Polarized Light Cues Underlie Compass Calibration in Migratory Songbirds

Muheim, Rachel; Phillips, John B.; Åkesson, Susanne

doi:10.1126/science.1129709

Cited by 237 publications

(259 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…Cue-calibration experiments specifically testing this hypothesis by shielding the lower part of the sky from view during the cue-calibration phase confirmed these findings [51,52]. It has to be noted, however, that birds do not always recalibrate their magnetic compass, even when given full access to PL cues near the horizon [55,56].…”

Section: Sunrise and Sunset Polarized Light Cues As Compass Calibratisupporting

confidence: 62%

“…Evidence for a key role of sunrise and sunset PL cues in compass calibration has also been provided by experiments with migratory songbirds, where PL information was not manipulated during the actual orientation experiment itself, but instead during a calibration period prior to testing [47][48][49][50][51][52][53]. In these studies, birds were exposed to conflicting information between magnetic and PL cues (one of the two cues being artificially deflected relative to the other by either shifting the horizontal component of the geomagnetic field relative to the natural skylight polarization pattern, or alternatively, by artificially shifting the band of maximum polarization relative to the natural magnetic field).…”

Section: Sunrise and Sunset Polarized Light Cues As Compass Calibratimentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Apart from the possible role of sunset PL cues for determining the departure direction, there is convincing evidence from short-term deflector loft experiments with homing pigeons [43][44][45][46] and cuecalibration experiments with migratory songbirds [47][48][49][50][51][52][53] that PL cues at sunrise and sunset play a key role in compass calibration. In the homing experiments with pigeons, non-resident birds were housed in lofts with an unobstructed view of the Sun overhead, but with specifically designed deflector panels installed on the side windows of the loft that deflected wind and light cues in opposite directions relative to each other and thereby making it possible to distinguish effects of celestial and olfactory cues.…”

Section: Sunrise and Sunset Polarized Light Cues As Compass Calibratimentioning

confidence: 99%

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Behavioural and physiological mechanisms of polarized light sensitivity in birds

Muheim

2011

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Polarized light (PL) sensitivity is relatively well studied in a large number of invertebrates and some fish species, but in most other vertebrate classes, including birds, the behavioural and physiological mechanism of PL sensitivity remains one of the big mysteries in sensory biology. Many organisms use the skylight polarization pattern as part of a sun compass for orientation, navigation and in spatial orientation tasks. In birds, the available evidence for an involvement of the skylight polarization pattern in sun-compass orientation is very weak. Instead, cue-conflict and cue-calibration experiments have shown that the skylight polarization pattern near the horizon at sunrise and sunset provides birds with a seasonally and latitudinally independent compass calibration reference. Despite convincing evidence that birds use PL cues for orientation, direct experimental evidence for PL sensitivity is still lacking. Avian double cones have been proposed as putative PL receptors, but detailed anatomical and physiological evidence will be needed to conclusively describe the avian PL receptor. Intriguing parallels between the functional and physiological properties of PL reception and light-dependent magnetoreception could point to a common receptor system.

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Section: Sunrise and Sunset Polarized Light Cues As Compass Calibratisupporting

confidence: 62%

Section: Sunrise and Sunset Polarized Light Cues As Compass Calibratimentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Sunrise and Sunset Polarized Light Cues As Compass Calibratimentioning

confidence: 99%

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Behavioural and physiological mechanisms of polarized light sensitivity in birds

Muheim

2011

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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“…True navigation implies that animals orient themselves by relying on cues available at the unfamiliar release site, and these usually are cues with a worldwide geographic distribution such as magnetic cues (Wiltschko and Wiltschko 1995;Lohmann 1991), lightdependent cues (Muheim et al 2006;Phillips et al 2010), infrasound cues (Hagstrum 2000), or odor cues (Jorge 2011;Wallraff 2005). In Experiment 3, we showed that adult L. pholis were able to orient themselves toward their home areas even if they were placed in an unfamiliar distant area, and they did so by relying on cues available in the unfamiliar area (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Homing in rocky intertidal fish. Are Lipophrys pholis L. able to perform true navigation?

et al. 2012

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Although navigation is common in many animals, only a few perform true navigation, meaning that they have the ability to return to a given place by relying on indirect cues obtained at the release site (i.e., by relying on information from a ''map and compass'' mechanism). The common intertidal fish, Lipophrys pholis, is thought to have homing abilities through a mechanism that primarily makes use of familiar landmarks (i.e., piloting). Anecdotal reports that individuals return to their home pools after release at unfamiliar sites suggest that L. pholis might use cues collected at the release site to find their way back (i.e., they might use map and compass information). Using a completely artificial setup, we tested the homing abilities of L. pholis as a function of age, sex, and familiarity with the release site. The findings showed that motivation for homing is present only in the adult phase and is independent of sex and/or familiarity with the release site. Moreover, adults released at a completely unfamiliar place oriented themselves in a direction roughly similar to that of their home pools. The fact that L. pholis were tested in a complete artificial environment means that hydrodynamic cues can be excluded as playing a role in this process and restricts the candidate options (e.g., magnetic cues). The ability to perform navigation based on a ''map and compass'' mechanism raises many interesting questions about the learning process, once these individuals have restricted home ranges during their lives. In vertebrate navigation, the cues used during the navigation process are a question of debate, and L. pholis offers an outstanding model to test hypotheses and ultimately provide answers.

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“…Other insects, such as spiders [3] and field crickets [4], have also been shown to use sky polarization for navigation. Migratory birds were found to use the sky polarization at sunrise and sunset in the autumn and spring to calibrate their magnetic compass while passing between different latitudes [5][6][7]. Some even claim that the Vikings, with the aid of a 'sunstone' as a natural polarizer, used the sky's polarization to help them navigate the seas [8].…”

Section: Introduction (A)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Navigation by light polarization in clear and turbid waters

Lerner

Sabbah

Erlick

et al. 2011

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Certain terrestrial animals use sky polarization for navigation. Certain aquatic species have also been shown to orient according to a polarization stimulus, but the correlation between underwater polarization and Sun position and hence the ability to use underwater polarization as a compass for navigation is still under debate. To examine this issue, we use theoretical equations for per cent polarization and electric vector (e-vector) orientation that account for the position of the Sun, refraction at the air -water interface and Rayleigh single scattering. The polarization patterns predicted by these theoretical equations are compared with measurements conducted in clear and semi-turbid coastal sea waters at 2 m and 5 m depth over sea floors of 6 m and 28 m depth. We find that the per cent polarization is correlated with the Sun's elevation only in clear waters. We furthermore find that the maximum value of the e-vector orientation angle equals the angle of refraction only in clear waters, in the horizontal viewing direction, over the deeper sea floor. We conclude that navigation by use of underwater polarization is possible under restricted conditions, i.e. in clear waters, primarily near the horizontal viewing direction, and in locations where the sea floor has limited effects on the light's polarization.

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Polarized Light Cues Underlie Compass Calibration in Migratory Songbirds

Cited by 237 publications

References 31 publications

Behavioural and physiological mechanisms of polarized light sensitivity in birds

Behavioural and physiological mechanisms of polarized light sensitivity in birds

Homing in rocky intertidal fish. Are Lipophrys pholis L. able to perform true navigation?

Navigation by light polarization in clear and turbid waters

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