[ExI] Bees build mental maps to get home

[BillK]

Study suggests the insects do not rely solely on the Sun as a compass.

Bees, like birds and butterflies, use the Sun as a compass for
navigation, whereas mammals typically find their way by remembering
familiar landmarks on a continuous mental map. However, the latest
research suggests that bees also use this type of map, despite their
much smaller brain size.

<http://www.nature.com/news/bees-build-mental-maps-to-get-home-1.15333>

Dyer is not yet convinced that bees navigate using a cognitive map. He
thinks that the insects could be using features of the terrain
independent of the Sun to navigate, similar to the way a mariner might
use a beacon.
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That's still a pretty good feat for such a tiny dot of a brain!

BillK