03-10-2012, 12:07 AM
Honeybees May Have Personality
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/ ... rsonality/
Bees have different “personalities”, with some showing a stronger willingness or desire to seek
adventure than others, according to a study by entomologists at the University of Illinois.
The
researchers found that thrill-seeking is not limited to humans and
other vertebrates. The brains of honeybees that were more likely than
others to seek
adventure exhibited distinct patterns of gene
activity in molecular pathways known to be associated with
thrill-seeking in humans. The findings present a new
perspective on
honeybee communities, which were thought to be highly-regimented and
comprised of a colony of interchangeable workers taking on a few
specific
roles to serve their queen. It now seems as though individual honeybees
differ in their desire to perform particular tasks and these
differences could be
down to variability in bees’ personalities.
This supports a 2011 study at Newcastle University that suggested that
honeybees exhibit pessimism, suggesting that
insects might have feelings.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/ ... rsonality/
Bees have different “personalities”, with some showing a stronger willingness or desire to seek
adventure than others, according to a study by entomologists at the University of Illinois.
The
researchers found that thrill-seeking is not limited to humans and
other vertebrates. The brains of honeybees that were more likely than
others to seek
adventure exhibited distinct patterns of gene
activity in molecular pathways known to be associated with
thrill-seeking in humans. The findings present a new
perspective on
honeybee communities, which were thought to be highly-regimented and
comprised of a colony of interchangeable workers taking on a few
specific
roles to serve their queen. It now seems as though individual honeybees
differ in their desire to perform particular tasks and these
differences could be
down to variability in bees’ personalities.
This supports a 2011 study at Newcastle University that suggested that
honeybees exhibit pessimism, suggesting that
insects might have feelings.