Rotation of skylight polarization during learning walks is necessary to trigger neuronal plasticity in Cataglyphis ants. Issue 1967 (26th January 2022)
- Record Type:
- Journal Article
- Title:
- Rotation of skylight polarization during learning walks is necessary to trigger neuronal plasticity in Cataglyphis ants. Issue 1967 (26th January 2022)
- Main Title:
- Rotation of skylight polarization during learning walks is necessary to trigger neuronal plasticity in Cataglyphis ants
- Authors:
- Grob, Robin
Holland Cunz, Oliver
Grübel, Kornelia
Pfeiffer, Keram
Rössler, Wolfgang
Fleischmann, Pauline N. - Abstract:
- Abstract : Many animals use celestial cues for impressive navigational performances in challenging habitats. Since the position of the sun and associated skylight cues change throughout the day and season, it is crucial to correct for these changes. Cataglyphis desert ants possess a time-compensated skylight compass allowing them to navigate back to their nest using the shortest way possible. The ants have to learn the sun's daily course (solar ephemeris) during initial learning walks (LW) before foraging. This learning phase is associated with substantial structural changes in visual neuronal circuits of the ant's brain. Here, we test whether the rotation of skylight polarization during LWs is the necessary cue to induce learning-dependent rewiring in synaptic circuits in high-order integration centres of the ant brain. Our results show that structural neuronal changes in the central complex and mushroom bodies are triggered only when LWs were performed under a rotating skylight polarization pattern. By contrast, when naive ants did not perform LWs, but were exposed to skylight cues, plasticity was restricted to light spectrum-dependent changes in synaptic complexes of the lateral complex. The results identify sky-compass cues triggering learning-dependent versus -independent neuronal plasticity during the behavioural transition from interior workers to outdoor foragers.
- Is Part Of:
- Proceedings. Volume 289:Issue 1967(2022)
- Journal:
- Proceedings
- Issue:
- Volume 289:Issue 1967(2022)
- Issue Display:
- Volume 289, Issue 1967 (2022)
- Year:
- 2022
- Volume:
- 289
- Issue:
- 1967
- Issue Sort Value:
- 2022-0289-1967-0000
- Page Start:
- Page End:
- Publication Date:
- 2022-01-26
- Subjects:
- celestial compass calibration -- central complex -- memory formation -- mushroom bodies -- solar ephemeris
Biology -- Periodicals
570.5 - Journal URLs:
- https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb ↗
- DOI:
- 10.1098/rspb.2021.2499 ↗
- Languages:
- English
- ISSNs:
- 0962-8452
- Deposit Type:
- Legaldeposit
- View Content:
- Available online (eLD content is only available in our Reading Rooms) ↗
- Physical Locations:
- British Library STI - ELD Digital store
- Ingest File:
- 25000.xml