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Gagliardo A, Bingman VP. The avian olfactory system and hippocampus: Complementary roles in the olfactory and visual guidance of homing pigeon navigation. Curr Opin Neurobiol 2024; 86:102870. [PMID: 38552546 DOI: 10.1016/j.conb.2024.102870] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 02/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/11/2024]
Abstract
The homing pigeon is the foundational model species used to investigate the neural control of avian navigation. The olfactory system is critically involved in implementing the so-called olfactory map, used to locate position relative to home from unfamiliar locations. The hippocampal formation supports a complementary navigational system based on familiar visual landmarks. Insight into the neural control of pigeon navigation has been revolutionised by GPS-tracking technology, which has been crucial for both detailing the critical role of environmental odours for navigation over unfamiliar areas as well as offering unprecedented insight into the role of the hippocampal formation in visual landscape/landmark-based navigation, including a possible, unexpected role in visual-spatial perception.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Gagliardo
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
| | - Verner P Bingman
- Department of Psychology, J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
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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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3
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Deconstructing the flight paths of hippocampal-lesioned homing pigeons as they navigate near home offers insight into spatial perception and memory without a hippocampus. Behav Brain Res 2023; 436:114073. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2022.114073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Alyan SH. Short-range homing in camels: displacement experiments. Biol Open 2021; 10:271143. [PMID: 34357390 PMCID: PMC8353260 DOI: 10.1242/bio.058850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2021] [Accepted: 06/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Camels (Camelus dromedarius) are known to have good navigational abilities and can find their home after displacement to far places; however, there are no studies available on the navigational strategies employed by the camels in homing behavior. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate these strategies by displacing female camels equipped with GPS trackers 6 km away from home to totally unfamiliar locations. The experiments comprised displacing nursing or non-nursing female camels 6 km from their living pens to an unfamiliar release site. Some camels were taken to the release site on foot, others were hauled on a truck, both during daytime and nighttime. Displacements journeys were either in a straight direction to the release points, or they consisted of a convoluted path. As a result, camels that had straight outward journeys were able to return home efficiently and rather directly, but camels that had convoluted trips to the release point failed to do so. Moreover, impairing olfactory, visual, and auditory inputs by using mouth/nose muzzles, eye covers and headphones did not affect homing ability. Based on these experiments the most likely hypothesis is that during their small-scale round trips the camels relied on path integration, and that this strategy is disrupted when the camels were subjected to disorientation procedures before release. Summary: The study reports a series of experiments aimed at understanding the orientation mechanisms of Arabian camels in the Rub' al Khali desert in the UAE. Camels were taken either on foot or inside trucks to unfamiliar release points, some 6 km from their living pens. Camels homed successfully after simple displacements but seemed lost after a looping journey. It is inferred that camels use path integration, dead reckoning, after short simple displacements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sofyan H Alyan
- Department of Biology, United Arab Emirates University, P.O. Box 15551, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
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Smell of green leaf volatiles attracts white storks to freshly cut meadows. Sci Rep 2021; 11:12912. [PMID: 34145327 PMCID: PMC8213700 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-92073-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Finding food is perhaps the most important task for all animals. Birds often show up unexpectedly at novel food sources such as freshly tilled fields or mown meadows. Here we test whether wild European white storks primarily use visual, social, auditory or olfactory information to find freshly cut farm pastures where insects and rodents abound. Aerial observations of an entire local stork population documented that birds could not have become aware of a mown field through auditory, visual or social information. Only birds within a 75° downwind cone over 0.4–16.6 km approached any mown field. Placing freshly cut grass from elsewhere on selected unmown fields elicited similarly immediate stork approaches. Furthermore, uncut fields that were sprayed with a green leaf volatile organic compound mix ((Z)-3-hexenal, (Z)-3-hexenol, hexenyl acetate), the smell of freshly cut grass, immediately attracted storks. The use of long-distance olfactory information for finding food may be common in birds, contrary to current perception.
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7
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Gagliardo A, Colombo S, Pollonara E, Casini G, Rossino MG, Wikelski M, Bingman VP. GPS-profiling of retrograde navigational impairments associated with hippocampal lesion in homing pigeons. Behav Brain Res 2021; 412:113408. [PMID: 34111471 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2021.113408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2021] [Revised: 05/28/2021] [Accepted: 06/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The avian hippocampal formation (HF) is homologous to the mammalian hippocampus and plays a central role in the control of spatial cognition. In homing pigeons, HF supports navigation by familiar landmarks and landscape features. However, what has remained relatively unexplored is the importance of HF for the retention of previously acquired spatial information. For example, to date, no systematic GPS-tracking studies on the retention of HF-dependent navigational memory in homing pigeons have been performed. Therefore, the current study was designed to compare the pre- and post-surgical navigational performance of sham-lesioned control and HF-lesioned pigeons tracked from three different sites located in different directions with respect to home. The pre- and post-surgical comparison of the pigeons' flight paths near the release sites and before reaching the area surrounding the home loft (4 km radius from the loft) revealed that the control and HF-lesioned pigeons displayed similarly successful retention. By contrast, the HF-lesioned pigeons displayed dramatically and consistently impaired retention in navigating to their home loft during the terminal phase of the homing flight near home, i.e., where navigation is supported by memory for landmark and landscape features. The data demonstrate that HF lesions lead to a dramatic loss of pre-surgically acquired landmark and landscape navigational information while sparing those mechanisms associated with navigation from locations distant from home.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany; Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Verner P Bingman
- Department of Psychology, 4Department of Psychology, Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA; J.P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior, Bowling Green, OH 43403, USA
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Garde B, Wilson RP, Lempidakis E, Börger L, Portugal SJ, Hedenström A, Dell'Omo G, Quetting M, Wikelski M, Shepard ELC. Fine-scale changes in speed and altitude suggest protean movements in homing pigeon flights. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:210130. [PMID: 34017602 PMCID: PMC8131938 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.210130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
The power curve provides a basis for predicting adjustments that animals make in flight speed, for example in relation to wind, distance, habitat foraging quality and objective. However, relatively few studies have examined how animals respond to the landscape below them, which could affect speed and power allocation through modifications in climb rate and perceived predation risk. We equipped homing pigeons (Columba livia) with high-frequency loggers to examine how flight speed, and hence effort, varies in relation to topography and land cover. Pigeons showed mixed evidence for an energy-saving strategy, as they minimized climb rates by starting their ascent ahead of hills, but selected rapid speeds in their ascents. Birds did not modify their speed substantially in relation to land cover, but used higher speeds during descending flight, highlighting the importance of considering the rate of change in altitude before estimating power use from speed. Finally, we document an unexpected variability in speed and altitude over fine scales; a source of substantial energetic inefficiency. We suggest this may be a form of protean behaviour adopted to reduce predation risk when flocking is not an option, and that such a strategy could be widespread.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baptiste Garde
- Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, UK
| | - Rory P. Wilson
- Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, UK
| | - Emmanouil Lempidakis
- Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, UK
| | - Luca Börger
- Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, UK
| | - Steven J. Portugal
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, UK
| | - Anders Hedenström
- Department of Biology, Centre for Animal Movement Research, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | | | - Michael Quetting
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Emily L. C. Shepard
- Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, UK
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Gagliardo A, Pollonara E, Wikelski M. The homing pigeons’ olfactory map is affected by geographical barriers. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.1878280] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Gagliardo
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via A. Volta 6, Pisa 56126, Italy
| | - Enrica Pollonara
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via A. Volta 6, Pisa 56126, Italy
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department for Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Am Obstberg 1, Radolfzell 78315, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78457, Germany
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Bonadonna F, Gagliardo A. Not only pigeons: avian olfactory navigation studied by satellite telemetry. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.1871967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Bonadonna
- CEFE-CNRS, University of Montpellier, EPHE, IRD, University Paul Valéry Montpellier 3, Montpellier, France
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Gagliardo A, Pollonara E, Wikelski M. Only natural local odours allow homeward orientation in homing pigeons released at unfamiliar sites. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2018; 204:761-771. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-018-1277-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Revised: 06/18/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Olfactory navigation versus olfactory activation: a controversy revisited. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2018; 204:703-706. [PMID: 29961122 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-018-1273-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2018] [Revised: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
In the early 1970s, Floriano Papi and colleagues proposed the olfactory-navigation hypothesis, which explains the homing ability of pigeons by the existence of an odor-based map acquired through learning. This notion, although supported by some observations, has also generated considerable controversy since its inception. As an alternative, Paulo Jorge and colleagues formulated in 2009 the olfactory-activation hypothesis, which states that atmospheric odorants do not provide navigational information but, instead, activate a non-olfactory path integration system. However, this hypothesis is challenged by an investigation authored by Anna Gagliardo and colleagues and published in the current issue of the Journal of Comparative Physiology A. In this editorial, the significance of the findings of this study is assessed in the broader context of the role of olfaction in avian navigation and homing, and experiments are suggested that might help to finally resolve the olfactory-navigation versus olfactory-activation controversy.
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Wiltschko R, Wiltschko W. Considerations on the role of olfactory input in avian navigation. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 220:4347-4350. [PMID: 29187617 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.168302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
A large amount of data documents an important role of olfactory input in pigeon navigation, but the nature of this role is not entirely clear. The olfactory navigation hypothesis assumes that odors are carrying essential navigational information, yet some recent experiments support an activating role of odors. This led to an ongoing controversy. An important, often-neglected aspect of the findings on olfaction is that olfactory deprivation affects avian navigation only at unfamiliar sites. The orientation of anosmic birds at familiar sites remains an enigma; earlier assumptions that they would rely on familiar landmarks have been disproven by the home-oriented behavior of anosmic pigeons additionally deprived of object vision, which clearly indicated the use by the birds of non-visual, non-olfactory cues. However, if odors activate the establishing and enlarging of the navigational 'map' and promote the integration of local values of navigational factors into this map, it seems possible that such a process needs to occur only once at a given site, when the birds are visiting this site for the first time. If that were the case, the birds could interpret the local factors correctly at any later visit and orient by them. This hypothesis could explain the oriented behavior of birds at familiar sites, and it could also help to reconcile some of the seemingly controversial findings reported in the literature, where the effect of olfactory deprivation was reported to differ considerably between the various pigeon lofts, possibly because of different training procedures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roswitha Wiltschko
- FB Biowissenschaften, J.W. Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Biologicum, Max von Laue-Straße 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Wolfgang Wiltschko
- FB Biowissenschaften, J.W. Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Biologicum, Max von Laue-Straße 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Portugal SJ, Ricketts RL, Chappell J, White CR, Shepard EL, Biro D. Boldness traits, not dominance, predict exploratory flight range and homing behaviour in homing pigeons. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 372:rstb.2016.0234. [PMID: 28673912 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/22/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Group living has been proposed to yield benefits that enhance fitness above the level that would be achieved through living as solitary individuals. Dominance hierarchies occur commonly in these social assemblages, and result, by definition, in resources not being evenly distributed between group members. Determinants of rank within a dominance hierarchy can be associated with morphological characteristics, previous experience of the individual, or personality traits such as exploration tendencies. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether greater exploration and positive responses to novel objects in homing pigeons (Columba livia) measured under laboratory conditions were associated with (i) greater initial exploration of the local area around the home loft during spontaneous exploration flights (SEF), (ii) faster and more efficient homing flights when released from further afield, and (iii) whether the traits of greater exploration and more positive responses to novel objects were more likely to be exhibited by the more dominant individuals within the group. There was no relationship between laboratory-based novel object exploration and position within the dominance hierarchy. Pigeons that were neophobic under laboratory conditions did not explore the local area during SEF opportunities. When released from sites further from home, neophobic pigeons took longer routes to home compared to those birds that had not exhibited neophobic traits under laboratory conditions, and had spontaneously explored to a greater extent. The lack of exploration in the neophobic birds is likely to have resulted in the increased costs of homing following release: unfamiliarity with the landscape likely led to the greater distances travelled and less efficient routes taken. Birds that demonstrated a lack of neophobia were not the dominant individuals inside the loft, and thus would have less access to resources such as food and potentially mates. However, a lack of neophobia makes the subordinate position possible, because subordinate birds that incur high travel costs would become calorie restricted and lose condition. Our results address emerging questions linking individual variation in behaviour with energetics and fitness consequences.This article is part of the themed issue 'Physiological determinants of social behaviour in animals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steven J Portugal
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Rhianna L Ricketts
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham, Surrey TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Jackie Chappell
- Biosciences, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, West Midlands B15 2TT, UK
| | - Craig R White
- Centre for Geometric Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria 3800, Australia
| | - Emily L Shepard
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - Dora Biro
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
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Scriba MF, Gasparini J, Jacquin L, Mettke-Hofmann C, Rattenborg NC, Roulin A. The effect of food quality during growth on spatial memory consolidation in adult pigeons. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2016; 220:573-581. [PMID: 27913599 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.152454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2016] [Accepted: 11/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Poor environmental conditions experienced during early development can have negative long-term consequences on fitness. Animals can compensate for negative developmental effects through phenotypic plasticity by diverting resources from non-vital to vital traits such as spatial memory to enhance foraging efficiency. We tested in young feral pigeons (Columba livia) how diets of different nutritional value during development affect the capacity to retrieve food hidden in a spatially complex environment, a process we refer to as 'spatial memory'. Parents were fed with either high- or low-quality food from egg laying until young fledged, after which all young pigeons received the same high-quality diet until memory performance was tested at 6 months of age. The pigeons were trained to learn a food location out of 18 possible locations in one session, and then their memory of this location was tested 24 h later. Birds reared with the low-quality diet made fewer errors in the memory test. These results demonstrate that food quality during development has long-lasting effects on memory, with a moderate nutritional deficit improving spatial memory performance in a foraging context. It might be that under poor feeding conditions resources are redirected from non-vital to vital traits, or pigeons raised with low-quality food might be better in using environmental cues such as the position of the sun to find where food was hidden.
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Affiliation(s)
- M F Scriba
- Avian Sleep Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-str.5, Seewiesen 82319, Germany .,Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
| | - J Gasparini
- Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, Paris F-75005, France
| | - L Jacquin
- Laboratoire Evolution & Diversité Biologique (EDB), Université Toulouse 3 Paul Sabatier, UPS; CNRS; ENFA, 118 route de Narbonne, Toulouse 31062, France
| | - C Mettke-Hofmann
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, James Parsons Building, Byrom Street, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK
| | - N C Rattenborg
- Avian Sleep Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-str.5, Seewiesen 82319, Germany
| | - A Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne 1015, Switzerland
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Schiffner I, Denzau S, Gehring D, Wiltschko R. Mathematical analysis of the homing flights of pigeons based on GPS tracks. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2016; 202:869-877. [PMID: 27766380 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-016-1127-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Revised: 09/13/2016] [Accepted: 10/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
To analyse the effect of magnetic and olfactory deprivation on the homing flight of pigeons, we released birds from a familiar site with either their upper beak or their nostrils anaesthetized. The tracks were analysed by time lag embedding to calculate the short-term correlation dimension, a variable that reflects the degrees of freedom and thus the number of factors involved in a system. We found that higher natural fluctuations in the earth's magnetic field characterized by A P-indices of 8 and above caused a reduction of the correlation dimension of the control birds. We thus separated the data into two groups according to whether they were recorded on magnetically quiet days or on days with higher magnetic fluctuations. Anaesthetizing the upper beak had no significant effect. Making pigeons anosmic reduced the correlation dimension on magnetically quiet days, but did not cause any reduction on days with higher fluctuations. Altogether, our data suggest an involvement of magnetic cues and olfactory factors during the homing flight and point to a robust, multi-factorial map.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingo Schiffner
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Building #79, St. Lucia, QLD, 4072, Australia. .,Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Max von Laue-Str. 13, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
| | - Susanne Denzau
- Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Max von Laue-Str. 13, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Dennis Gehring
- Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Max von Laue-Str. 13, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Roswitha Wiltschko
- Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Max von Laue-Str. 13, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Safi K, Gagliardo A, Wikelski M, Kranstauber B. How Displaced Migratory Birds Could Use Volatile Atmospheric Compounds to Find Their Migratory Corridor: A Test Using a Particle Dispersion Model. Front Behav Neurosci 2016; 10:175. [PMID: 27799899 PMCID: PMC5065961 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2016] [Accepted: 08/31/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Olfaction represents an important sensory modality for navigation of both homing pigeons and wild birds. Experimental evidence in homing pigeons showed that airborne volatile compounds carried by the winds at the home area are learned in association with wind directions. When displaced, pigeons obtain information on the direction of their displacement using local odors at the release site. Recently, the role of olfactory cues in navigation has been reported also for wild birds during migration. However, the question whether wild birds develop an olfactory navigational map similar to that described in homing pigeons or, alternatively, exploit the distribution of volatile compounds in different manner for reaching the goal is still an open question. Using an interdisciplinary approach, we evaluate the possibilities of reconstructing spatio-temporally explicit aerosol dispersion at large spatial scales using the particle dispersion model FLEXPART. By combining atmospheric information with particle dispersion models, atmospheric scientists predict the dispersion of pollutants for example, after nuclear fallouts or volcanic eruptions or wildfires, or in retrospect reconstruct the origin of emissions such as aerosols. Using simple assumptions, we reconstructed the putative origin of aerosols traveling to the location of migrating birds. We use the model to test whether the putative odor plume could have originated from an important stopover site. If the migrating birds knew this site and the associated plume from previous journeys, the odor could contribute to the reorientation towards the migratory corridor, as suggested for the model scenario in displaced Lesser black-backed gulls migrating from Northern Europe into Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kamran Safi
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for OrnithologyRadolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of KonstanzKonstanz, Germany
| | | | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for OrnithologyRadolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of KonstanzKonstanz, Germany
| | - Bart Kranstauber
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for OrnithologyRadolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of KonstanzKonstanz, Germany
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Jorge PE, Marques PAM, Pinto BV, Phillips JB. Asymmetrical Processing of Olfactory Input in the Piriform Cortex Mediates "Activation" of the Avian Navigation Circuitry. Chem Senses 2016; 41:745-754. [PMID: 27516210 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjw084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of odors in the long-distance navigation of birds has elicited intense debate for more than half a century. Failure to resolve many of the issues fueling this debate is due at least in part to the absence of controls for a variety of non-specific effects that odors have on the navigational process. The present experiments were carried out to investigate whether the olfactory inputs are involved only in "activation" of neuronal circuitry involved in navigation or are also playing a role in providing directional information. Experienced adult pigeons were exposed to controlled olfactory stimuli during different segments of the journey (release site vs. displacement + release site). Protein levels of IEGs (immediate early genes used to mark synaptic activity) were analyzed in areas within the olfactory/navigation avian circuitry. The results indicate that 1) exposure to natural odors at the release site (and not before) elicit greater activation across brain regions than exposure to filtered air, artificial odors, and natural odors along the entire outward journey (from home to the release site, inclusive); 2) activation of the piriform cortex in terms of odor discrimination is lateralized; 3) activation of the navigation circuitry is achieved by means of lateralized activation of piriform cortex neurons. Altogether, the findings provide the first direct evidence that activation of the avian navigation circuitry is mediated by asymmetrical processing of olfactory input occurring in the right piriform cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo E Jorge
- MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre , ISPA - Instituto Universitário , Rua Jardim do Tabaco 34, 1149-041 Lisboa , Portugal
| | - Paulo A M Marques
- MARE - Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre , ISPA - Instituto Universitário , Rua Jardim do Tabaco 34, 1149-041 Lisboa , Portugal
| | - Belmiro V Pinto
- SIM , Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa , Campo Grande,1749-016 Lisboa , Portugal
| | - John B Phillips
- Department of Biological Sciences , Virginia Tech , Blacksburg , 24061-0406 VA , USA
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Krause ET, Schrader L, Caspers BA. Olfaction in Chicken (Gallus gallus): A Neglected Mode of Social Communication? Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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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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Wikelski M, Arriero E, Gagliardo A, Holland RA, Huttunen MJ, Juvaste R, Mueller I, Tertitski G, Thorup K, Wild M, Alanko M, Bairlein F, Cherenkov A, Cameron A, Flatz R, Hannila J, Hüppop O, Kangasniemi M, Kranstauber B, Penttinen ML, Safi K, Semashko V, Schmid H, Wistbacka R. True navigation in migrating gulls requires intact olfactory nerves. Sci Rep 2015; 5:17061. [PMID: 26597351 DOI: 10.5441/001/1.q986rc29] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 05/26/2023] Open
Abstract
During migratory journeys, birds may become displaced from their normal migratory route. Experimental evidence has shown that adult birds can correct for such displacements and return to their goal. However, the nature of the cues used by migratory birds to perform long distance navigation is still debated. In this experiment we subjected adult lesser black-backed gulls migrating from their Finnish/Russian breeding grounds (from >60°N) to Africa (to < 5°N) to sensory manipulation, to determine the sensory systems required for navigation. We translocated birds westward (1080 km) or eastward (885 km) to simulate natural navigational challenges. When translocated westwards and outside their migratory corridor birds with olfactory nerve section kept a clear directional preference (southerly) but were unable to compensate for the displacement, while intact birds and gulls with the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve sectioned oriented towards their population-specific migratory corridor. Thus, air-borne olfactory information seems to be important for migrating gulls to navigate successfully in some circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Ornithology, Konstanz University, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Elena Arriero
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Anna Gagliardo
- Department of Biology, Via Volta 6, Pisa University, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Richard A Holland
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Markku J Huttunen
- School of Forest Sciences, Faculty of Science and Forestry, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu campus, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Risto Juvaste
- Karelia University of Applied Sciences, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Inge Mueller
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Grigori Tertitski
- Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Staromonetnystr. 29, Moscow, 119017, Russia
| | - Kasper Thorup
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Martin Wild
- Department of Anatomy with Radiology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland. Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Franz Bairlein
- Institute of Avian Research, An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Alexander Cherenkov
- Solovetskiy Branch of White Sea Biological Station of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Zaozernaya str. 17-1-6, Solovetskiy, Arkhangelsk district, 164409, Russia
| | - Alison Cameron
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | | | | | - Ommo Hüppop
- Institute of Avian Research, An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | | | - Bart Kranstauber
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | | | - Kamran Safi
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Vladimir Semashko
- Field Educational Centre "Ecosystem", Festivalnaya st., 22-8-111, Moscow, Russia
| | - Heidi Schmid
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
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Wikelski M, Arriero E, Gagliardo A, Holland RA, Huttunen MJ, Juvaste R, Mueller I, Tertitski G, Thorup K, Wild M, Alanko M, Bairlein F, Cherenkov A, Cameron A, Flatz R, Hannila J, Hüppop O, Kangasniemi M, Kranstauber B, Penttinen ML, Safi K, Semashko V, Schmid H, Wistbacka R. True navigation in migrating gulls requires intact olfactory nerves. Sci Rep 2015; 5:17061. [PMID: 26597351 PMCID: PMC4657012 DOI: 10.1038/srep17061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 10/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
During migratory journeys, birds may become displaced from their normal migratory route. Experimental evidence has shown that adult birds can correct for such displacements and return to their goal. However, the nature of the cues used by migratory birds to perform long distance navigation is still debated. In this experiment we subjected adult lesser black-backed gulls migrating from their Finnish/Russian breeding grounds (from >60°N) to Africa (to < 5°N) to sensory manipulation, to determine the sensory systems required for navigation. We translocated birds westward (1080 km) or eastward (885 km) to simulate natural navigational challenges. When translocated westwards and outside their migratory corridor birds with olfactory nerve section kept a clear directional preference (southerly) but were unable to compensate for the displacement, while intact birds and gulls with the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve sectioned oriented towards their population-specific migratory corridor. Thus, air-borne olfactory information seems to be important for migrating gulls to navigate successfully in some circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Ornithology, Konstanz University, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Elena Arriero
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Anna Gagliardo
- Department of Biology, Via Volta 6, Pisa University, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Richard A. Holland
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Markku J. Huttunen
- School of Forest Sciences, Faculty of Science and Forestry, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu campus, P.O. Box 111, FI-80101 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Risto Juvaste
- Karelia University of Applied Sciences, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Inge Mueller
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Grigori Tertitski
- Institute of Geography, Russian Academy of Sciences, Staromonetnystr. 29, Moscow, 119017, Russia
| | - Kasper Thorup
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate, Natural History Museum of Denmark, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen 2100, Denmark
| | - Martin Wild
- Department of Anatomy with Radiology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland. Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Franz Bairlein
- Institute of Avian Research, An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | - Alexander Cherenkov
- Solovetskiy Branch of White Sea Biological Station of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Zaozernaya str. 17-1-6, Solovetskiy, Arkhangelsk district, 164409, Russia
| | - Alison Cameron
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Reinhard Flatz
- Airport Hohenems, Bahnhofstr. 35, 6923 Lauterach, Austria
| | | | - Ommo Hüppop
- Institute of Avian Research, An der Vogelwarte 21, 26386 Wilhelmshaven, Germany
| | | | - Bart Kranstauber
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Maija-Liisa Penttinen
- Karelia University of Applied Sciences, Joensuu, Finland
- Västäräkintie 7, 80130 Joensuu, Finland
| | - Kamran Safi
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Vladimir Semashko
- Field Educational Centre “Ecosystem”, Festivalnaya st., 22-8-111, Moscow, Russia
| | - Heidi Schmid
- Department of Migration and ImmunoEcology, Max-Planck Institute of Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
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Beason RC, Wiltschko W. Cues indicating location in pigeon navigation. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2015; 201:961-7. [PMID: 26149606 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-015-1027-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2015] [Revised: 06/06/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Domesticated Rock Pigeons (Columba livia f. domestica) have been selected for returning home after being displaced. They appear to use many of the physical cue sources available in the natural environment for Map-and-Compass navigation. Two compass mechanisms that have been well documented in pigeons are a time-compensated sun compass and a magnetic inclination compass. Location-finding, or map, mechanisms have been more elusive. Visual landmarks, magnetic fields, odors, gravity and now also infrasound have been proposed as sources of information on location. Even in highly familiar locations, pigeons appear to neither use nor need landmarks and can even return to the loft while wearing frosted lenses. Direct and indirect evidence indicates magnetic field information influences pigeon navigation in ways that are consistent with magnetic map components. The role of odors is unclear; it might be motivational in nature rather than navigational. The influence of gravity must be further analyzed. Experiments with infrasound have been interpreted in the sense that they provide information on the home direction, but this hypothesis is inconsistent with the Map-and-Compass Model. All these factors appear to be components of a multifactorial system, with the pigeons being opportunistic, preferring those cues that prove most suitable in their home region. This has made understanding the roles of individual cues challenging.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wolfgang Wiltschko
- FB Biowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Straße 113, 60438, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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Atoji Y, Wild JM. Efferent and afferent connections of the olfactory bulb and prepiriform cortex in the pigeon (Columba livia). J Comp Neurol 2014; 522:1728-52. [PMID: 24222632 DOI: 10.1002/cne.23504] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2013] [Revised: 11/04/2013] [Accepted: 11/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Although olfaction in birds is known to be involved in a variety of behaviors, there is comparatively little detailed information on the olfactory brain. In the pigeon brain, the olfactory bulb (OB) is known to project to the prepiriform cortex (CPP), piriform cortex (CPi), and dorsolateral corticoid area (CDL), which together are called the olfactory pallium, but centrifugal pathways to the OB have not been fully explored. Fiber connections of CPi and CDL have been reported, but those of other olfactory pallial nuclei remain unknown. The present study examines the fiber connections of OB and CPP in pigeons to provide a more detailed picture of their connections using tract-tracing methods. When anterograde and retrograde tracers were injected in OB, projections to a more extensive olfactory pallium were revealed, including the anterior olfactory nucleus, CPP, densocellular part of the hyperpallium, tenia tecta, hippocampal continuation, CPi, and CDL. OB projected commissural fibers to the contralateral OB but did not receive afferents from the contralateral olfactory pallium. When tracers were injected in CPP, reciprocal ipsilateral connections with OB and nuclei of the olfactory pallium were observed, and CPP projected to the caudolateral nidopallium and the limbic system, including the hippocampal formation, septum, lateral hypothalamic nucleus, and lateral mammillary nucleus. These results show that the connections of OB have a wider distribution throughout the olfactory pallium than previously thought and that CPP provides a centrifugal projection to the OB and acts as a relay station to the limbic system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasuro Atoji
- Laboratory of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Applied Biological Sciences, Gifu University, Gifu, 501-1193, Japan
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Schiffner I, Wiltschko R. Pigeon navigation: different routes lead to Frankfurt. PLoS One 2014; 9:e112439. [PMID: 25391144 PMCID: PMC4229201 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2014] [Accepted: 10/15/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Tracks of pigeons homing to the Frankfurt loft revealed an odd phenomenon: whereas birds returning from the North approach their loft more or less directly in a broad front, pigeons returning from the South choose, from 25 km from home onward, either of two corridors, a direct one and one with a considerable detour to the West. This implies differences in the navigational process. Methodology/Principle Findings Pigeons released at sites at the beginning of the westerly corridor and in this corridor behave just like pigeons returning from farther south, deviating to the west before turning towards their loft. Birds released at sites within the straight corridors, in contrast, take more or less straight routes. The analysis of the short-term correlation dimension, a quantity reflecting the complexity of the system and with it, the number of factors involved in the navigational process, reveals that it is significantly larger in pigeons choosing the westerly corridor than in the birds flying straight - 3.03 vs. 2.85. The difference is small, however, suggesting a different interpretation of the same factors, with some birds apparently preferring particular factors over others. Conclusions The specific regional distribution of the factors which pigeons use to determine their home course seems to provide ambiguous information in the area 25 km south of the loft, resulting in the two corridors. Pigeons appear to navigate by deriving their routes directly from the locally available navigational factors which they interpret in an individual way. The fractal nature of the correlation dimensions indicates that the navigation process of pigeons is chaotic-deterministic; published tracks of migratory birds suggest that this may apply to avian navigation in general.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingo Schiffner
- FB Biowissenschaften der Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Siesmayerstraße 70, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Building #79, St. Lucia, Queensland, Australia
| | - Roswitha Wiltschko
- FB Biowissenschaften der Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Siesmayerstraße 70, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
- * E-mail:
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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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Gagliardo A, Pollonara E, Coppola VJ, Santos CD, Wikelski M, Bingman VP. Evidence for perceptual neglect of environmental features in hippocampal-lesioned pigeons during homing. Eur J Neurosci 2014; 40:3102-10. [DOI: 10.1111/ejn.12680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2014] [Revised: 06/11/2014] [Accepted: 06/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anna Gagliardo
- Department of Biology; University of Pisa; Via Volta 6 56126 Pisa Italy
| | - Enrica Pollonara
- Department of Biology; University of Pisa; Via Volta 6 56126 Pisa Italy
| | - Vincent J. Coppola
- Department of Psychology and J. P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior; Bowling Green State University; Bowling Green OH USA
| | - Carlos D. Santos
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology; Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Radolfzell Germany
- Departamento de Biologia; Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde; Universidade Federal do Maranhão; São Luís MA Brazil
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology; Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Radolfzell Germany
- Department of Biology; University of Konstanz; Konstanz Germany
| | - Verner P. Bingman
- Department of Psychology and J. P. Scott Center for Neuroscience, Mind and Behavior; Bowling Green State University; Bowling Green OH USA
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Phillips JB, Jorge PE. Olfactory navigation: failure to attempt replication of critical experiments keeps controversy alive. Reply to Wallraff. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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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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Affiliation(s)
- R. A. Holland
- School of Biological Sciences; Queen's University of Belfast; Belfast UK
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Blaser N, Guskov SI, Meskenaite V, Kanevskyi VA, Lipp HP. Altered orientation and flight paths of pigeons reared on gravity anomalies: a GPS tracking study. PLoS One 2013; 8:e77102. [PMID: 24194860 PMCID: PMC3806762 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0077102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2013] [Accepted: 08/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms of pigeon homing are still not understood, in particular how they determine their position at unfamiliar locations. The “gravity vector” theory holds that pigeons memorize the gravity vector at their home loft and deduct home direction and distance from the angular difference between memorized and actual gravity vector. However, the gravity vector is tilted by different densities in the earth crust leading to gravity anomalies. We predicted that pigeons reared on different gravity anomalies would show different initial orientation and also show changes in their flight path when crossing a gravity anomaly. We reared one group of pigeons in a strong gravity anomaly with a north-to-south gravity gradient, and the other group of pigeons in a normal area but on a spot with a strong local anomaly with a west-to-east gravity gradient. After training over shorter distances, pigeons were released from a gravitationally and geomagnetically normal site 50 km north in the same direction for both home lofts. As expected by the theory, the two groups of pigeons showed divergent initial orientation. In addition, some of the GPS-tracked pigeons also showed changes in their flight paths when crossing gravity anomalies. We conclude that even small local gravity anomalies at the birth place of pigeons may have the potential to bias the map sense of pigeons, while reactivity to gravity gradients during flight was variable and appeared to depend on individual navigational strategies and frequency of position updates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Blaser
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- * E-mail:
| | | | | | | | - Hans-Peter Lipp
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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Schiffner I, Fuhrmann P, Wiltschko R. Homing flights of pigeons in the Frankfurt region: the effect of distance and local experience. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.05.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Abstract
Summary
Forty years ago, Papi and colleagues discovered that anosmic pigeons cannot find their way home when released at unfamiliar locations. They explained this phenomenon by developing the olfactory navigation hypothesis: pigeons at the home loft learn the odours carried by the winds in association with wind direction; once at the release site, they determine the direction of displacement on the basis of the odours perceived locally and orient homeward. In addition to the old classical experiments, new GPS tracking data and observations on the activation of the olfactory system in displaced pigeons have provided further evidence for the specific role of olfactory cues in pigeon navigation. Although it is not known which odours the birds might rely on for navigation, it has been shown that volatile organic compounds in the atmosphere are distributed as fairly stable gradients to allow environmental odour-based navigation. The investigation of the potential role of olfactory cues for navigation in wild birds is still at an early stage; however, the evidence collected so far suggests that olfactory navigation might be a widespread mechanism in avian species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Gagliardo
- Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via A. Volta 6, I-56126 Pisa, Italy
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37
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Kültz D, Clayton DF, Robinson GE, Albertson C, Carey HV, Cummings ME, Dewar K, Edwards SV, Hofmann HA, Gross LJ, Kingsolver JG, Meaney MJ, Schlinger BA, Shingleton AW, Sokolowski MB, Somero GN, Stanzione DC, Todgham AE. New Frontiers for Organismal Biology. Bioscience 2013. [DOI: 10.1525/bio.2013.63.6.8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Schiffner I, Wiltschko R. Development of the navigational system in homing pigeons: increase in complexity of the navigational map. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 216:2675-81. [PMID: 23580726 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.085662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In the present study we analysed GPS-recorded tracks from pigeons of different ages from 11 sites between 3.6 and 22.1 km from the home loft, which revealed changes in the navigational system as the birds grew older and became more experienced. The efficiency of juveniles in their first year of life, at only 0.27, was rather low, indicating that the young birds covered more than three times the direct distance home. In the second year, after a standard training programme, the efficiency of the same birds increased to 0.80 and was no longer different from that of older pigeons. The short-term correlation dimension, a variable that reflects the number of factors involved in the navigational process, also increased with age. In juveniles, it was markedly lower than in the other two groups, but even in yearlings it was still significantly lower than that of old pigeons, indicating that the navigational map of yearlings is still developing. Our results indicate that the map system, although functional in the first year of life, continues to become more complex - older pigeons seem to either consider more navigational factors than younger ones or at least weigh the same factors differently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingo Schiffner
- Fachbereich Biowissenschaften, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Siesmayerstrasse 70, D-60054 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
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Holland R, Filannino C, Gagliardo A. A magnetic pulse does not affect homing pigeon navigation: a GPS tracking experiment. J Exp Biol 2013; 216:2192-200. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.083543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Summary
The cues by which homing pigeons are able to return to a home loft after displacement to unfamiliar release sites remain debated. A number of experiments in which migratory birds have been treated with a magnetic pulse have produced a disruption in their orientation, which argues that a ferrimagnetic sense is used for navigation in birds. One previous experiment has also indicated an effect of magnetic pulses on homing pigeon navigation, although with inconsistent results. Previous studies have shown that some magnetic-related information is transmitted by the trigeminal nerve to the brain in some bird species including the homing pigeon. The function of this information is still unclear. It has been suggested that this information is important for navigation. Previous studies with trigeminal nerve lesioned pigeons have clearly shown that the lack of trigeminally mediated information, even if magnetic, is not crucial for homing performance in homing pigeons. However, this result does not completely exclude the possibility that other ferrimagnetic receptors in the homing pigeon play role in navigation. Additionally, recent studies on homing pigeons suggested the existence of a ferrimagnetic sense in a novel location presumably located in the inner ear (lagena). In the current study, we tested whether any ferrimagnetic magnetoreceptors, irrespective of their location in the bird's head, are involved in pigeons' homing. To do this, we treated homing pigeons with a strong magnetic pulse before release, tracked birds with GPS-loggers and analyzed whether this treatment affected homing performance. In the single previous magnetic pulse experiment on homing pigeons only initial orientation at a release site was considered and the results were inconsistent.We observed no effect of the magnetic pulse at any of the sites used, either in initial orientation, homing performance, tortuosity or track efficiency, which does not support a role for the ferrimagnetic sense in homing pigeon navigation, at least not in this geographic area, where magnetic field variations are in the region of 200 nT intensity and 0.8° inclination.
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Suárez R, García-González D, de Castro F. Mutual influences between the main olfactory and vomeronasal systems in development and evolution. Front Neuroanat 2012; 6:50. [PMID: 23269914 PMCID: PMC3529325 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2012.00050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2012] [Accepted: 11/26/2012] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The sense of smell plays a crucial role in the sensory world of animals. Two chemosensory systems have been traditionally thought to play-independent roles in mammalian olfaction. According to this, the main olfactory system (MOS) specializes in the detection of environmental odorants, while the vomeronasal system (VNS) senses pheromones and semiochemicals produced by individuals of the same or different species. Although both systems differ in their anatomy and function, recent evidence suggests they act synergistically in the perception of scents. These interactions include similar responses to some ligands, overlap of telencephalic connections and mutual influences in the regulation of olfactory-guided behavior. In the present work, we propose the idea that the relationships between systems observed at the organismic level result from a constant interaction during development and reflects a common history of ecological adaptations in evolution. We review the literature to illustrate examples of developmental and evolutionary processes that evidence these interactions and propose that future research integrating both systems may shed new light on the mechanisms of olfaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Suárez
- Queensland Brain Institute, The University of Queensland, St Lucia Brisbane, QLD, Australia ; Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Chile Santiago, Chile
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