Psychologisches Institut, Goethe-Universität, Mertonstr. 17, 60054 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Anim Cogn. 2010 May;13(3):443-51. doi: 10.1007/s10071-009-0294-0. Epub 2009 Nov 25.
A proof of magnetic compass learning by pigeons under laboratory conditions has been attempted for decades, but all experiments have failed so far. The aim of the present study was to test whether pigeons can learn magnetic compass directions in an operant chamber if magnetic cues are presented as true spatial cues. Experimental sessions were carried out in the local geomagnetic field and in magnetic fields with matched total intensity and inclination, but different directions generated with Helmholtz-coils. Birds demonstrated successful learning with a performance level comparable to that in learning studies with magnetic anomalies. In addition, we compared the data from magnetic learning in the laboratory with performance from homing experiments in the field. The birds that were more successful in the learning experiment had vanishing bearings farther away from the home direction than the group mean at unfamiliar, but not at familiar sites. This might suggest that better learners explore unknown locations in a different way. Our findings represent the first evidence for operant magnetic compass learning in pigeons and also provide a link between behavioural data from the field and the laboratory.
几十年来，人们一直试图在实验室条件下证明鸽子具有学习磁罗盘的能力，但到目前为止，所有的实验都失败了。本研究的目的是测试鸽子在操作室中是否可以学习磁罗盘方向，如果将磁线索作为真正的空间线索呈现。实验在局部地磁场和具有相同总强度和倾斜度但由亥姆霍兹线圈产生不同方向的磁场中进行。鸟类表现出成功的学习，其表现水平与具有磁异常的学习研究相当。此外，我们将实验室中的磁学习数据与现场归巢实验的数据进行了比较。在学习实验中表现更好的鸟类，在不熟悉的地点而不是熟悉的地点，从归巢方向消失的方向比群体平均值更远。这可能表明更好的学习者以不同的方式探索未知的地点。我们的发现代表了鸽子在操作性磁罗盘学习方面的第一个证据，也为现场和实验室的行为数据之间提供了联系。
