Chapter 9

Piloting

Finding way using landmarks like visual or olfactory cues.

Compass Orientation

Navigating without landmarks using external reference systems.

External Reference System

Includes magnetic fields, stars, or the sun.

Vector Navigation

Inherited program indicating direction and travel duration. like having a built-in travel plan in an animal’s brain that tells it which direction to go and how long to travel. This plan isn’t learned—animals are born knowing it! Some birds, like baby blackcap warblers, use this kind of navigation for their very first migration. Even if they’ve never made the trip before or followed older birds, they still know which way to fly and how far. Scientists learned this by raising birds from different places in a lab and watching them try to fly in the direction their inherited program told them—proving it’s built into their bodies like a compass and timer!

Path Integration

Integrating outward journey data (information on the sequence of direction and duration of each leg of an outward journey) to return home.

True Navigation

a form of compass orientation where an animal is able to maintain or establish reference to a goal, regardless of its location, without the use of landmarks

Homing

Another term for true navigation in animals.

Visual Cues

Using visual landmarks and celestial input for navigation.

Landmarks

Recognizable cues stored in memory for navigation.

Olfaction

Sense of smell used for navigation by salmon.

Hierarchy of Mechanisms

Prioritization of navigational systems used by animals.

Sensory Modalities

Various senses used for navigation cues.

Migration

Seasonal movement of species to breeding or non-breeding areas.

Home Territory

Area memorized by animals for navigation.

Immature Starlings

Birds displaced 150 KM, flew to incorrect location.

Researcher Displacement

Moving animals to test navigation abilities.

Multiple Cues

Using various sensory inputs for navigation.

Information Transfer

Sharing data among different navigational systems.

Burrow

A shelter dug by animals for habitation.

Sun Compass

Navigational method using the sun's position.

Circadian Rhythm

Internal clock regulating daily biological cycles.

Acclimatization

Adjustment to a new environment or conditions.

Waggle Dance

Bee behavior indicating food source direction.

Honeybee Navigation

Using sun and landmarks for food location.

Celestial Cues

Natural signals from celestial bodies for navigation. Using stars or sun for navigation cues.

Star Compass

Navigational method using stars for orientation.

Night Migration

Birds migrating during nighttime using celestial cues.

Sextant and Chronometer

Tools for reading stars and time for navigation.

Experimental Study

Research method testing hypotheses under controlled conditions.

Visual Landmarks

Physical features aiding in navigation and orientation.

Direction Determination

Identifying heading based on environmental cues.

Internal Clock

Biological mechanism for tracking time.

Food Source

Location where animals find sustenance.

Light Polarization

is a way that some animals find direction by using special patterns in sunlight. When sunlight comes into Earth’s atmosphere, it bounces off tiny things like dust and water, which causes the light to line up and travel in just one direction. This is called polarized light. Even if the sun is hidden behind clouds or below the horizon (like during sunrise or sunset), the pattern of polarized light in the sky still gives clues about where the sun is. Animals that can see these patterns—like some birds, fish, and insects—use them like a built-in compass to figure out which way to go.Orientation of light waves in a specific direction. Light waves vibrating in a single plane.

Orientation Axis

Reference line for determining direction.

Cloud Cover

Blocking of celestial bodies by atmospheric conditions.

Migration Patterns

Seasonal movement behaviors of animal species.

Experimental Acclimatization

Adjusting animals to altered light cycles for study.

Bee Communication

Methods bees use to convey information about food.

Homing Pigeons

Birds using magnetic fields for navigation.

Magnetic Field Sensitivity

Ability of animals to detect Earth's magnetic field.

William Keeton

Researcher studying homing pigeons' navigation.

Time-Shifted Pigeons

Pigeons unable to orient on sunny days.

Magnetic Field Cues

Used when visual cues are unavailable. Natural phenomenon used for compass orientation. Used by pigeons when cloudy

Earth's Magnetic Field

Extends from core to solar wind interface.

Magnetic Field Tilt

Tilted at 11 degrees to Earth's axis.

Polarity Compass

Distinguishes north from south using magnetic poles.

Magnetic South Pole

Considered a negative pole in magnetism.

Magnetic North Pole

Considered a positive pole in magnetism.

Angle of Inclination

Angle of magnetic force line to horizon.

Inclination Compass

Determines direction using angle of inclination.

Poleward Direction

Where magnetic lines of force are steepest.

Equatorward Direction

Where magnetic lines are parallel to surface.

Intensity of Magnetic Field

Some species detect small intensity differences.

Magnetic Compass

Navigational tool using Earth's magnetic field.

Migratory Program

Inherited behavior guiding birds' migration.

Magnetite

Light independent magnetoception. Iron mineral acting as magnetoceptor in birds.is a tiny magnetic rock inside some animals’ bodies, like in birds’ beaks. It works like a natural compass needle that feels the Earth’s magnetic field. When the Earth’s magnetic field moves around this rock, the animal’s body can detect the change and figure out which way is north or south. It’s like having a little magnetic sensor inside you!

Vestibular Neurons

Neurons detecting magnetic field direction and intensity.

Lagena

Part of inner ear housing vestibular neurons.

Combination Compass

Sea turtles use inclination and intensity together.

Magnetic Map

Enables animals to determine position relative to goals.

Learned Magnetic Map

Acquired through experience, varies by species.

Inherited Magnetic Map

Passed genetically, varies by species.

Global Magnetic Map

Comprehensive navigation tool using Earth's magnetic field.

Magnetic Signposts

are special spots in the Earth’s magnetic field that help animals know when to change direction on their journey—kind of like invisible road signs! Some animals, like birds and sea turtles, can sense changes in the Earth’s magnetic field (like how strong it is or what angle it’s at).

Intensity Detection

Ability to sense magnetic field strength variations.

Inclination Detection

Ability to sense angle of magnetic field lines.

Learning Magnetic Variations

Animals adapt to magnetic field changes over time.

Magnetoception

Sense allowing detection of magnetic fields. is like a special magnetic superpower that some animals have! It lets them feel or sense Earth’s magnetic field, which helps them know where they are, which way to go, or even how high or low they are. This is really helpful when animals travel long distances, like birds flying during migration or sea turtles swimming across oceans. Scientists think many animals, like birds, insects (like fruit flies and honeybees), turtles, lobsters, sharks, and stingrays, can use this magnetic sense to find their way home or to their favorite spots. It’s like having an invisible compass built right inside their bodies!

Cryptochrome

is a special protein found in animals’ eyes. It helps animals “see” the Earth’s magnetic field as a kind of pattern or light signal. This means animals might actually be able to use their eyes to sense the magnetic field, almost like having a secret superpower that lets them know which way to fly or swim by looking at the world in a special way.

Radicals Formation

Unpaired electrons formed by cryptochrome activation.

Electron Spin Correlation

Magnetic field affects electron spin alignment.

Retinal Neurons Sensitivity

Cryptochrome activation alters light sensitivity in eyes.

Drosophila melanogaster

Fruit fly species believed to use magnetoception.

Fe3O4

Chemical formula for magnetite, a magnetic oxide.

Magnetization Process

Magnetite becomes magnetized in magnetic fields.

Transducible Signal

Physical effects of magnetic fields on magnetite.

Inductive Sensing Methods

Magnetic sensing used by sharks and stingrays.

Chondrichthyes

Class of cartilaginous fish including sharks and rays.

Ampullae of Lorenzini

Electroreceptive organs detecting electric fields.

Electroreception

Ability to sense electric fields in the environment.

Olfactory Cues

Chemical signals used for navigation and orientation.

Papi's Mosaic Model

Animals map odors in a limited area. suggests that animals learn and remember the smells (odors) from different parts of their environment to build a “smell map” in their brain. These smells—like pine trees, ocean air, or city pollution—are tied to specific places. When the animal is moved somewhere else, it can recognize these odors and figure out which direction home is based on what it smells. This method works well over short distances (like 70–100 kilometers for pigeons) and is simple, since animals only need to notice whether a smell is present or not.

Wallraff's Gradient Model

Navigational map based on stable odor gradients. animals use tiny differences in the strength (intensity) of certain smells across long distances to figure out where they are and how to get home. The idea is that some odors in the air are stronger in one direction and weaker in another, forming a “gradient” like a scent compass. By comparing how strong these odors are at different places, animals might figure out how far they are from home. While this could work over huge areas, it’s much harder because animals need to detect very small changes in smell—and many scientists doubt that stable odor gradients like this actually exist in nature.

Odor Gradient

Variation in odor intensity across different directions.

Environmental Odors

Scents associated with specific locations for navigation.

Olfactory Navigation

Using smell to find direction and location.

Electrolocation

Perception of electrical stimuli for orientation.

Electrical Fields

Weak electric signals generated by certain animals.

Echolocation

Using sound waves to detect objects and navigate.

Sound Waves

Vibrations used in echolocation for orientation.

Natal Location

Place of origin for certain fish species.

Salmon

Fish that recognize the scent of their home stream.

Electrical cues

was discovered by Karl von Frisch

polarized light as a cue have only been demonstrated to occur in

water