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Alves Soares T, Caspers BA, Loos HM. Volatile organic compounds in preen oil and feathers - a review. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:1085-1099. [PMID: 38303487 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024]
Abstract
For a long time birds were assumed to be anosmic or at best microsmatic, with olfaction a poorly understood and seldom investigated part of avian physiology. The full viability of avian olfaction was first discovered through its functions in navigation and foraging. Subsequently, researchers have investigated the role of olfaction in different social and non-social contexts, including reproduction, kin recognition, predator avoidance, navigation and foraging. In parallel to the recognition of the importance of olfaction for avian social behaviour, there have been advances in the techniques and methods available for the sampling and analysis of trace volatiles and odourants, leading to insights into the chemistry underlying chemical communication in birds. This review provides (i) an overview of the current state of knowledge regarding the volatile chemical composition of preen oil and feathers, its phylogenetic coverage, chemical signatures and their potential functions, and (ii) a discussion of current methods used for the isolation and detection of volatiles. Finally, lines for future research are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatjana Alves Soares
- Chair of Aroma and Smell Research, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Henkestraße 9, Erlangen, 91054, Germany
| | - Barbara A Caspers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Bielefeld University, Konsequenz 45, Bielefeld, 33615, Germany
- Joint Institute for Individualisation in a Changing Environment (JICE), University of Münster and Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Helene M Loos
- Chair of Aroma and Smell Research, Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Henkestraße 9, Erlangen, 91054, Germany
- Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Giggenhauser Straße 35, Freising, 85354, Germany
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Schwarz S, Wystrach A, Cheng K, Kelly DM. Landmarks, beacons, or panoramic views: What do pigeons attend to for guidance in familiar environments? Learn Behav 2024; 52:69-84. [PMID: 38379118 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-023-00610-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2024]
Abstract
Birds and social insects represent excellent systems for understanding visually guided navigation. Both animal groups use surrounding visual cues for homing and foraging. Ants extract sufficient spatial information from panoramic views, which naturally embed all near and far spatial information, for successful homing. Although egocentric panoramic views allow for parsimonious explanations of navigational behaviors, this potential source of spatial information has been mostly neglected during studies of vertebrates. Here we investigate how distinct landmarks, a beacon, and panoramic views influence the reorientation behavior in pigeons (Columba livia). Pigeons were trained to search for a location characterized by a beacon and several distinct landmarks. Transformation tests manipulated aspects of the landmark configuration, allowing for a dissociation among navigational strategies. Quantitative image and path analyses provided support that the panoramic view was used by the pigeons. Although the results from some individuals support the use of beaconing, overall the pigeons relied predominantly on the panoramic view when spatial cues provided conflicting information regarding the goal location. Reorientation based on vector and bearing information derived from distinct landmarks as well as environmental geometry failed to account fully for the results. Thus, the results of our study support that pigeons can use panoramic views for reorientation in familiar environments. Given that the current model for landmark use by pigeons posits the use of different vectors from an object, a global panorama-matching strategy suggests a fundamental change in the theory of how pigeons use surrounding visual cues for localization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Schwarz
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, 190 Dysart Road, 190 Duff Roblin Building, Winnipeg, MB, R3T, 2N2, Canada
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, 31062, Toulouse Cedex, 09, France
- Institute of Biology, Karl-Franzen University, Graz, Universtitätsplatz 2, 8010, Austria
| | - Antoine Wystrach
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale, CNRS, Université Paul Sabatier, 31062, Toulouse Cedex, 09, France
| | - Ken Cheng
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Debbie M Kelly
- Department of Psychology, University of Manitoba, 190 Dysart Road, 190 Duff Roblin Building, Winnipeg, MB, R3T, 2N2, Canada.
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba, 212 Biological Sciences Building, Winnipeg, MB, R3T, 2N2, Canada.
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Hagstrum JT. Avian navigation: the geomagnetic field provides compass cues but not a bicoordinate "map" plus a brief discussion of the alternative infrasound direction-finding hypothesis. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2024; 210:295-313. [PMID: 37071206 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-023-01627-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2023] [Revised: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 03/22/2023] [Indexed: 04/19/2023]
Abstract
The geomagnetic field (GMF) is a worldwide source of compass cues used by animals and humans alike. The inclination of GMF flux lines also provides information on geomagnetic latitude. A long-disputed question, however, is whether horizontal gradients in GMF intensity, in combination with changes in inclination, provide bicoordinate "map" information. Multiple sources contribute to the total GMF, the largest of which is the core field. The ubiquitous crustal field is much less intense, but in both land and marine settings is strong enough at low altitudes (< 700 m; sea level) to mask the core field's weak N-S intensity gradient (~ 3-5 nT/km) over 10 s to 100 s of km. Non-orthogonal geomagnetic gradients, the lack of consistent E-W gradients, and the local masking of core-field intensity gradients by the crustal field, therefore, are grounds for rejection of the bicoordinate geomagnetic "map" hypothesis. In addition, the alternative infrasound direction-finding hypothesis is briefly reviewed. The GMF's diurnal variation has long been suggested as a possible Zeitgeber (timekeeper) for circadian rhythms and could explain the GMF's non-compass role in the avian navigational system. Requirements for detection of this weaker diurnal signal (~ 20-50 nT) might explain the magnetic alignment of resting and grazing animals.
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Brickson L, Zhang L, Vollrath F, Douglas-Hamilton I, Titus AJ. Elephants and algorithms: a review of the current and future role of AI in elephant monitoring. J R Soc Interface 2023; 20:20230367. [PMID: 37963556 PMCID: PMC10645515 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 10/23/2023] [Indexed: 11/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) present revolutionary opportunities to enhance our understanding of animal behaviour and conservation strategies. Using elephants, a crucial species in Africa and Asia's protected areas, as our focal point, we delve into the role of AI and ML in their conservation. Given the increasing amounts of data gathered from a variety of sensors like cameras, microphones, geophones, drones and satellites, the challenge lies in managing and interpreting this vast data. New AI and ML techniques offer solutions to streamline this process, helping us extract vital information that might otherwise be overlooked. This paper focuses on the different AI-driven monitoring methods and their potential for improving elephant conservation. Collaborative efforts between AI experts and ecological researchers are essential in leveraging these innovative technologies for enhanced wildlife conservation, setting a precedent for numerous other species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Fritz Vollrath
- Save the Elephants, Nairobi, Kenya
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Alexander J. Titus
- Colossal Biosciences, Dallas, TX, USA
- Information Sciences Institute, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA
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5
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Baldaccini NE. Moving towards a far-away goal: a foreword. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.1908493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Wallraff HG. An amazing discovery: bird navigation based on olfaction. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 218:1464-6. [PMID: 25994630 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.109348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Gagliardo A, Pollonara E, Wikelski M. Pigeon navigation: exposure to environmental odours prior to release is sufficient for homeward orientation, but not for homing. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 219:2475-80. [PMID: 27284069 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.140889] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2016] [Accepted: 06/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
The role of environmental olfactory information in pigeon navigation has been extensively studied by analysing vanishing bearing distributions and homing performances of homing pigeons subjected to manipulation of their olfactory perception and/or the olfactory information they were exposed to during transportation and at the release site. However, their behaviour during the homing flight remains undocumented. In this experiment we report the analysis of tracks of birds made anosmic at the release site by washing their olfactory mucosa with zinc sulfate. We thus can assess the role of local odours at the release site as well as the role of environmental odours perceived on the way, far from the release site. We observed that pigeons transported and kept at the release site in purified air and made anosmic at the release site were unable to orient towards home and were impaired at homing. By contrast, pigeons allowed to smell environmental odours during transportation and at the release site, although made anosmic prior to release, displayed unimpaired homeward orientation, but nevertheless showed impaired homing performance. These results are consistent with the view that local odours at the release site are critical for determining the direction of displacement (olfactory map) and suggest that pigeons consult the olfactory map also during their homing flight in order to be able to find their way home.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Gagliardo
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Volta 6, Pisa 56126, Italy
| | - Enrica Pollonara
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Volta 6, Pisa 56126, Italy
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Department for Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Schlossallee 2, Radolfzell 78315, Germany Chair of Ornithology, Konstanz University, Konstanz 78457, Germany
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Pollonara E, Luschi P, Guilford T, Wikelski M, Bonadonna F, Gagliardo A. Olfaction and topography, but not magnetic cues, control navigation in a pelagic seabird: displacements with shearwaters in the Mediterranean Sea. Sci Rep 2015; 5:16486. [PMID: 26548946 PMCID: PMC4637929 DOI: 10.1038/srep16486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Accepted: 10/14/2015] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Pelagic seabirds wander the open oceans then return accurately to their habitual nest-sites. We investigated the effects of sensory manipulation on oceanic navigation in Scopoli’s shearwaters (Calonectris diomedea) breeding at Pianosa island (Italy), by displacing them 400 km from their colony and tracking them. A recent experiment on Atlantic shearwaters (Cory’s shearwater, Calonectris borealis) breeding in the Azores indicated a crucial role of olfaction over the open ocean, but left open the question of whether birds might navigate by topographical landmark cues when available. Our experiment was conducted in the Mediterranean sea, where the availability of topographical cues may provide an alternative navigational mechanism for homing. Magnetically disturbed shearwaters and control birds oriented homeward even when the coast was not visible and rapidly homed. Anosmic shearwaters oriented in a direction significantly different from the home direction when in open sea. After having approached a coastline their flight path changed from convoluted to homeward oriented, so that most of them eventually reached home. Beside confirming that magnetic cues appear unimportant for oceanic navigation by seabirds, our results support the crucial role of olfactory cues for birds’ navigation and reveal that anosmic shearwaters are able to home eventually by following coastal features.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrica Pollonara
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Volta 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Paolo Luschi
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Volta 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Tim Guilford
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford, UK
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Department of Migration and Immuno-ecology, Schlossallee 2, Radolfzell 78315, Germany.,Dept. of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78468 Konstanz, Germany
| | | | - Anna Gagliardo
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Volta 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
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Caro SP, Balthazart J, Bonadonna F. The perfume of reproduction in birds: chemosignaling in avian social life. Horm Behav 2015; 68:25-42. [PMID: 24928570 PMCID: PMC4263688 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.06.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2014] [Revised: 06/02/2014] [Accepted: 06/03/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
This article is part of a Special Issue "Chemosignals and Reproduction". Chemical cues were probably the first cues ever used to communicate and are still ubiquitous among living organisms. Birds have long been considered an exception: it was believed that birds were anosmic and relied on their acute visual and acoustic capabilities. Birds are however excellent smellers and use odors in various contexts including food searching, orientation, and also breeding. Successful reproduction in most vertebrates involves the exchange of complex social signals between partners. The first evidence for a role of olfaction in reproductive contexts in birds only dates back to the seventies, when ducks were shown to require a functional sense of smell to express normal sexual behaviors. Nowadays, even if the interest for olfaction in birds has largely increased, the role that bodily odors play in reproduction still remains largely understudied. The few available studies suggest that olfaction is involved in many reproductive stages. Odors have been shown to influence the choice and synchronization of partners, the choice of nest-building material or the care for the eggs and offspring. How this chemical information is translated at the physiological level mostly remains to be described, although available evidence suggests that, as in mammals, key reproductive brain areas like the medial preoptic nucleus are activated by relevant olfactory signals. Olfaction in birds receives increasing attention and novel findings are continuously published, but many exciting discoveries are still ahead of us, and could make birds one of the animal classes with the largest panel of developed senses ever described.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel P Caro
- Research Group in Behavioural Ecology, Department of Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE-CNRS (UMR 5175), Montpellier, France; Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jacques Balthazart
- Research Group in Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, Center for Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, University of Liège, Belgium
| | - Francesco Bonadonna
- Research Group in Behavioural Ecology, Department of Evolutionary Ecology, CEFE-CNRS (UMR 5175), Montpellier, France
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11
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Horton TW, Bierregaard RO, Zawar-Reza P, Holdaway RN, Sagar P. Juvenile Osprey Navigation during Trans-Oceanic Migration. PLoS One 2014; 9:e114557. [PMID: 25493430 PMCID: PMC4262435 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114557] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Accepted: 11/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
To compensate for drift, an animal migrating through air or sea must be able to navigate. Although some species of bird, fish, insect, mammal, and reptile are capable of drift compensation, our understanding of the spatial reference frame, and associated coordinate space, in which these navigational behaviors occur remains limited. Using high resolution satellite-monitored GPS track data, we show that juvenile ospreys (Pandion haliaetus) are capable of non-stop constant course movements over open ocean spanning distances in excess of 1500 km despite the perturbing effects of winds and the lack of obvious landmarks. These results are best explained by extreme navigational precision in an exogenous spatio-temporal reference frame, such as positional orientation relative to Earth's magnetic field and pacing relative to an exogenous mechanism of keeping time. Given the age (<1 year-old) of these birds and knowledge of their hatching site locations, we were able to transform Enhanced Magnetic Model coordinate locations such that the origin of the magnetic coordinate space corresponded with each bird's nest. Our analyses show that trans-oceanic juvenile osprey movements are consistent with bicoordinate positional orientation in transformed magnetic coordinate or geographic space. Through integration of movement and meteorological data, we propose a new theoretical framework, chord and clock navigation, capable of explaining the precise spatial orientation and temporal pacing performed by juvenile ospreys during their long-distance migrations over open ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Travis W. Horton
- Department of Geological Science, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
| | - Richard O. Bierregaard
- Biology Department, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Charlotte, NC, United States of America
| | - Peyman Zawar-Reza
- Geography Department, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Richard N. Holdaway
- School of Biological Science, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
| | - Paul Sagar
- National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research, Christchurch, New Zealand
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Postlethwaite CM, Walker MM. A model for navigational errors in complex environmental fields. J Theor Biol 2014; 363:134-44. [PMID: 25149368 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtbi.2014.08.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2014] [Revised: 08/06/2014] [Accepted: 08/07/2014] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Many animals are believed to navigate using environmental signals such as light, sound, odours and magnetic fields. However, animals rarely navigate directly to their target location, but instead make a series of navigational errors which are corrected during transit. In previous work, we introduced a model showing that differences between an animal׳s 'cognitive map' of the environmental signals used for navigation and the true nature of these signals caused a systematic pattern in orientation errors when navigation begins. The model successfully predicted the pattern of errors seen in previously collected data from homing pigeons, but underestimated the amplitude of the errors. In this paper, we extend our previous model to include more complicated distortions of the contour lines of the environmental signals. Specifically, we consider the occurrence of critical points in the fields describing the signals. We consider three scenarios and compute orientation errors as parameters are varied in each case. We show that the occurrence of critical points can be associated with large variations in initial orientation errors over a small geographic area. We discuss the implications that these results have on predicting how animals will behave when encountering complex distortions in any environmental signals they use to navigate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire M Postlethwaite
- Department of Mathematics, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
| | - Michael M Walker
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
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14
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Dell'Ariccia G, Célérier A, Gabirot M, Palmas P, Massa B, Bonadonna F. Olfactory foraging in temperate waters: sensitivity to dimethylsulphide of shearwaters in the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 217:1701-9. [PMID: 24526721 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.097931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Many procellariiforms use olfactory cues to locate food patches over the seemingly featureless ocean surface. In particular, some of them are able to detect and are attracted by dimethylsulphide (DMS), a volatile compound naturally occurring over worldwide oceans in correspondence with productive feeding areas. However, current knowledge is restricted to sub-Antarctic species and to only one study realized under natural conditions at sea. Here, for the first time, we investigated the response to DMS in parallel in two different environments in temperate waters, the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, employing Cory's (Calonectris borealis) and Scopoli's (Calonectris diomedea) shearwaters as models. To test whether these birds can detect and respond to DMS, we presented them with this substance in a Y-maze. Then, to determine whether they use this molecule in natural conditions, we tested the response to DMS at sea. The number of birds that chose DMS in the Y-maze and that were recruited at DMS-scented slicks at sea suggests that these shearwaters are attracted to DMS in both non-foraging and natural contexts. Our findings show that the use of DMS as a foraging cue may be a strategy adopted by procellariiforms across oceans but that regional differences may exist, giving a worldwide perspective to previous hypotheses concerning the use of DMS as a chemical cue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gaia Dell'Ariccia
- CEFE-CNRS, Behavioural Ecology Group - 1919, Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - Aurélie Célérier
- CEFE-CNRS, Behavioural Ecology Group - 1919, Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - Marianne Gabirot
- CEFE-CNRS, Behavioural Ecology Group - 1919, Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - Pauline Palmas
- CEFE-CNRS, Behavioural Ecology Group - 1919, Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - Bruno Massa
- Department of Agricultural and Forest Sciences, University of Palermo, Viale delle Scienze, 90128 Palermo, Italy
| | - Francesco Bonadonna
- CEFE-CNRS, Behavioural Ecology Group - 1919, Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
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Gagliardo A, Bried J, Lambardi P, Luschi P, Wikelski M, Bonadonna F. Oceanic navigation in Cory's shearwaters: evidence for a crucial role of olfactory cues for homing after displacement. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2014; 216:2798-805. [PMID: 23842626 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.085738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Pelagic birds, which wander in the open sea most of the year and often nest on small remote oceanic islands, are able to pinpoint their breeding colony even within an apparently featureless environment, such as the open ocean. The mechanisms underlying their surprising navigational performance are still unknown. In order to investigate the nature of the cues exploited for oceanic navigation, Cory's shearwaters, Calonectris borealis, nesting in the Azores were displaced and released in open ocean at about 800 km from their colony, after being subjected to sensory manipulation. While magnetically disturbed shearwaters showed unaltered navigational performance and behaved similarly to unmanipulated control birds, the shearwaters deprived of their sense of smell were dramatically impaired in orientation and homing. Our data show that seabirds use olfactory cues not only to find their food but also to navigate over vast distances in the ocean.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Gagliardo
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Volta 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
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Hagstrum JT. Atmospheric propagation modeling indicates homing pigeons use loft-specific infrasonic 'map' cues. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 216:687-99. [PMID: 23364573 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.072934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Results from an acoustic ray-tracing program using daily meteorological profiles are presented to explain 'release-site biases' for homing pigeons at three experimental sites in upstate New York where W. T. Keeton and his co-workers at Cornell University conducted extensive releases between 1968 and 1987 in their investigations of the avian navigational 'map'. The sites are the Jersey Hill and Castor Hill fire towers, and another near Weedsport, where control pigeons from the Cornell loft vanished in random directions, in directions consistently >50 deg clockwise and in directions ∼15 deg clockwise from the homeward bearing, respectively. Because Cornell pigeons were disoriented at Jersey Hill whereas birds from other lofts were not, it is inferred that Jersey Hill lies within an acoustic 'shadow' zone relative to infrasonic signals originating from the Cornell loft's vicinity. Such signals could arise from ground-to-air coupling of near-continuous microseisms, or from scattering of direct microbaroms off terrain features, both of which are initially generated by wave-wave interactions in the deep ocean. HARPA runs show that little or no infrasound from the loft area arrived at Jersey Hill on days when Cornell pigeons were disoriented there, and that homeward infrasonic signals could have arrived at all three sites from directions consistent with pigeon departure bearings, especially on days when these bearings were unusual. The general stability of release-site biases might be due to influences of terrain on transmission of the homeward signals under prevailing weather patterns, whereas short-term changes in biases might be caused by rapid shifts in atmospheric conditions.
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Caro SP, Balthazart J. Pheromones in birds: myth or reality? J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2010; 196:751-66. [PMID: 20490809 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-010-0534-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2009] [Revised: 04/26/2010] [Accepted: 04/29/2010] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Birds are anosmic or at best microsmatic… This misbelief persisted until very recently and has strongly influenced the outcome of communication studies in birds, with olfaction remaining neglected as compared to acoustic and visual channels. However, there is now clear empirical evidence showing that olfaction is perfectly functional in birds and birds use olfactory information in a variety of ethological contexts. Although the existence of pheromones has never been formally demonstrated in this vertebrate class, different groups of birds, such as petrels, auklets and ducks have been shown to produce specific scents that could play a significant role in within-species social interactions. Behavioral experiments have indeed demonstrated that these odors influence the behavior of conspecifics. Additionally, in quail, deprivation of olfactory inputs decreases neuronal activation induced by sexual interactions with a female. It seems therefore well established that birds enjoy a functional sense of smell and a fast growing body of experimental evidence suggests that they use this channel of olfactory communication to control their social life. The unequivocal identification of an avian pheromone is, however, still ahead of us but there are now many exciting opportunities to unravel the behavioral and physiological particularities of chemical communication in birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel P Caro
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
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Streng A, Wallraff HG. Attempts to Determine the Roles of Visual and Olfactory Inputs in Initial Orientation and Homing of Pigeons over Familiar Terrain. Ethology 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.1992.tb00863.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Abstract
Some vertebrates can navigate over long distances using the Earth's magnetic field, but the sensory system that they use to do so has remained a mystery. Here we describe the key components of a magnetic sense underpinning this navigational ability in a single species, the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). We report behavioural and electrophysiological responses to magnetic fields and identify an area in the nose of the trout where candidate magnetoreceptor cells are located. We have tracked the sensory pathway from these newly identified candidate magnetoreceptor cells to the brain and associated the system with a learned response to magnetic fields.
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Harada, Masaki Taniguchi, Hirofumi Y. Magnetic Materials in Otoliths of Bird and Fish Lagena and Their Function. Acta Otolaryngol 2009. [DOI: 10.1080/00016480118968] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Balthazart J, Taziaux M. The underestimated role of olfaction in avian reproduction? Behav Brain Res 2009; 200:248-59. [PMID: 18804490 PMCID: PMC2692081 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2008.08.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2008] [Revised: 08/25/2008] [Accepted: 08/26/2008] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Until the second half of the 20th century, it was broadly accepted that most birds are microsmatic if not anosmic and unable to detect and use olfactory information. Exceptions were eventually conceded for species like procellariiforms, vultures or kiwis that detect their food at least in part based on olfactory signals. During the past 20-30 years, many publications have appeared indicating that this view is definitely erroneous. We briefly review here anatomical, electrophysiological and behavioral data demonstrating that birds in general possess a functional olfactory system and are able to use olfactory information in a variety of ethological contexts, including reproduction. Recent work also indicates that brain activation induced by sexual interactions with a female is significantly affected by olfactory deprivation in Japanese quail. Brain activation was measured via immunocytochemical detection of the protein product of the immediate early gene c-fos. Changes observed concerned two brain areas that play a key role in the control of male sexual behavior, the medial preoptic nucleus and the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis therefore suggesting a potential role of olfaction in the control of reproduction. The widespread idea that birds are anosmic or microsmatic is thus not supported by the available experimental data and presumably originates in our anthropomorphic view that leads us to think that birds do not smell because they have a rigid beak and nostrils and do not obviously sniff. Experimental analysis of this phenomenon is thus warranted and should lead to a significant change in our understanding of avian biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacques Balthazart
- Center for Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology, Research Group in Behavioral Neuroendocrinology, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium.
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Wallraff HG. Simulated navigation based on observed gradients of atmospheric trace gases (Models on pigeon homing, part 3). J Theor Biol 2000; 205:133-45. [PMID: 10860706 DOI: 10.1006/jtbi.2000.2052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
An earlier developed model, simulating pigeon homing based on fictitious gradients of atmospheric odours, was applied to actually observed spatial distributions of volatile hydrocarbons. The model calculations demonstrate that sufficient information on a bird's current position with respect to home can be derived from the ratios among three or more chemical compounds which gradually vary over distances of several hundreds of kilometres, differently in different directions. Flight directions computed by model birds from such observed ratios are roughly but not perfectly homeward-oriented from most positions within the investigated radius of 200 km around home. Performances of model birds are at least as good as those of real pigeons in the field. According to calculations using atmospheric data collected under different wind directions, the birds might, but possibly need not, take the current weather conditions into account when evaluating olfactory signals. It is necessary, however, that the birds acquire, during their long-term stay at the home site, some knowledge of the directions of relevant gradients. Homing experiments with pigeons as well as measurements of atmospheric trace substances are consistent with the hypothesis that this knowledge is gained by correlating wind directions with specific changes of ratios among a number of compounds. This assumed process requires further elucidation.
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Affiliation(s)
- H G Wallraff
- Max-Planck-Institut für Verhaltensphysiologie, Seewiesen, D-82319, Germany.
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Dall’Antonia P, Dall’Antonia L, Ribolini A, Ioalè P, Benvenuti S. Pigeon homing: site simulation experiments with bird-borne direction recorders. Behav Processes 1999; 44:331-9. [DOI: 10.1016/s0376-6357(98)00054-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/1997] [Revised: 05/25/1998] [Accepted: 10/22/1998] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Aste N, Balthazart J, Absil P, Grossmann R, M�lhbauer E, Viglietti-Panzica C, Panzica G. Anatomical and neurochemical definition of the nucleus of the stria terminalis in japanese quail (Coturnix japonica). J Comp Neurol 1998. [DOI: 10.1002/(sici)1096-9861(19980629)396:2<141::aid-cne1>3.0.co;2-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 124] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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Benvenuti S, Ioalè P, Massa B. Olfactory experiments on Cory's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea):The effect of intranasal zinc sulphate treatment on short‐range homing behaviour. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1993. [DOI: 10.1080/11250009309355811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Ganzhorn JU. Geographical patterns in the initial orientation of homing pigeons in upstate New York. Anim Behav 1992. [DOI: 10.1016/s0003-3472(05)80588-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Benvenuti S, Ioalé P, Gagliardo A, Bonadonna F. Effects of zinc sulphate-induced anosmia on homing behaviour of pigeons. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 1992. [DOI: 10.1016/0300-9629(92)90281-t] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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Abstract
The general basis of migratory orientation in birds is most probably an endogenous time-and-direction programme. Directions are selected with respect to celestial as well as geomagnetic clues. These clues appear to be integrated within a system that profits from the special advantages of either kind of environmental signal, and thereby can cope with their limitations. Using these clues, and following a genetically determined intended direction (or sequence of directions) over a genetically determined period of time, a bird may reach a larger population-specific area. However, it will hardly be able to find a particular location, such as, for instance, its previous breeding site. Homing to a familiar site over several hundred kilometers of unfamiliar terrain is substantially based on the smelling of atmospheric trace compounds. At shorter distances from home, orientation by means of--presumably visual--familiar landmarks completes the repertoire of mechanisms guiding a bird back home. These mechanisms are considered to be based on different kinds of 'maps' and 'compasses'. Conceptual approaches to the properties of an 'olfactory map' have as yet only reached an early state of speculation.
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Affiliation(s)
- H G Wallraff
- Max-Planck-Institut für Verhaltensphysiologie, Seewiesen Post Starnberg, Germany
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