Pigeon Homing: The Navigational Map Developed in Adulthood is Based on Olfactory Information

Ioalè, Paolo; Savini, Maria; Gagliardo, Anna

doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.2007.01438.x

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…By contrast, pigeons deprived of trigeminally mediated magnetic information during map development, displayed orientation and homing performance in all ways similar to those of the intact control pigeons. Therefore, these results fail to support the existence of a multi-cue system of navigation., consistent with results reported in previous papers (Benvenuti et al, 1990;Ioalè et al, 2008;Papi et al, 1989). Moreover, our results contradict the idea that the exposure to stimuli of different natures can determine the type of the cues that constitute the physical basis of the navigational map.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Navigational abilities of homing pigeons deprived of olfactory or trigeminally mediated magnetic information when young

Gagliardo

Ioalè

Savini

et al. 2008

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYAnatomical evidence and conditioning experiments have recently suggested that magnetoreceptors are located in the upper beak of homing pigeons, where they are innervated by the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve. These findings have raised the issue of whether the trigeminally mediated magnetoreception is involved in the navigational mechanisms of homing pigeons. Recent data have shown that, in inexperienced pigeons, section of the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve does not impair navigational abilities, whereas the navigational performance of inexperienced pigeons is disrupted after section of the olfactory nerve. Nevertheless, the issue of whether the stimuli available during development of the navigational mechanism can influence the types of cues used in determining the direction of displacement remains unresolved. To address this issue, we surgically deprived young pigeons of either olfactory or trigeminally mediated magnetic information, and then later tested their navigational abilities subsequent to an intensive training flight program of up to 10 km in different directions. The birds deprived of trigeminally mediated magnetic information when young developed navigational abilities at the same level as intact control pigeons, whereas the olfactory deprived pigeons displayed randomly scattered initial orientation and poor homing performance. Our data show that olfactory cues are needed for the development of navigational abilities from unfamiliar locations and that the lack of magnetic information does not affect the development of homing abilities.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 92%

Navigational abilities of homing pigeons deprived of olfactory or trigeminally mediated magnetic information when young

Gagliardo

Ioalè

Savini

et al. 2008

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…None of the ON pigeons homed from Bolgheri, whereas all but one of the C pigeons, returned home to Arnino (Dunn's test ON vs C and ON vs V1 P<0.001; C vs V1 P>0.1). From Marinella the control birds were poorer at homing than those tested from the same site in other experiments Ioalè et al, 2008); however, more than half of the ON pigeons where lost, but most of the C and V1 homed successfully. The Kruskal-Wallis test did not reveal any statistical difference in the homing performance of the three experimental groups.…”

Section: Medium Distance Releasesmentioning

confidence: 59%

Navigational abilities of adult and experienced homing pigeons deprived of olfactory or trigeminally mediated magnetic information

Gagliardo

Ioalè

Savini

et al. 2009

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYAnatomical evidence and conditioning experiments have suggested that magnetoreceptors innervated by the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve are located in the upper beak of homing pigeons. Following these findings it has been proposed that the trigeminally-mediated magnetorececeptors are able to detect magnetic field intensity, which might be useful for a position finding mechanism for pigeons homing from unfamiliar locations. Recent data have shown that, in inexperienced pigeons, section of the ophthalmic branch of the trigeminal nerve does not impair navigational abilities. Similarly, no impairment was observed if the trigeminal section was performed on young pigeons, before they have had the opportunity to learn a navigational map. By contrast, section of the olfactory nerve either in adult inexperienced pigeons or in young birds before map learning, disrupted their homing performance. Nevertheless, because a magnetic map mechanism requires training flights for learning the magnetic gradient of the territory around the loft, the question remains as to whether the navigational performance of adult experienced pigeons can be affected by lack of magnetic information. To answer this question we extensively group-trained adult pigeons and then surgically deprived them of either olfactory or trigeminally mediated magnetic information, prior to testing their navigational abilities. The birds deprived of trigeminally mediated magnetic information displayed similar navigational abilities as intact control pigeons, whereas the olfactory-deprived pigeons were dramatically impaired in homing. Our data show that even in trained adult pigeons, olfactory cues are needed for homing from unfamiliar locations and that the lack of magnetic information does not affect navigational abilities of experienced adult homing pigeons.

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“…Behavioral studies using nostril occlusion, olfactory nerve section, or lesions of the OB or CPi also indicate that, as in mammals, olfaction plays a critical role in reproduction and feeding (Balthazart and Schoffeniels, 1979;Jones and Roper, 1997;Hirano et al, 2009; for reviews see Roper, 1999;Hagelin, 2006;Hagelin and Jones, 2007). Evidence accumulated over 40 years strongly supports the idea that olfaction is involved in navigation, especially in homing pigeons (Papi et al, 1971;Grubb, 1974;Papi, 1990;Wallraff, 2001Wallraff, , 2005Gagliardo et al, 2006Gagliardo et al, , 2008Gagliardo et al, , 2009Gagliardo et al, , 2011aIoalè et al, 2008). In general, however, neuronal circuits in the avian olfactory brain are less well understood than those in mammals.…”

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confidence: 94%

Efferent and afferent connections of the olfactory bulb and prepiriform cortex in the pigeon (Columba livia)

Atoji

Wild

2014

J of Comparative Neurology

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Although olfaction in birds is known to be involved in a variety of behaviors, there is comparatively little detailed information on the olfactory brain. In the pigeon brain, the olfactory bulb (OB) is known to project to the prepiriform cortex (CPP), piriform cortex (CPi), and dorsolateral corticoid area (CDL), which together are called the olfactory pallium, but centrifugal pathways to the OB have not been fully explored. Fiber connections of CPi and CDL have been reported, but those of other olfactory pallial nuclei remain unknown. The present study examines the fiber connections of OB and CPP in pigeons to provide a more detailed picture of their connections using tract-tracing methods. When anterograde and retrograde tracers were injected in OB, projections to a more extensive olfactory pallium were revealed, including the anterior olfactory nucleus, CPP, densocellular part of the hyperpallium, tenia tecta, hippocampal continuation, CPi, and CDL. OB projected commissural fibers to the contralateral OB but did not receive afferents from the contralateral olfactory pallium. When tracers were injected in CPP, reciprocal ipsilateral connections with OB and nuclei of the olfactory pallium were observed, and CPP projected to the caudolateral nidopallium and the limbic system, including the hippocampal formation, septum, lateral hypothalamic nucleus, and lateral mammillary nucleus. These results show that the connections of OB have a wider distribution throughout the olfactory pallium than previously thought and that CPP provides a centrifugal projection to the OB and acts as a relay station to the limbic system.

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Pigeon Homing: The Navigational Map Developed in Adulthood is Based on Olfactory Information

Cited by 4 publications

References 31 publications

Navigational abilities of homing pigeons deprived of olfactory or trigeminally mediated magnetic information when young

Navigational abilities of homing pigeons deprived of olfactory or trigeminally mediated magnetic information when young

Navigational abilities of adult and experienced homing pigeons deprived of olfactory or trigeminally mediated magnetic information

Efferent and afferent connections of the olfactory bulb and prepiriform cortex in the pigeon (Columba livia)

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