Adaptive Value

Being able to locate and remember a new food source is imperative to the survival of a bee since their environment is constantly changing with the fleeting bloom of a particular flower.  Once a flower is fertilized, the bee must move on to the next.

  • Having the ability to forage in unknown terrain and memorize unknown landmarks enables a bee to find more nectar and pollen for the hive.
  • Researchers have found a strong positive correlation between colony learning speed and foraging performance. (Raine and Chitka, 2008)
  • Natural selection selects for smarter bees to outcompete their dimmer neighbors

 

The Waggle Dance

Not only is the memorization of new terrain important to the fitness of the hives, but also bees communicate with each other through an intricate “waggle dance,” first  decoded by Carl von Frisch,

  • Relays information about the distance and location of a food source from the hive
  • Information is interpreted relative to the current position of the sun (so the dance changes over time!)
  • Requires the plasticity of learning because the message is constantly changing and the hive mates must decode and memorize unfamiliar information
  • In this way, the dancing bees are capable of learning and communicating information.