The honey-bee “dance language” hypothesis and the foundations of biology and behavior

Abstract

The ability of new bees to arrive at distant food sources by use of odors, and not “dance language” information, has long been proven. Their ability to use “dance language” information has not yet been proven. Acceptance of the “dance language” hypothesis as fact has already led to a questioning of the validity of Morgan's Canon which underlies the modern science of animal behavior. The questioning is not surprising. The final acceptance of the “dance language” hypothesis by its supporters, is based only on two recent presumed proofs by Schricker, and by Gould. An analysis of these proofs demonstrates, however, that they cast doubt not only on Morgan's Canon, but also on the theory of evolution which underlies the modern science of biology. Fortunately the claims of Schricker's proof are experimentally refuted by his own control experiment. The claims of Gould's proof are experimentally refuted by a control experiment which precedes the experiments underlying the proof. The credibility of Morgan's Canon and of the theory of evolution are, thus, fully restored.