von frisch bee study

Question 1

Aim

Answer 1

To investigate how bees communicate the location of a food source to each other

Question 2

study design

Answer 2

field experiment - real life environment - researcher still manipulates the IV (location of the food source), but limited control of EV’s (weather)

Question 3

Method

Answer 3

Food sources for beehives were made by placing a glass container of sugar water at different locations. When bees visited the sugar-water containers to feed, they were marked with tiny spots of different coloured paints. Making the bees easy to identify where they had come from and when they returned to the hive.
The researcher observed and recorded movements that the bees made when they returned to the hive after collecting food.

Question 4

Results

Answer 4

Worker bees tell the others whree pollen is by two types of dances.
Round dance: bees move in a circle to indicate food is less than 100m away
Waggle dance: bees move in a figure of eight, bees waggles their abdomen on the straight line in the middle of the eight - points at the food source. length of waggle indicates its distance (1 sec being 1km)
60% of bees went to food sources at the distance indicted by the dances.

Question 5

Conclusion

Answer 5

Bees use a sophisticated form of communication. The signally system has evolutionary value as it helps their survival.
Or
Bees use a dance to communicate distance and direciton for location of food.

Question 6

Strength (contribution to science)

Answer 6

Frischs work made an important contribution to science.
His studies were based on careful observation over many years as well as objective recording. People knew bees danced but didn’t understand the meaning behind the movements. He opened peoples eyes to the capoabilities of animals.
Shows his contribution to ethology and science in general

Question 7

Weakness (sound)

Answer 7

study by esch found that when bees performed dances in silence, other bees would not then go on and investigate food sources. Showing that sound based signal play a part in directing other bees about food sources, suggesting the study is not a complete explanation as well as being reductionist.

Question 8

Weakness (other factors are important)

Answer 8

Bees do not always respond to the waggle dance. Study by Gould found that bees would not use the info from the waggle dance to fly to nectar if it had been placed on a boat in the middle of a lake. Shows that although the info bees gain from other bees is useful, there may be other factors that affect whether they respond to it.