FEAR-BEES · Unravelling the neuro-ethological components of emotions in honey bees

Unravelling the neuro-ethological components of emotions in honey bees

The question whether invertebrates may have basic forms of emotions is relevant in the framework of current debates on the existence of sentience in these animals, i.e. the capacity of experiencing subjective feelings. A considerable body of research has already documented in a convincing way that several invertebrate species are capable of higher cognitive processing beyond simple associative learning. Yet, cognition does not mean emotion, and the fact that invertebrates are considered now from a more cognitive perspective than before, has in principle no implication for the presence of emotional processes. It is, however, undeniable that the change in perspective concerning the cognitive sophistication of invertebrates has enhanced awareness about the possibility that these animals may experience “emotional states”. An example in favour of this possibility is provided by our work showing that bumblebees behavior is consistent with positive emotional states (optimistic-like) following consumption of an unexpected reward. However, the comprehension of the neuro-physiological underpinnings of these “emotional states” is still limited despite using the term “emotional states” when referring to changes in behavior, based on common physiological mechanisms identified in other species. This void constitutes a missed opportunity to overcome the discussions on the appropriateness of semantic labels applied to invertebrate behavior by determining to what extent neural architectures and neurotransmitters involved in invertebrate “emotions” coincide with those found in mammals, including humans. This project will adopt a multicomponent approach, including behavioural, neurophysiological and cognitive analyses to characterize potential emotional states in invertebrates. To achieve this goal, we will focus on “fear” in honey bees (Apis mellifera) given the tractability of these insects for all these levels of analysis. The current project will advance our knowledge on the presence of “emotional states” in honey bees, decrypting underlying neural mechanisms and the phylogenetic link between these mechanisms and those of mammals, including humans. We will focus on the emotion of “fear” because this it has been widely characterized in vertebrates. In the case of honey bees, to avoid subjective labelling of behavioural states, we will use specific aversive stimuli and contexts that trigger alarm responses. The underlying question is whether bees react to these stimuli in an “reflexive” way or whether there is a subjective component accompanying these reactions. The proposed project has a societal, economical, and scientific impact. From a societal perspective, determining whether or not invertebrates possess “emotions” will affect how we interact with these and other animals and will generate fruitful ethical discussions as to how to conduct animal research. The economic impact is related to the importance of bees as pollinators. More than 150 $ billion worth of annual global food production relies on pollinators and this production is currently endangered by agricultural practices, such as intense farming, long distance transportation, the use of pesticides. To what extent these practices induce also “negative emotions” in pollinators is a relevant question as such states could affect productivity and thus agricultural crops. From a fundamental scientific perspective, our findings will shed light on the phylogenetic basis of our own emotions, how and why they evolved and how the brain generates them. The neurobiological study of emotions in animals can also have important consequences for improving treatment of affective disorders.

Текст от CORDIS, на английски · Данни: CORDIS, © Европейски съюз