Lecture 20 Flashcards
Navigation
How is migration different from navigation?
Migration refers to the periodic movement of an animal from one region to another, often on a global scale, whereas navigation involves moving toward a specific destination using sensory cues.
What is the definition of navigation?
Navigation is the act of moving on a particular course or towards a specific destination by using sensory cues to determine direction and position.
What is homing, and how does it differ from migration?
Homing is the ability of an animal to find its way repeatedly to a specific point on a local scale, while migration involves larger, often long-distance movements between regions.
Why do animals use navigation?
Animals use navigation for food acquisition, reproduction, and to find optimal places to breed, often balancing the best breeding location with feeding needs.
What is natal philopatry?
Natal philopatry is when species stay in or return to the area they were born to reproduce. For example, Pacific salmon display natal philopatry when they return to freshwater to breed.
What are the main strategies animals use for navigation?
Animals use five main strategies for navigation: trail following, piloting, path integration, compass navigation, and map sense.
What is trail following in animal navigation?
Trail following is a strategy where animals follow a series of learned landmarks to determine their location in relation to their destination.
What is piloting in navigation, and how does it work?
Piloting involves animals using learned landmarks to navigate. It improves with age and experience, as animals recall the landmarks encountered on their journey.
What is path integration, also known as dead-reckoning?
Path integration is when animals track their direction and distance traveled without relying on landmarks. They integrate this information to determine a direct route back to their starting point.
How do animals use path integration to navigate?
Animals use environmental cues like the sun’s position and their speed to track their path. For example, bees use optic flow (visual cues) to measure the distance traveled.
What is compass navigation?
Compass navigation involves animals using a mechanism (like a compass) to orient themselves in the correct direction. It can involve the sun’s position or magnetic fields.
How do honeybees use compass navigation?
Honeybees use the sun’s position relative to their circadian clock to communicate the location of food sources. Disrupting their circadian clock can interfere with their navigation.
What is the role of magnetic compasses in animal navigation?
Magnetic compasses are an ancestral navigation trait found in various animals like birds, bacteria, and whales. They are often used as a backup navigation strategy, but the exact cellular mechanisms are still unknown.
What is map sense in animal navigation?
Map sense is the ability to represent an animal’s position and its goal on a mental map. It is demonstrated through displacement experiments and is critical for navigation over long distances.
How is the hippocampus involved in map sense?
In vertebrates, the hippocampus is crucial for spatial learning and memory. Lesioning the hippocampus impairs maze navigation, as seen in experiments with rodents, and taxi drivers in London have larger posterior hippocampi.
