No response to linear polarization cues in operant conditioning experiments with zebra finches

Melgar, Julian; Lind, Olle; Muheim, Rachel

doi:10.1242/jeb.122309

Cited by 7 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 61 publications

(91 reference statements)

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“…Some more recent studies have controlled for reflected intensity cues by using surfaces that are matt, ‘rough’, or highly reflective (e.g. Mäthger et al 2011 ; Calabrese et al 2014 ; Melgar et al 2015 ; Egri et al 2016 ). These types of surface can help minimise the difference in intensity between s- and p-polarised reflections as a proportion of overall reflected intensity.…”

Section: Confounding Cues In Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polarisation vision: overcoming challenges of working with a property of light we barely see

Foster

Temple

How

et al. 2018

Sci Nat

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In recent years, the study of polarisation vision in animals has seen numerous breakthroughs, not just in terms of what is known about the function of this sensory ability, but also in the experimental methods by which polarisation can be controlled, presented and measured. Once thought to be limited to only a few animal species, polarisation sensitivity is now known to be widespread across many taxonomic groups, and advances in experimental techniques are, in part, responsible for these discoveries. Nevertheless, its study remains challenging, perhaps because of our own poor sensitivity to the polarisation of light, but equally as a result of the slow spread of new practices and methodological innovations within the field. In this review, we introduce the most important steps in designing and calibrating polarised stimuli, within the broader context of areas of current research and the applications of new techniques to key questions. Our aim is to provide a constructive guide to help researchers, particularly those with no background in the physics of polarisation, to design robust experiments that are free from confounding factors.

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Section: Confounding Cues In Experimentsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Polarisation vision: overcoming challenges of working with a property of light we barely see

Foster

Temple

How

et al. 2018

Sci Nat

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“…We were unable to train zebra finches to polarized light stimuli presented on modified liquid crystal display screens in a two-choice conditioning experiment (45). Also, in control experiments where we trained zebra finches to color cues in the maze, we found no significant differences between birds tested under different alignments of overhead polarized light (Fig.…”

Section: No Innate Orientation Response To Polarized Light or Change mentioning

confidence: 78%

“…There is to date no evidence that birds have true polarization vision (44,45), i.e., that they can differentiate the angle of the e-vector of polarized light independently. We were unable to train zebra finches to polarized light stimuli presented on modified liquid crystal display screens in a two-choice conditioning experiment (45).…”

Section: No Innate Orientation Response To Polarized Light or Change mentioning

confidence: 99%

Polarized light modulates light-dependent magnetic compass orientation in birds

Muheim

Sjöberg

Pinzon-Rodriguez

2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

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Magnetoreception of the light-dependent magnetic compass in birds is suggested to be mediated by a radical-pair mechanism taking place in the avian retina. Biophysical models on magnetic field effects on radical pairs generally assume that the light activating the magnetoreceptor molecules is nondirectional and unpolarized, and that light absorption is isotropic. However, natural skylight enters the avian retina unidirectionally, through the cornea and the lens, and is often partially polarized. In addition, cryptochromes, the putative magnetoreceptor molecules, absorb light anisotropically, i.e., they preferentially absorb light of a specific direction and polarization, implying that the light-dependent magnetic compass is intrinsically polarization sensitive. To test putative interactions between the avian magnetic compass and polarized light, we developed a spatial orientation assay and trained zebra finches to magnetic and/or overhead polarized light cues in a four-arm “plus” maze. The birds did not use overhead polarized light near the zenith for sky compass orientation. Instead, overhead polarized light modulated light-dependent magnetic compass orientation, i.e., how the birds perceive the magnetic field. Birds were well oriented when tested with the polarized light axis aligned parallel to the magnetic field. When the polarized light axis was aligned perpendicular to the magnetic field, the birds became disoriented. These findings are the first behavioral evidence to our knowledge for a direct interaction between polarized light and the light-dependent magnetic compass in an animal. They reveal a fundamentally new property of the radical pair-based magnetoreceptor with key implications for how birds and other animals perceive the Earth’s magnetic field.

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“…© Céline Houssin Differences in colour perception between great tits and humans include the presence of a fourth single cone type receptor (instead of three cones in humans) that extend the great tits' sensitivity into the UV light spectrum (Hart, 2001) and oil droplets that refine colour discrimination in birds (Vorobyev, 2003). However, neither humans nor birds are able to detect linear polarization, which excludes the use of polarization cues to detect and discriminate between butterfly species (Foster et al, 2018;Greenwood, Smith, Church, & Partridge, 2003;Melgar, Lind, & Muheim, 2015;Montgomery & Heinemann, 1952). Moreover, humans have been found to be good predictors of insect prey survival in the wild (Penney, Hassall, Skevington, Abbott, & Sherratt, 2012).…”

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confidence: 99%

Transparency reduces predator detection in mimetic clearwing butterflies

et al. 2019

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Predation is an important selective pressure, and some prey have evolved conspicuous warning signals that advertise unpalatability (i.e., aposematism) as an antipredator defence. Conspicuous colour patterns have been shown effective as warning signals, by promoting predator learning and memory. Unexpectedly, some butterfly species from the unpalatable tribe Ithomiini possess transparent wings, a feature rare on land but common in water, known to reduce predator detection. We tested whether transparency of butterfly wings was associated with decreased detectability by predators, by comparing four butterfly species exhibiting different degrees of transparency, ranging from fully opaque to largely transparent. We tested our prediction using both wild birds and humans in behavioural experiments. Vision modelling predicted butterfly detectability to be similar for these two predator types. In concordance with predictions, the most transparent species were almost never found first and were detected less often than the opaque species by both birds and humans, suggesting that transparency enhances crypsis. However, humans were able to learn to better detect the more transparent species over time. Our study demonstrates for the first time that transparency on land likely decreases detectability by visual predators. A plain language summary is available for this article.

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No response to linear polarization cues in operant conditioning experiments with zebra finches

Cited by 7 publications

References 61 publications

Polarisation vision: overcoming challenges of working with a property of light we barely see

Polarisation vision: overcoming challenges of working with a property of light we barely see

Polarized light modulates light-dependent magnetic compass orientation in birds

Transparency reduces predator detection in mimetic clearwing butterflies

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