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• W600558144 abstract "My PhD research activity focused on the investigation of the role of polarized light in thedirectional orientation of the lacertid lizard Podarcis sicula. In particular, the aim of this workwas to systematically analyze P. sicula orientation behaviour and to lay the foundation forfuture electrophysiological and molecular investigations of anatomical structures assigned tosky polarization perception. Another goal was to understand the evolutionary meaning ofthese structures and the mechanisms of polarization perception. For this purpose, the firstexperimental section (EXPERIMENT 1: Beltrami et al., 2010) examined whether ruin lizards P.sicula are able to orientate using the E-vector direction of polarized light. Lizard orientationwas tested indoors, under an artificial light source: this device produced plane polarized lightwith a single E-vector, that provided an axial cue. These results showed that lizards can learna training axis and that after 90° rotation of the E-vector direction of polarized light thelizards’ directional choices rotated correspondingly. The following step of the study aimed atelucidating whether the functioning of a sky polarization compass would be mediated by thelizard parietal eye. To test this, ruin lizards that met learning criteria were tested underpolarized light after their parietal eyes were painted black. Lizards with black-painted parietaleyes were completely disoriented. These data showed for the first time that the parietal eyeplays a central role in mediating the functioning of a putative sky polarization compass oflizards. Furthermore, the experimental apparatus used in this experiment emitted light thatdid not include wavelengths in the UV range. Thus, the UV range is not necessary forperceiving polarized light in ruin lizards, unlike other species as, for example, honey bees anddesert ants that in the absence of UV are unable to use a sky polarization compass. That beingso, the second experimental part (EXPERIMENT 2) was aimed at testing whether there is apreferential region of the light spectrum to perceive the E-vector direction of polarized light.The results showed that lizards can learn a training direction when trained under white lightproduced by an LCD and E-vector parallel to the training axis. Lizards that met the learningcriteria were then tested under white light and E-vector perpendicular to the training axis,just to validate the new LCD equipment: as expected, lizards followed a 90° rotation of the Evectordirection, confirming once again that they can use the polarized light for orientation.Thereafter, lizards were tested under coloured polarized light (blue, green, red andturquoise), initially with E-vector parallel to the training axis and then with E-vectorperpendicular to the training axis, to examine whether P. sicula can perceive polarized light ofa particular wavelength range and use it in orientation. Under both blue light and turquoise light lizards were able to orient in both E-vector’s conditions, otherwise under red lightlizards were completely disoriented; under green light lizards were able to orient themselvesonly when the direction of the E-vector was the same as in training, whereas after a 90°rotation of the E-vector lizards were disoriented, in both spectral radiance level (high andlow). Incorrect orientation after E-vector rotation under Green light was independent of (highor low) spectral radiance and one hypothesis to interpret these data is that the green stimulicould be barely discernible. These results, combined with the data under Green lightpreviously discussed, demonstrate that the blue-turquoise part of the light spectrum is crucialfor a correct functioning of sky polarization compass, whereas red wavelengths do notmediate perception of the E-vector. The third experimental section (EXPERIMENT 3) wasperformed outdoors. The first part of this experiment was aimed to validate the new set-upoutdoors. Inside the experimental apparatus lizards had only the sky polarization patternavailable for orientation. As expected, the results demonstrated that lizards can learn atraining direction and the new set-up is well suited to investigate orientation mechanisms inlizards. The second part of this experiment was aimed at testing the time-compensated natureof the sky polarization compass. The results demonstrated that lizards can learn a trainingdirection under blue sky with no sun’s disc, but surprisingly, they cannot retain the spatialinformation. Indeed, after 6 days without training, both control group and fast-shifted group,were disorientated. A possibility is that some aspects of the information necessary for thenormal functioning of the sky polarization compass is not retained for a week with notraining. Alternatively, it is possible that the sky polarization compass needs to berecalibrated almost daily by external cues, such as exposure of the lizards to the sun’s disc.Clearly, other explanations are possible, and further experiments outdoors are necessary toanswer this important question. Results relating to my three year of PhD course show the wayforward to new interesting questions and so to new possible experimental applications tofinally clarify the evolutionary role of the sky polarization compass and its interactions withother orientation mechanisms (for example the sun compass or the magnetic compass). Itshould be very interesting to deepen the knowledge of the nature of the sky polarizationpattern’s information, to elucidate the time-compensated mechanisms that set theinformation retention." @default.
• W600558144 created "2016-06-24" @default.
• W600558144 creator A5024219938 @default.
• W600558144 date "2011-03-11" @default.
• W600558144 modified "2023-09-27" @default.
• W600558144 title "Meccanismi di orientamentonella lucertola campestre:bussola a polarizzazionee ruolo dell’occhio parietale" @default.
• W600558144 hasPublicationYear "2011" @default.
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