The early bee catches the flower - circadian rhythmicity influences learning performance in honey bees, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Apis mellifera</Emphasis> |
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Authors: | Marina Lehmann David Gustav C Giovanni Galizia |
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Institution: | 1.Neurobiology,University of Konstanz,Konstanz,Germany |
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Abstract: | Circadian rhythmicity plays an important role for many aspects of honey bees’ lives. However, the question whether it also
affects learning and memory remained unanswered. To address this question, we studied the effect of circadian timing on olfactory
learning and memory in honey bees Apis mellifera using the olfactory conditioning of the proboscis extension reflex paradigm. Bees were differentially conditioned to odours
and tested for their odour learning at four different “Zeitgeber” time points. We show that learning behaviour is influenced
by circadian timing. Honey bees perform best in the morning compared to the other times of day. Additionally, we found influences
of the light condition bees were trained at on the olfactory learning. This circadian-mediated learning is independent from
feeding times bees were entrained to, indicating an inherited and not acquired mechanism. We hypothesise that a co-evolutionary
mechanism between the honey bee as a pollinator and plants might be the driving force for the evolution of the time-dependent
learning abilities of bees. |
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