The hippocampus of rats
Prof Kate Jeffery has done some very interesting work on how the hippocampus of rats processes navigational information. Scientists are clear that the hippocampus is critical for navigation but believe that it is only one part of a larger system that has many functions including recognising landmarks, computing distances and directions etc. and forming memories. For instance, the homing pigeon needs a direction to fly from its unknown (to it) release site until it reaches its own neighbourhood where its loft is, where it needs familiar remembered landmarks to help it home in on its own loft. The navigation system is thus closely linked to memory. Please see this link to see her work: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/jefferylab/research