Maplike Representation of Celestial E-Vector Orientations in the Brain of an Insect

Summary, in English

or many insects, the polarization pattern of the blue sky serves as a compass cue for spatial navigation. E-vector orientations are detected by photoreceptors in a dorsal rim area of the eye. Polarized-light signals from both eyes are finally integrated in the central complex, a brain area consisting of two subunits, the protocerebral bridge and the central body. Here we show that a topographic representation of zenithal E-vector orientations underlies the columnar organization of the protocerebral bridge in a locust. The maplike arrangement is highly suited to signal head orientation under the open sky.

• Författare: Stanley Heinze; Uwe Homberg
• Publiceringsår: 2007
• Språk: Engelska
• Sidor: 995-997
• Publikation/Tidskrift/Serie: Science
• Volym: 315
• Länkar: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1135531
• Dokumenttyp: Artikel i tidskrift
• Förlag: American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
• Ämne: Zoology
• Status: Published
• ISBN/ISSN/Övrigt: ISSN: 1095-9203