The Emergence of the Spatial Structure of Tectal Spontaneous Activity Is Independent of Visual Inputs

Graphical Abstract Highlights d Development of tectal circuitry is influenced by the onset of retinal inputs d Enucleations impact the development of the tectum's spontaneous activity correlations d Enucleations only delay the topography of the correlated activity d In the absence of retinal inputs, the tectal circuitry is capable of predicting behavior In Brief The influence of retinal inputs on the development of the spontaneous neuronal activity of the tectal circuit is unknown. Pietri et al. show that retinal inputs are dispensable for the development of the spatial structure of spontaneous tectal activity, suggesting that the tectal circuit is preconfigured for its functional role.