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What do we know about the Genetic Basis of Bird Orientation?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 October 2009

A. J. Helbig
A. J. Helbig
Affiliation:
(University of Heidelberg)
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Extract

Migratory directions of birds have long been assumed to be at least partly ‘innate’ that is, genetically determined. In recent years much progress has been made toward understanding the genetic basis of several components of the orientation system. An important distinction has to be made between a bird's ‘knowledge’ of which direction to migrate, and its ability to use certain compass systems to find this intended direction. Both processes, establishing an intended direction and the subsequent compass orientation, have a partly genetic basis. The present review will be concerned only with the first of these processes, and the way it allows evolutionary changes of migratory routes to occur.

Keywords

1. Animal navigation2. Bird migration
Type
Research Article
Information
The Journal of Navigation , Volume 46 , Issue 3 , September 1993 , pp. 376 - 382
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal Institute of Navigation 1993

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