular system and extracellular matrix. Scientific Reports, Springer Nature vol. 12 (1)
15-07-2022
15-07-2022
Szabó E, Chiandetti C, Téglás E, Versace E, Csibra G, Kovács ÁM and Vallortigara G (2022). Young domestic chicks spontaneously represent the absence of objects. eLife, eLife vol. 11
11-04-2022
11-04-2022
Versace E, Lonardo L and Huber L (2022). Recognition of rotated objects and cognitive offloading in dogs. iScience, Elsevier (Cell Press)
26-01-2022
26-01-2022
Vallortigara G and Versace E (2022). Filial Imprinting. Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior 2726-2728.
01-01-2022
01-01-2022
2021
Josserand M, Rosa-Salva O, Versace E and Lemaire BS (2021). Visual Field Analysis: A reliable method to score left and right eye use using automated tracking. Behavior Research Methods, Springer Nature vol. 54 (4), 1715-1724.
08-10-2021
08-10-2021
Versace E, Ragusa M, Pallante V and Wang S (2021). Attraction for familiar conspecifics in young chicks (Gallus gallus): an interbreed study. Behavioural Processes, Elsevier
06-09-2021
06-09-2021
Slonina Z, Bonzini AA, Brown J, Wang S, Farkhatdinov I, Althoefer K, Jamone L and Versace E (2021). Using RoboChick to Identify the Behavioral Features Promoting Social Interactions. 2021 IEEE International Conference on Development and Learning (ICDL).
23-08-2021
23-08-2021
Lorenzi E, Lemaire BS, Versace E, Matsushima T and Vallortigara G (2021). Resurgence of an inborn attraction for animate objects via thyroid hormone T3. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, Frontiers Media
19-04-2021
19-04-2021
Lemaire BS, Rucco D, Josserand M, Vallortigara G and Versace E (2021). Stability and individual variability of social attachment in imprinting. Scientific Reports, Springer Nature vol. 11 (1)
12-04-2021
12-04-2021
Pallante V, Rucco D and Versace E (2021). Young chicks quickly lose their spontaneous preference to aggregate with females. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, Springer Nature vol. 75 (5)
12-04-2021
12-04-2021
Rosa-Salva O, Mayer U, Versace E, Hébert M, Lemaire BS and Vallortigara G (2021). Sensitive periods for social development: Interactions between predisposed and learned mechanisms. Cognition, Elsevier vol. 213
02-01-2021
02-01-2021
2020
Versace E, Damini S and Stancher G (2020). Early preference for face-like stimuli in solitary species as revealed by tortoise hatchlings. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
14-09-2020
14-09-2020
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. Scientific Reports, Nature Publishing Group vol. 10 (1)
11-03-2020
11-03-2020
Versace E, Schloetterer C, Hsu S-K, Jakšić AM, Nolte V, Lirakis M, Kofler R and Barghi N (2020). Rapid sex-specific adaptation to high temperature in Drosophila. eLife, eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
21-02-2020
21-02-2020
2019
Versace E, Ragusa M and Vallortigara G (2019). A transient time window for early predispositions in newborn chicks. Scientific Reports, Springer Nature vol. 9 (1)
10-12-2019
10-12-2019
Hebert M, Versace E and Vallortigara G (2019). Inexperienced preys know when to flee or to freeze in front of a threat. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of USA, National Academy of Sciences
12-11-2019
12-11-2019
Versace E, Rogge JR, Shelton-May N and Ravignani A (2019). Positional encoding in cotton-top tamarins (Saguinus oedipus). Animal Cognition, Springer Nature vol. 22 (5), 825-838.
01-07-2019
01-07-2019
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, Frontiers vol. 10
30-04-2019
30-04-2019
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, Elsevier vol. 22 (11), 963-965.
07-08-2018
07-08-2018
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. Animals, MDPI AG
06-08-2018
06-08-2018
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]. Physiology & Behavior, Elsevier vol. 194
24-05-2018
24-05-2018
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 & Behavior, Elsevier vol. 191, 146-154.
19-04-2018
19-04-2018
Sgadò P, Rosa-Salva O, VERSACE E and Vallortigara G (2018). Embryonic Exposure to Valproic Acid Impairs Social Predispositions of Newly-Hatched Chicks. Scientific Reports, Nature Publishing Group
12-04-2018
12-04-2018
VERSACE E, Damini S, Caffini M and Stancher G (2018). Born to be asocial: Newly-hatched tortoises avoid unfamiliar individuals. Animal Behaviour, Elsevier Masson
30-03-2018
30-03-2018
Vallortigara G and Versace E (2018). Filial Imprinting. Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior 1-4.
01-01-2018
01-01-2018
2017
Versace E, Spierings MJ, Caffini M, ten Cate C and Vallortigara G (2017). Spontaneous generalization of abstract multimodal patterns in young domestic chicks. Animal Cognition, Springer Nature vol. 20 (3), 521-529.
04-03-2017
04-03-2017
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. Scientific Reports, Springer Nature vol. 7 (1)
24-01-2017
24-01-2017
2016
Rogers LJ, Frasnelli E and Versace E (2016). Lateralized antennal control of aggression and sex differences in red mason bees, Osmia bicornis. Scientific Reports, Springer Nature vol. 6 (1)
08-07-2016
08-07-2016
2014
Versace E, Nolte V, Pandey RV, Tobler R and Schlötterer C (2014). Experimental evolution reveals habitat‐specific fitness dynamics among Wolbachia clades in Drosophila melanogaster. Molecular Ecology, Wiley vol. 23 (4), 802-814.
29-01-2014
29-01-2014
Grants
Grants of specific relevance to the Centre for Brain and Behaviour
Generalisation from limited experience: how to solve the problem of induction
Elisabetta Versace
£269,334 Leverhulme Trust (23-08-2021 - 31-03-2026)
Elisabetta Versace
£269,334 Leverhulme Trust (23-08-2021 - 31-03-2026)
Royal Society Leverhulme Trust Senior Research Fellowships 2021 - Generalisation using sparse data: From animal to artificial systems
Elisabetta Versace
£61,326 Royal Society (01-11-2021 - 30-06-2024)
Elisabetta Versace
£61,326 Royal Society (01-11-2021 - 30-06-2024)
General AI and interactive robots for farming
Elisabetta Versace and Alan Walker
£22,000 Alan Turing Institute, The (01-01-2020 - 28-02-2021)
Elisabetta Versace and Alan Walker
£22,000 Alan Turing Institute, The (01-01-2020 - 28-02-2021)
Developmental reprogramming following prenatal acoustic signals
Elisabetta Versace
£518,189 BBSRC Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (01-12-2018 - 31-01-2024)
Elisabetta Versace
£518,189 BBSRC Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (01-12-2018 - 31-01-2024)