CHDV 23249 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Starry Sky, Dim Stars

• School: University of Chicago
• Department: Comparative Human Development
• Course: CHDV 23249
• Professor: Misha Blizardand Christina Masco

Document Summary

2013 article (dung beetles use the milky way for orientation: African ball-rolling dung beetles exploit sun, moon, celestial polarization patterns to move along straight paths. Even on clear moonless nights, beetles still orientate along straight paths. Hypothesis: dung beetles exploit starry sky for orientation, beetles transport dung balls along straight paths under starlit sky, but lose ability under overcast conditions. Results/discussion to determine how accurately dung beetles can orientate along straight paths when prevented from seeing celestial cues, researchers obscured dorsal visual fields with small cardboard caps. So dung beetles can use starry sky to orientate. 5 different conditions: complete starry sky (more than 4,000 stars and milky way, milky way only, dim stars, brightest 18 stars excluded, 18 brightest stars only total darkness. Beetles took same amount of time to exit arena irrespective of whether they could see the full projection of starry sky (released from center of arena)