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A right antenna for social behaviour in honeybees

Rogers, Lesley J. ; Rigosi, Elisa LU ; Frasnelli, Elisa and Vallortigara, Giorgio (2013) In Scientific Reports 3.
Abstract

Sophisticated cognitive abilities have been documented in honeybees, possibly an aspect of their complex sociality. In vertebrates brain asymmetry enhances cognition and directional biases of brain function are a putative adaptation to social behaviour. Here we show that honeybees display a strong lateral preference to use their right antenna in social interactions. Dyads of bees tested using only their right antennae (RA) contacted after shorter latency and were significantly more likely to interact positively (proboscis extension) than were dyads of bees using only their left antennae (LA). The latter were more likely to interact negatively (C-responses) even though they were from the same hive. In dyads from different hives... (More)

Sophisticated cognitive abilities have been documented in honeybees, possibly an aspect of their complex sociality. In vertebrates brain asymmetry enhances cognition and directional biases of brain function are a putative adaptation to social behaviour. Here we show that honeybees display a strong lateral preference to use their right antenna in social interactions. Dyads of bees tested using only their right antennae (RA) contacted after shorter latency and were significantly more likely to interact positively (proboscis extension) than were dyads of bees using only their left antennae (LA). The latter were more likely to interact negatively (C-responses) even though they were from the same hive. In dyads from different hives C-responses were higher in RA than LA dyads. Hence, RA controls social behaviour appropriate to context. Therefore, in invertebrates, as well as vertebrates, lateral biases in behaviour appear to be associated with requirements of social life.

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author
; ; and
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
in
Scientific Reports
volume
3
article number
2045
pages
4 pages
publisher
Nature Publishing Group
external identifiers
  • pmid:23807465
  • scopus:84889093666
ISSN
2045-2322
DOI
10.1038/srep02045
language
English
LU publication?
no
additional info
Funding Information: This research was made possible by funding from the Provincia Autonoma di Trento and the Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Trento e Rovereto to G.V. G.V. was also supported by an ERC Advanced Research Grant (PREMESOR ERC-2011-ADG_20110406’’.
id
22868973-a56a-44e8-9ad1-8c2ec02b44a1
date added to LUP
2023-10-12 09:30:17
date last changed
2024-02-18 20:42:51
@article{22868973-a56a-44e8-9ad1-8c2ec02b44a1,
  abstract     = {{<p>Sophisticated cognitive abilities have been documented in honeybees, possibly an aspect of their complex sociality. In vertebrates brain asymmetry enhances cognition and directional biases of brain function are a putative adaptation to social behaviour. Here we show that honeybees display a strong lateral preference to use their right antenna in social interactions. Dyads of bees tested using only their right antennae (RA) contacted after shorter latency and were significantly more likely to interact positively (proboscis extension) than were dyads of bees using only their left antennae (LA). The latter were more likely to interact negatively (C-responses) even though they were from the same hive. In dyads from different hives C-responses were higher in RA than LA dyads. Hence, RA controls social behaviour appropriate to context. Therefore, in invertebrates, as well as vertebrates, lateral biases in behaviour appear to be associated with requirements of social life.</p>}},
  author       = {{Rogers, Lesley J. and Rigosi, Elisa and Frasnelli, Elisa and Vallortigara, Giorgio}},
  issn         = {{2045-2322}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{06}},
  publisher    = {{Nature Publishing Group}},
  series       = {{Scientific Reports}},
  title        = {{A right antenna for social behaviour in honeybees}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep02045}},
  doi          = {{10.1038/srep02045}},
  volume       = {{3}},
  year         = {{2013}},
}