Abstract
Episodic memory consists of representations of unique past events. It has been argued that episodic memory is grounded in a temporal framework, meaning that we remember when an event occurred. The ability to model the temporal aspects of episodic memory in non-human animals has been challenging and controversial. This article briefly reviews the theoretical perspective in which temporal processing plays a prominent role in episodic memory. Next, the article reviews experimental attempts to identify temporal processes of episodic memory in animals. Recent studies suggest that, at the time of memory assessment, rats remember a unique earlier event, including when it occurred, what happened, and where it took place, referred to as what-where-when memory.