Stellar performance: mechanisms underlying Milky Way orientation in dung beetles
Stellar performance: mechanisms underlying Milky Way orientation in dung beetles
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DOI：
10.1098/rstb.2016.0079
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发表时间：
2017-04-05
影响因子：
6.3
通讯作者：
Dacke, Marie
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Foster, James J.;el Jundi, Basil;Dacke, Marie
夜行性蜣螂（Scarabaeus satyrus）是目前唯一被证明可以利用银河系进行可靠定位的动物。在这项研究中，我们测试了S。在一系列人造天体线索的引导下，他们让萨梯罗斯定向，并将这些线索的性质与为甲虫视觉系统模拟的银河系图像进行了比较。我们发现，在银河系下允许准确的恒星定向的机制是基于银河系不同区域之间的强度比较。我们在实验室的行为实验中确定了甲虫对这项任务的对比敏感度，并发现13%的阈值足以在自然条件下检测银河系南部和北方臂之间的对比度。这种机制在极其昏暗的条件下以及在银河系形成一条穿过天顶的近对称带的夜晚应该是有效的。这些发现是在候鸟和巡游海豹的恒星定向研究的背景下讨论的。这篇文章是主题问题“昏暗光线下的视觉”的一部分。
Nocturnal dung beetles (Scarabaeus satyrus) are currently the only animals that have been demonstrated to use the Milky Way for reliable orientation. In this study, we tested the capacity of S. satyrus to orient under a range of artificial celestial cues, and compared the properties of these cues with images of the Milky Way simulated for a beetle's visual system. We find that the mechanism that permits accurate stellar orientation under the Milky Way is based on an intensity comparison between different regions of the Milky Way. We determined the beetles' contrast sensitivity for this task in behavioural experiments in the laboratory, and found that the resulting threshold of 13% is sufficient to detect the contrast between the southern and northern arms of the Milky Way under natural conditions. This mechanism should be effective under extremely dim conditions and on nights when the Milky Way forms a near symmetrical band that crosses the zenith. These findings are discussed in the context of studies of stellar orientation in migratory birds and itinerant seals.This article is part of the themed issue 'Vision in dim light'.