Dr Elisabetta Versace

Elisabetta Versace

Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor)

School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences
Queen Mary University of London
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Research

animal cognition, predispositions, experimental evolution, early cognition, crossmodality, dance science - positive psychology

Publications

solid heart iconPublications of specific relevance to the Centre for Brain and Behaviour

2024

bullet iconChen 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
bullet iconTorrisi 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
bullet iconFreeland 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
bullet iconGibbons 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
bullet iconWang 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
bullet iconHsu 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
bullet iconVersace 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

2023

bullet iconNolasco 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
bullet iconLoconsole 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
Relevant PublicationVersace 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

2022

Relevant PublicationVersace 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
Relevant PublicationWang 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
Relevant PublicationGibbons 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
Relevant PublicationVersace 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
Relevant PublicationSzabó 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
Relevant PublicationVersace E, Lonardo L and Huber L (2022). Recognition of rotated objects and cognitive offloading in dogs. iScience, Elsevier (Cell Press) 
26-01-2022
bullet iconVallortigara G and Versace E (2022). Filial Imprinting. Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior  2726-2728.  
01-01-2022

2021

Relevant PublicationJosserand 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
Relevant PublicationVersace 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
Relevant PublicationSlonina 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
Relevant PublicationLorenzi 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
Relevant PublicationLemaire 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
Relevant PublicationPallante 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
Relevant PublicationRosa-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

2020

Relevant PublicationVersace 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
Relevant PublicationVersace 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
Relevant PublicationVersace 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

2019

Relevant PublicationVersace 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
Relevant PublicationHebert 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
Relevant PublicationVersace 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
Relevant PublicationLorenzi 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

2018

Relevant PublicationVersace 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
Relevant Publicationrosa-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
Relevant PublicationBelloni 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
Relevant PublicationBelloni 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
Relevant PublicationSgadò 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
Relevant PublicationVERSACE 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
Relevant PublicationVallortigara G and Versace E (2018). Filial Imprinting. Encyclopedia of Animal Cognition and Behavior  1-4.  
01-01-2018

2017

Relevant PublicationVersace 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
Relevant PublicationVersace 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

2016

Relevant PublicationRogers 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

2014

Relevant PublicationVersace 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

Grants

solid heart iconGrants of specific relevance to the Centre for Brain and Behaviour
solid heart iconGeneralisation from limited experience: how to solve the problem of induction
Elisabetta Versace
£269,334 Leverhulme Trust (23-08-2021 - 31-03-2026)


solid heart iconRoyal 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)
solid heart iconGeneral AI and interactive robots for farming
Elisabetta Versace and Alan Walker
£22,000 Alan Turing Institute, The (01-01-2020 - 28-02-2021)
solid heart iconDevelopmental reprogramming following prenatal acoustic signals
Elisabetta Versace
£518,189 BBSRC Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (01-12-2018 - 31-01-2024)