Document Detail


Apis mellifera bees acquire long-term olfactory memories within the colony.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  17148337     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
Early studies indicate that Apis mellifera bees learn nectar odours within their colonies. This form of olfactory learning, however, has not been analysed by measuring well-quantifiable learning performances and the question remains whether it constitutes a 'robust' form of learning. Hence, we asked whether bees acquire long-term olfactory memories within the colony. To this end, we used the bee proboscis extension response. We found that within-the-nest bees do indeed associate the odour (as the conditioned stimulus) with the sugar (as the unconditioned stimulus) present in the incoming nectar, and that the distribution of scented nectar within the colony allows them to establish long-term olfactory memories. This finding is discussed in the context of efficient foraging.
Authors:
Mariana Gil; Rodrigo J De Marco
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Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Biology letters     Volume:  2     ISSN:  1744-9561     ISO Abbreviation:  Biol. Lett.     Publication Date:  2006 Mar 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2006-12-06     Completed Date:  2007-01-22     Revised Date:  2009-11-18    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  101247722     Medline TA:  Biol Lett     Country:  England    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  98-100     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Departamento de Fisiología, Biología Molecular y Celular, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón II, C1428EHA, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Animals
Bees / physiology*
Behavior, Animal*
Carbohydrates / chemistry
Memory*
Odors*
Smell / physiology*
Chemical
Reg. No./Substance:
0/Carbohydrates
Comments/Corrections

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