Bumblebees can learn to understand Morse code
Researchers make ‘remarkable’ bumblebee discovery
- A new study by Queen Mary University of London researchers has revealed that bumblebees can learn to differentiate between long and short light flashes, effectively understanding a simple form of Morse code.
- This cognitive ability, previously observed only in humans and other vertebrates such as macaques and pigeons, marks the first time it has been demonstrated in insects.
- Researchers trained individual bees in a specialised maze, associating a short 'dot' flash with a sugar reward and a long 'dash' flash with an unpleasant substance.
- The bees successfully learned to distinguish between the flash durations, consistently choosing the light previously linked to the reward, even when its position was varied.
- Scientists described this “remarkable” finding as potentially stemming from an evolved “time processing capacity” or a fundamental component of the nervous system, prompting further research into the insects' tiny brains.