Homing pigeons (Columba livia f. domestica) can use magnetic cues for locating food
Homing pigeons (Columba livia f. domestica) can use magnetic cues for locating food
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DOI：
10.1007/s00114-007-0259-6
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发表时间：
2007-05
影响因子：
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通讯作者：
Peter Thalau;Elke Holtkamp-Rötzler;G. Fleissner;W. Wiltschko
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Peter Thalau;Elke Holtkamp-Rötzler;G. Fleissner;W. Wiltschko
一组实验信鸽（Columba liviaf.domestica）学会了将食物与条形磁铁产生的磁异常联系起来，这些条形磁铁固定在碗上，鸽子在自己的阁楼里接受每日口粮；对照组缺乏这种经验。两组人都接受训练，在没有明显视觉提示的长方形沙子竞技场中寻找两个隐藏的食品库；对于实验鸟，这些仓库还标有三个 1.15 × 106μT 的磁条。测试期间，有两个食品仓库，一个有磁铁标记，另一个没有标记；他们在竞技场中的位置在每次测试中都发生了变化。在 49% 的测试中，实验鸟在距离磁性标记仓库 10 厘米的范围内进行搜索，而对照鸟只在 11% 的测试中进行搜索。两组分别在 11% 和 13% 的会话中在控制站附近进行搜索。实验鸟类对带有磁性标记的食物仓库的显着偏好表明，信鸽不仅可以检测到磁异常，还可以将其用作在开放场地中定位隐藏食物的线索。
An experimental group of homing pigeons (Columba liviaf.domestica) learned to associate food with a magnetic anomaly produced by bar magnets that were fixed to the bowl in which they received their daily food ration in their home loft; the control group lacked this experience. Both groups were trained to search for two hidden food depots in a rectangular sand-filled arena without obvious visual cues; for the experimental birds, these depots were also marked with three 1.15 × 106μT bar magnets. During the tests, there were two food depots, one marked with the magnets, the other unmarked; their position within the arena was changed from test to test. The experimental birds searched within 10 cm of the magnetically marked depot in 49% of the test sessions, whereas the control birds searched there in only 11% of the sessions. Both groups searched near the control depot in 11 and 13% of the sessions, respectively. The significant preference of the magnetically marked food depot by the experimental birds shows that homing pigeons cannot only detect a magnetic anomaly but can also use it as a cue for locating hidden food in an open arena.