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Parallel vector memories in the brain of a bee as foundation for flexible navigation

Patel, Rickesh N. LU orcid ; Roberts, Natalie S. LU ; Kempenaers, Julian LU ; Zadel, Ana LU orcid and Heinze, Stanley LU orcid (2024) In Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 121(30). p.2402509121-2402509121
Abstract

Insects rely on path integration (vector-based navigation) and landmark guidance to perform sophisticated navigational feats, rivaling those seen in mammals. Bees in particular exhibit complex navigation behaviors including creating optimal routes and novel shortcuts between locations, an ability historically indicative of the presence of a cognitive map. A mammalian cognitive map has been widely accepted. However, in insects, the existence of a centralized cognitive map is highly contentious. Using a controlled laboratory assay that condenses foraging behaviors to short distances in walking bumblebees, we reveal that vectors learned during path integration can be transferred to long-term memory, that multiple such vectors can be stored... (More)

Insects rely on path integration (vector-based navigation) and landmark guidance to perform sophisticated navigational feats, rivaling those seen in mammals. Bees in particular exhibit complex navigation behaviors including creating optimal routes and novel shortcuts between locations, an ability historically indicative of the presence of a cognitive map. A mammalian cognitive map has been widely accepted. However, in insects, the existence of a centralized cognitive map is highly contentious. Using a controlled laboratory assay that condenses foraging behaviors to short distances in walking bumblebees, we reveal that vectors learned during path integration can be transferred to long-term memory, that multiple such vectors can be stored in parallel, and that these vectors can be recalled at a familiar location and used for homeward navigation. These findings demonstrate that bees meet the two fundamental requirements of a vector-based analog of a decentralized cognitive map: Home vectors need to be stored in long-term memory and need to be recalled from remembered locations. Thus, our data demonstrate that bees possess the foundational elements for a vector-based map. By utilizing this relatively simple strategy for spatial organization, insects may achieve high-level navigation behaviors seen in vertebrates with the limited number of neurons in their brains, circumventing the computational requirements associated with the cognitive maps of mammals.

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author
; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
bumblebee, insect, memory, navigation, path integration
in
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
volume
121
issue
30
pages
2402509121 - 2402509121
publisher
National Academy of Sciences
external identifiers
  • pmid:39008670
  • scopus:85199014446
ISSN
1091-6490
DOI
10.1073/pnas.2402509121
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
45cb8b34-3788-4d16-8586-cec069ef658a
date added to LUP
2024-07-30 07:35:57
date last changed
2025-05-07 14:02:31
@article{45cb8b34-3788-4d16-8586-cec069ef658a,
  abstract     = {{<p>Insects rely on path integration (vector-based navigation) and landmark guidance to perform sophisticated navigational feats, rivaling those seen in mammals. Bees in particular exhibit complex navigation behaviors including creating optimal routes and novel shortcuts between locations, an ability historically indicative of the presence of a cognitive map. A mammalian cognitive map has been widely accepted. However, in insects, the existence of a centralized cognitive map is highly contentious. Using a controlled laboratory assay that condenses foraging behaviors to short distances in walking bumblebees, we reveal that vectors learned during path integration can be transferred to long-term memory, that multiple such vectors can be stored in parallel, and that these vectors can be recalled at a familiar location and used for homeward navigation. These findings demonstrate that bees meet the two fundamental requirements of a vector-based analog of a decentralized cognitive map: Home vectors need to be stored in long-term memory and need to be recalled from remembered locations. Thus, our data demonstrate that bees possess the foundational elements for a vector-based map. By utilizing this relatively simple strategy for spatial organization, insects may achieve high-level navigation behaviors seen in vertebrates with the limited number of neurons in their brains, circumventing the computational requirements associated with the cognitive maps of mammals.</p>}},
  author       = {{Patel, Rickesh N. and Roberts, Natalie S. and Kempenaers, Julian and Zadel, Ana and Heinze, Stanley}},
  issn         = {{1091-6490}},
  keywords     = {{bumblebee; insect; memory; navigation; path integration}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{07}},
  number       = {{30}},
  pages        = {{2402509121--2402509121}},
  publisher    = {{National Academy of Sciences}},
  series       = {{Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America}},
  title        = {{Parallel vector memories in the brain of a bee as foundation for flexible navigation}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2402509121}},
  doi          = {{10.1073/pnas.2402509121}},
  volume       = {{121}},
  year         = {{2024}},
}