Why have bees evolved such a complex learning and memory system?
Cognition and memory are two complex and highly important factors that are fundamental to the bee foraging lifestyle (Chittka & Jensen 2011). Colour vision, and being able to identify patterns and shapes allow bees to discriminate between possible food sources.
The ability to solve sameness and difference tasks is believed to have evolved to assist in foraging strategies, whereby the decision of which food source to visit is determined by previous success at that site.
The evolution of a complex memory system (both long term and working) has allowed bees to learn and retain specific navigational routes to critical food sources by committing specific symbolic rules and cues to memory (Chittka & Jensen 2011).
Use the links under the evolution tab to further discover why these systems have evolved!
The ability to solve sameness and difference tasks is believed to have evolved to assist in foraging strategies, whereby the decision of which food source to visit is determined by previous success at that site.
The evolution of a complex memory system (both long term and working) has allowed bees to learn and retain specific navigational routes to critical food sources by committing specific symbolic rules and cues to memory (Chittka & Jensen 2011).
Use the links under the evolution tab to further discover why these systems have evolved!