Speaker: Marie Dacke, Professor of Sensory Biology, Lund University, Department of Biology, Lund Vision Group

Title: The dynamic nature of the dung-beetle compass systems

Abstract: A ball-rolling dung-beetle effectively and precisely transports its ball of dung along a set bearing. These strong insects crash through thick bushes and grass, move straight over dark savannahs and even master the ability to move straight through heavily light polluted cities. If forced to sculpt a new ball the intended bearing is quickly reset, and the navigational system re-calibrated through the act of a pirouette. The ability of these insects to effectively orient along straight paths in a large range of environments involves a complex interplay of various sensory modalities and dynamic navigational circuits.  

Overall, the dynamic nature of dung-beetle compass systems highlights the remarkable flexibility and adaptability of biological compass circuits. Understanding the intricacies of this system not only sheds light on the fundamental sensory and neural processes underlying straight-line orientation and navigation, but also holds potential applications in fields such as robotics and cognition.  The talk provides an overview of recent behavioral, anatomical and physiological results concerning the highly dynamic nature of the beetle compass systems.