Patel RN, Roberts NS, Kempenaers J, Zadel A, Heinze S. Parallel vector memories in the brain of a bee as foundation for flexible navigation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2024 Jul 23;121(30):e2402509121.

Significance
“Insects navigate by utilizing path integration (vector-based navigation) and landmark guidance for homing. Bees also exhibit more complex behaviors, including creating novel shortcuts between locations. Though novel shortcuts have historically been indicative of a cognitive map, its existence in insects is highly contentious. Investigating condensed foraging behaviors in walking bumblebees, we reveal that multiple vectors learned during path integration can be transferred to parallel long-term memories and that these vectors can be recalled at a familiar location for homeward navigation—both fundamental requirements of a vector-based mental map. Our demonstration of the flexible use of long-term navigation vectors provides a plausible foundation for how bees achieve vertebrate-like, high-level navigation behaviors with far fewer neurons in their brains.”

Abstract
“Insects rely on path integration (vector-based navigation) and landmark guidance to perform sophisticated navigational feats, rivaling those seen in mammals. Bees in particular exhibit complex navigation behaviors including creating optimal routes and novel shortcuts between locations, an ability historically indicative of the presence of a cognitive map. A mammalian cognitive map has been widely accepted. However, in insects, the existence of a centralized cognitive map is highly contentious. Using a controlled laboratory assay that condenses foraging behaviors to short distances in walking bumblebees, we reveal that vectors learned during path integration can be transferred to long-term memory, that multiple such vectors can be stored in parallel, and that these vectors can be recalled at a familiar location and used for homeward navigation. These findings demonstrate that bees meet the two fundamental requirements of a vector-based analog of a decentralized cognitive map: Home vectors need to be stored in long-term memory and need to be recalled from remembered locations. Thus, our data demonstrate that bees possess the foundational elements for a vector-based map. By utilizing this relatively simple strategy for spatial organization, insects may achieve high-level navigation behaviors seen in vertebrates with the limited number of neurons in their brains, circumventing the computational requirements associated with the cognitive maps of mammals.”

Patel RN, Roberts NS, Kempenaers J, Zadel A, Heinze S. Parallel vector memories in the brain of a bee as foundation for flexible navigation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2024 Jul 23;121(30):e2402509121.