Honeybee Cognition: Aspects of Learning, Memory and Navigation in a Social Insect [Elektronische Ressource] / Mario Pahl. Betreuer: Jürgen Tautz

Mario Uchard

Sujets

• Biologie

Informations

• Publié par: julius-maximilians-universitat_wurzburg
• Publié le: 01 janvier 2011
• Nombre de lectures: 13
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 6 Mo

Extrait

Honeybee Cognition:
Aspects of Learning, Memory and Navigation
in a Social Insect
……….
Kognition bei Honigbienen: Aspekte zu Lernverhalten, Gedächtnis und
Navigation bei einem sozialen Insekt

Doctoral thesis for a doctoral degree at the Graduate School of Life Sciences,
Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg

Section: Integrative Biology

Submitted by

Mario Pahl

From
Miltenberg

Würzburg 2011






Submitted on: …………………………………………………………..……




Members of the Promotionskomitee:

Chairperson: ……………………………………………………………….....

Primary Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Jürgen Tautz

Supervisor (Second): Prof. Dr. Shaowu Zhang

Supervisor (Third): Prof. Dr. Stephan Sigrist

Date of Public Defence: …………………………………………….…….

Date of receipt of Certificates: ………………………………………..
2

Affidavit
I hereby confirm that my thesis entitled ‘Cognition in Honeybees: Aspects of Learning,
Memory and Navigation in a Social Insect’ is the result of my own work. I did not receive
any help or support from commercial consultants. All sources and/or materials applied are
listed and specified in the thesis.
Furthermore, I confirm that this thesis is has not yet been submitted as part of another
examination process neither in identical nor similar form.

Würzburg,………………………………………………………...................



Eidesstattliche Erklärung
Hiermit erkläre ich an Eides statt, die Dissertation Cognition in Honeybees: Aspects of
Learning, Memory and Navigation in a Social Insect eigenständig, d.h. insbesondere
selbstständig und ohne Hilfe eines kommerziellen Promotionsberaters, angefertigt und
keine anderen als die von mir angegebenen Quellen und Hilfsmittel verwendet zu haben.
Ich erkläre außerdem, dass die Dissertation weder in gleicher noch in ähnlicher Form bereits
in einem anderen Prüfungsverfahren vorgelegen hat.

Würzburg,………………………………………………………...................

3
This thesis is based on the following manuscripts:

Chapter 1: Zhang S, Schwarz S, Pahl M, Zhu H and Tautz J (2006):
Honeybee memory: a honeybee knows what to do and when.
Journal of Experimental Biology 209, 4420-4428.

Chapter 2: Pahl M, Zhu H, Pix W, Tautz J. and Zhang SW (2007):
Circadian timed episodic-like memory - a bee knows what to do when, and
also where.
Journal of Experimental Biology 210, 3559-3567.

Chapter 3: Gross HJ, Pahl M, Si A, Zhu H, Tautz J and Zhang SW (2009):
Number-Based Visual Generalisation in the Honeybee.
PLoSONE 4, e4263. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0004263

Chapter 4: Pahl M, Zhu H, Tautz J and Zhang S (2011):
Large Scale Homing in Honeybees.
PLoSONE 6, e19669. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0019669.

4
“Dissertation Based on Several Published Manuscripts“
Statement on individual author contributions and on legal second publication rights
(if required use more sheets of this form)
Publication (complete reference): Pahl M, Zhu H, Tautz J, Zhang S Large Scale Homing in Honeybees.
PLoSONE 2011; 6(5): e19669. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0019669.
Participated in Author-Initials, Responsibility decreasing from left to right
Study Design MP SZ
Data Collection MP HZ SZ
Data-Analysis and Interpretation MP SZ
Manuscript Writing MP
Explanations (if applicable): Contributed materials: SZ JT

Publication (complete reference): Gross HJ, Pahl M, Si A, Zhu H, Tautz J, Zhang S. Number-based Visual
Generalisation in the Honeybee. PLoSONE 2009; 4(1):e4263. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0004263.
Participated in Author-Initials, Responsibility decreasing from left to right
Study Design HG MP JT SZ
Data Collection MP AS HZ SZ
Data-Analysis and Interpretation MP AS HZ SZ
Manuscript Writing MP AS SZ
Explanations (if applicable): Contributed materials: JT SZ

Publication (complete reference): Pahl M, Zhu H, Pix W, Tautz J and Zhang SW (2007). Circadian timed
episodic-like memory - a bee knows what to do when, and also where. J. Exp. Biol. 210, 3559-3567
Participated in Author-Initials, Responsibility decreasing from left to right
Study Design SZ
Data Collection MP HZ WP SZ
Data-Analysis and Interpretation MP SZ
Manuscript Writing MP SZ
Explanations (if applicable): Proposed experiments and contributed materials: SZ JT

5

Publication (complete reference): Zhang SW, Schwarz S, Pahl M, Zhu H and Tautz J. (2006). Honeybee
memory: a honeybee knows what to do and when. J. Exp. Biol. 209, 4420-4428.
Participated in Author-Initials, Responsibility decreasing from left to right
Study Design SZ JT
Data Collection SS MP HZ SZ
Data-Analysis and Interpretation JT SZ SS MP
Manuscript Writing SZ
Explanations (if applicable): Proposed experiments and contributed materials: SZ JT


I confirm that I have obtained permission from both the publishers and the co-authors for legal second
publication.
I also confirm my primary supervisor’s acceptance.
Mario Pahl
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Doctoral Researcher’s Name Date Place Signature

6

Table of Contents
SUMMARY ....................................................................................................................................................... 9
ZUSAMMENFASSUNG .................................................................................................................................... 13
GENERAL INTRODUCTION .............................. 17
WHY STUDY HONEYBEES? ....................................................................................................................................... 17
THE SENSORY WORLD OF THE HONEYBEE .................... 19
LEARNING & MEMORY IN HONEYBEES....................................................................................................................... 22
COGNITIVE STRATEGIES .......................................... 25
NAVIGATION ........................ 29
CHAPTER 1: HONEYBEE MEMORY: A HONEYBEE KNOWS WHAT TO DO AND WHEN ...................................... 33
ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................................................... 33
INTRODUCTION ..................... 34
MATERIALS AND METHODS ..................................................................................................................................... 36
RESULTS .............................................................. 40
DISCUSSION ......................................................................................................................... 47
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................... 51
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL .................................................................................................... 51
CHAPTER 2: CIRCADIAN TIMED EPISODIC-LIKE MEMORY- A BEE KNOWS WHAT TO DO WHEN, AND ALSO
WHERE ........................................................................................................................................................... 55
ABSTRACT 55
INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................................................... 57
MATERIALS AND METHODS ..................................................................................................................................... 58
RESULTS .............................................................. 64
DISCUSSION ......................................................................................................................... 70
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................... 76
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL ................................................................................................... 77
CHAPTER 3: NUMBER-BASED VISUAL GENERALISATION IN THE HONEYBEE ................................................... 79
ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................... 79
INTRODUCTION ..................................................... 80
MATERIAL AND METHODS ....................................................................................................... 81
RESULTS .............................................................. 85
DISCUSSION ......................................................................................................................... 92
7
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................................................... 98
SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL .... 99
CHAPTER 4: LARGE SCALE HOMING IN HONEYBEES ..................................................................................... 107
ABSTRACT ......................................................................................... 107
INTRODUCTION .................................................................