Extended Data Fig. 7 |. Distinct juvenile-conspecific (social) excited neurons demonstrate minimal overlap with cells excited by the presentation of caloric rewards, novel objects or ultrasonic vocalization recordings.

a, Mean Ca²⁺ responses from feeding-excited cells in response to caloric-reward delivery (left; CV of responses to caloric-reward delivery = 1.74 ± 0.07; CV = (s.d. of response size)/(mean of response size), calculated per mouse) and to juvenile socialzone entries (right; CV of responses to social-zone entries = 13 ± 1.19, n = 822 caloric-excited cells from 11 mice; cells are sorted in the same order across the two behavioural stimuli.). Neurons were classified as feeding-responsive if a significant difference existed between the mean dF/F activity 2 s before and 2 s after the caloric-reward delivery (20 total caloric-reward deliveries) using two-sided Wilcoxon signed-rank test with a P < 0.05 threshold. b, Mean Ca²⁺ responses of social-excited neurons to caloric-reward deliveries (left; CV = 23 ± 6.80) and social-zone entries (right; CV = 1.69 ± 0.08, n = 331 social-excited cells from 11 mice). Social-responsive cells were identified by comparing the mean Ca²⁺ responses 2 s pre- and 5 s post-social-zone entry. Number of juvenile zone entries = 17 ± 1; two-sided Wilcoxon signed-rank test with a P < 0.05 threshold. c–e, Cell masks of feeding-excited (c), social-excited (d) and feeding + social-excited neurons (e) from an example animal. Images from a representative mouse; the experiment was repeated in six mice with similar results. Scale bars, 100 μm. f, Contingency table showing the total number of cells detected in the FOV, and the number of feeding-excited, social-excited, or feeding + social-excited (both) cells per mouse. g–j, Cell masks of juvenile-conspecific (g), adult-conspecific (h), novel-object (i; NO), and USV (j) excited neurons from an example animal. Images from a representative mouse; the experiment was repeated in six mice with similar results. Scale bars, 100 μm. For novel-object experiments, a custom 3D-printed mouse was presented to each real mouse for 3 s every 30 s during a 10-min recording. For USV experiments, a 50-kHz USV recording was played through a speaker for 3 s every 30 s during a 10-min imaging session. Number of juvenile zone entries = 17 ± 2; mean number of adult zone entries = 15 ± 2; 20 novel-object presentations; 20 total USV presentations). Novel-object and USV cells were identified by comparing the mean Ca²⁺ activity 2 s before and 3 s after novel-object or USV delivery using a two-sided Wilcoxon signed-rank test with a P < 0.05 threshold; juvenile- and adult-conspecific cells were identified by comparing the mean Ca²⁺ 2 s before and 5 s after social-zone entry. k, The proportion of cells that are excited by juvenile conspecific (26 cells ± 3.7), USV (7 cells ± 2.0), novel object (mean = 29 cells ± 7.8), adult conspecific (mean = 9 cells ± 2.0), juvenile conspecific + USV (0.7 cells ± 0.47), juvenile conspecific + novel object (5 cells ± 2.4), juvenile conspecific + adult conspecific (1.6 cells ± 0.84), novel object + adult conspecific (2.4 cells ± 0.90), novel object + USV (1.6 cells ± 0.43), adult conspecific + USV (1.1 cells ± 0.40), juvenile conspecific + USV + NO (0.3 cells ± 0.18), juvenile conspecific + USV + adult conspecific (0.3 cells ± 0.18), juvenile conspecific + NO + adult conspecific (0.7 cells ± 0.42), adult conspecific + NO + USV (0.3 cells ± 0.29), and juvenile conspecific + NO + USV + adult conspecific (0.1 cells ± 0.14). n = 1,268 total cells from 7 mice. l–o, Mean Ca²⁺ responses of cells excited by juvenile social-zone entries (l; n = 184 juvenile-conspecific excited cells; CV = 1.7 ± 0.12, CV = (s.d. of response size)/(mean of response size), calculated per mouse), adult social-zone entries (m; n = 66 adult-conspecific excited cells, CV = 4 ± 2.6), novel-object presentations (n; n = 201 NO-excited cells, CV = 1.67 ± 0.050), or USV deliveries (o; n = 50 USV-excited cells from 7 mice, CV = 1.85 ± 0.070). p–r, Mean Ca²⁺ activity of juvenile-conspecific excited neurons (n = 184 juvenile-conspecific excited cells from 7 mice) in response to adult social-zone entries (p; CV = 11 ± 2.4), novel-object presentations (q; CV = 11 ± 2.0), or USV deliveries (r; CV = 16 ± 4.0).