University of Sussex
Browse
Wystrach et al Manuscript Curr Biol_round3_ToUpload.pdf (671.87 kB)

Rapid aversive and memory trace learning during route navigation in desert ants

Download (671.87 kB)
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-09, 21:02 authored by Antoine Wystrach, Cornelia BuehlmannCornelia Buehlmann, Sebastian Schwarz, Ken Cheng, Paul GrahamPaul Graham
The ability of bees and ants to learn long visually guided routes in complex environments is perhaps one of the most spectacular pieces of evidence for the impressive power of their small brains. While flying bees can visit flowers in an optimised sequence over kilometres, walking solitary foraging ants can precisely recapitulate routes of up to a hundred metres in complex environments [1]. It is clear that route following depends largely on learnt visual information and we have a good idea how visual memories can guide individuals along them [2–6], as well as how this is implemented in the insect brain [7,8]. However, little is known about the mechanisms that control route learning and development. Here we show that ants (Melophorus bagoti and Cataglyphis fortis) navigating in their natural environments can actively learn a route detour to avoid a pit-trap. This adaptive flexibility depends on a mechanism of aversive learning based on memory traces of recently encountered stimuli, reflecting the laboratory paradigm of trace conditioning. The views experienced before falling into the trap become associated with the ensuing negative outcome and thus trigger salutary turns on the subsequent trip. This drives the ants to orient away from the goal direction and avoid the trap. If the pit-trap is avoided, the novel views experienced during the detour become positively reinforced and the new route crystallises. We discuss how such an interplay between appetitive and aversive memories might be implemented in insect neural circuitry.

History

Publication status

  • Published

File Version

  • Accepted version

Journal

Current Biology

ISSN

0960-9822

Publisher

Elsevier

Volume

30

Page range

1-7

Department affiliated with

  • Evolution, Behaviour and Environment Publications

Full text available

  • Yes

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2020-04-03

First Open Access (FOA) Date

2021-04-10

First Compliant Deposit (FCD) Date

2020-04-02

Usage metrics

    University of Sussex (Publications)

    Categories

    No categories selected

    Exports

    RefWorks
    BibTeX
    Ref. manager
    Endnote
    DataCite
    NLM
    DC