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Night‐time neuronal activation of Cluster N in a day‐ and night‐migrating songbird
Author(s) -
Zapka Manuela,
Heyers Dominik,
Liedvogel Miriam,
Jarvis Erich D.,
Mouritsen Henrik
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
european journal of neuroscience
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.346
H-Index - 206
eISSN - 1460-9568
pISSN - 0953-816X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1460-9568.2010.07311.x
Subject(s) - songbird , compass , cluster (spacecraft) , cytoarchitecture , forebrain , biology , geography , neuroscience , ecology , cartography , central nervous system , computer science , programming language
Magnetic compass orientation in a night‐migratory songbird requires that Cluster N, a cluster of forebrain regions, is functional. Cluster N, which receives input from the eyes via the thalamofugal pathway, shows high neuronal activity in night‐migrants performing magnetic compass‐guided behaviour at night, whereas no activation is observed during the day, and covering up the birds’ eyes strongly reduces neuronal activation. These findings suggest that Cluster N processes light‐dependent magnetic compass information in night‐migrating songbirds. The aim of this study was to test if Cluster N is active during daytime migration. We used behavioural molecular mapping based on ZENK activation to investigate if Cluster N is active in the meadow pipit ( Anthus pratensis ), a day‐ and night‐migratory species. We found that Cluster N of meadow pipits shows high neuronal activity under dim‐light at night, but not under full room‐light conditions during the day. These data suggest that, in day‐ and night‐migratory meadow pipits, the light‐dependent magnetic compass, which requires an active Cluster N, may only be used during night‐time, whereas another magnetosensory mechanism and/or other reference system(s), like the sun or polarized light, may be used as primary orientation cues during the day.