Scientists at the University of Queensland’s brain institute have found through the study of honey bees that the brain has an advanced ability to isolate specific odours and recollect smells.
A study led by a scientist of Indian-origin has decoded the tricky art of landing by honey bees, a finding that can have huge implications in making better robot planes.
Here’s one way to get back at your sibling: Release a deadly odor. Honeybee researchers have discovered the first example of a pheromone that shortens the lifespan of other family members — in this case, older sisters.
Dr Bill Hughes, from the Faculty of Biological Sciences at the University of Leeds, said: “By making sure queens mate with enough genetically variable males, we may be able to boost resistance levels and so protect our honeybee populations from disease attacks like the ones we have seen hitting the US.”
Posted by eivindm | Posted in Behavior, Biology | Posted on 22-08-2009
Tags: agression, genes, research
A new study reveals that changes in gene expression in the brain of the honey bee in response to an immediate threat have much in common with more long-term and even evolutionary differences in honey-bee aggression. The findings lend support to the idea that nurture (an organism’s environment) may ultimately influence nature (its genetic inheritance).
Posted by eivindm | Posted in Behavior, Biology | Posted on 07-08-2009
Tags: pheromones, queens
In an exciting revelation that has potential implications for the apicultural industry, as well as for brain research, University of Otago researchers have succeeded in unravelling one of the mysteries that surround the honey bee queen’s ability to control the behaviour of her workers.
Honeybees sterilise their hives with antimicrobial resin, scientists have discovered.
While scientists have been aware of the fact that cognitive function among humans declines as they get older, a research team in Germany have found that ageing honeybees can keep their learning ability intact or even improve it by switching their social roles.
Female animals are often able to store sperm inside their body – in some species even for several decades.
Long-term memory formation in honeybees is instigated by a calcium ion cascade. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Biology have shown that calcium acts as a switch between short- and long-term storage of learned information.
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