Mobile Animals Research Articles

EVOLUTION ON A LOCAL SCALE: DEVELOPMENTAL, FUNCTIONAL, AND GENETIC BASES OF DIVERGENCE IN BILL FORM AND ASSOCIATED CHANGES IN SONG STRUCTURE BETWEEN ADJACENT HABITATS

Divergent selection on traits involved in both local adaptation and the production of mating signals can strongly facilitate population differentiation. Because of its links to foraging morphologies and cultural inheritance song of birds can contribute particularly strongly to maintenance of local adaptations. In two adjacent habitats--native Sonoran desert and urban areas--house finches (Carpodacus mexicanus) forage on seeds that are highly distinct in size and shell hardness and require different bite forces and bill morphologies. Here, we first document strong and habitat-specific natural selection on bill traits linked to bite force and find adaptive modifications of bite force and bill morphology and associated divergence in courtship song between the two habitats. Second, we investigate the developmental basis of this divergence and find that early ontogenetic tissue transformation in bill, but not skeletal traits, is accelerated in the urban population and that the mandibular primordia of the large-beaked urban finches express bone morphogenetic proteins (BMP) earlier and at higher level than those of the desert finches. Further, we show that despite being geographically adjacent, urban and desert populations are nevertheless genetically distinct corroborating findings of early developmental divergence between them. Taken together, these results suggest that divergent selection on function and development of traits involved in production of mating signals, in combination with localized learning of such signals, can be very effective at maintaining local adaptations, even at small spatial scales and in highly mobile animals.

Cryptic assemblages in coral-rubble interstices along a terrestrial-sediment gradient

The assemblage composition of cryptic mobile animals inhabiting coral rubble was sampled using mesh traps containing clean coral rubble, and used as indicators of land-based pollution at 14 sites in three coral lagoons at Ishigaki Island, southern Japan. Cluster analyses identified three groups of large mobile animal assemblages (molluscs, echinoderms, fishes, decapod and stomatopod crustaceans). Using a distance-based redundancy analysis (db-RDA) there was a significant relationship between the assemblage composition and environmental variables. The 1st axis of the db-RDA ordination was regarded as the land-based pollution gradient because of the strong relationship with silicate sediment, turbidity, and salinity, indicating effects of terrestrial-sediment runoff. Species response curves were derived from a plot of the number of individuals against the 1st axis of the db-RDA sites sample score. The response curves of Galathea mauritiana, an indicator species for the intermediate sites, were unimodal along the land-based pollution gradient. This study demonstrates the use of traps containing clean coral rubble for nondestructive quantitative sampling and environmental monitoring in coral lagoons, and their potential for monitoring changes in the reef environment.

Pour une approche préventive des zoonoses : la création d’une cellule de détection précoce des infections animales

In a context in which known and potential zoonoses are emerging (simian retrovirus infections, SRAS, West Nile, H5N1 avian influenza, etc.), French army veterinarians have been tasked with assessing epidemiological risks related to animals in proximity with troops, particularly during foreign operations. They have already completed surveys of more than 70 infections (toxoplasmosis, leishmaniasis, rickettiosis, leptospirosis, Q fever, hepatitis E, Rift valley fever, etc.). The strategy consists of detecting pathogenic agents ("the right sample, at the right time, and kept in the right conditions") in reservoir animals and vectors, upstream of epidemics. The authors propose to set up a flexible and mobile animal infection detection unit, working closely with hospital physicians, veterinarians and specialized microbiology laboratories. This would be an efficient tool for anticipating, preventing and combating zoonoses.

Multiple central‐place territories in wild young‐of‐the‐year Atlantic salmonSalmo salar†

1. The space use of central-place foragers, animals that forage from and return to a single central place such as a nest, burrow or sleeping site, is well documented. Limited data, however, exist for multiple central-place foragers that alternate among several central places. 2. The conventional view of stream-dwelling salmonids suggests that they conform to the central-place territorial model (CPTM) by (i) attacking prey and intruders from one primary foraging station, and defending (ii) small (iii) exclusive areas that (iv) increase with body size. 3. Recent studies suggest greater variability in salmonid space-use than would be expected by the CPTM, but tend to focus on the time allocated towards different activities rather than their distribution in space, especially for young-of-the-year (YOY) fish that are hard to tag and monitor in the wild. 4. In this study, the validity of CPTM was tested by mapping the daily space use of 50 YOY Atlantic salmon in a natural stream via repeated observations of tagged fish in diverse habitats, and by comparing these to earlier estimates of territory use in YOY salmonids. 5. The 50 YOY Atlantic salmon were multiple central-place foragers. All fish visited more than one foraging station (median = 12.5 stations), visited most stations (68.5%) repeatedly, showed limited fidelity to a particular station and typically attacked prey only while holding a position at a station. 6. The multiple central-place territories of the 50 fish were large (mean = 0.932 m(2)) compared to earlier territory size estimates (mean = 0.107 m(2)) for salmonids of similar size and, surprisingly, did not increase with body size. Focal fish attacked intruders from similar distances as reported earlier for much smaller territories, suggesting that large territories are less exclusively defended at any given time. 7. Overall, this study provides a new view on foraging and territoriality in stream salmonids, and on the small but diverse literature on multiple central-place foragers. Further studies, however, are needed to clarify the evolutionary benefits and population consequences of multiple central-place space-use in mobile animals.

Ambient Particulate Pollutants in the Ultrafine Range Promote Early Atherosclerosis and Systemic Oxidative Stress

Air pollution is associated with significant adverse health effects, including increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Exposure to particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter of <2.5 microm (PM(2.5)) increases ischemic cardiovascular events and promotes atherosclerosis. Moreover, there is increasing evidence that the smallest pollutant particles pose the greatest danger because of their high content of organic chemicals and prooxidative potential. To test this hypothesis, we compared the proatherogenic effects of ambient particles of <0.18 microm (ultrafine particles) with particles of <2.5 microm in genetically susceptible (apolipoprotein E-deficient) mice. These animals were exposed to concentrated ultrafine particles, concentrated particles of <2.5 microm, or filtered air in a mobile animal facility close to a Los Angeles freeway. Ultrafine particle-exposed mice exhibited significantly larger early atherosclerotic lesions than mice exposed to PM(2.5) or filtered air. Exposure to ultrafine particles also resulted in an inhibition of the antiinflammatory capacity of plasma high-density lipoprotein and greater systemic oxidative stress as evidenced by a significant increase in hepatic malondialdehyde levels and upregulation of Nrf2-regulated antioxidant genes. We conclude that ultrafine particles concentrate the proatherogenic effects of ambient PM and may constitute a significant cardiovascular risk factor.

The role of Broad in the development ofTribolium castaneum:implications for the evolution of the holometabolous insect pupa

The evolution of complete metamorphosis in insects is a key innovation that has led to the successful diversification of holometabolous insects, yet the origin of the pupa remains an enigma. Here, we analyzed the expression of the pupal specifier gene broad (br), and the effect on br of isoform-specific, double-stranded RNA-mediated silencing, in a basal holometabolous insect, the beetle Tribolium castaneum. All five isoforms are weakly expressed during the penultimate instar and highly expressed during the prepupal period of the final instar. Application of hydroprene, a juvenile hormone analog, during the penultimate instar caused a repeat of the penultimate br expression patterns, and the formation of supernumerary larvae. Use of dsRNA against the br core region, or against a pair of either the br-Z2 or br-Z3 isoform with the br-Z1 or br-Z4 isoform, produced mobile animals with well-differentiated adult-like appendages, but which retained larval-like urogomphi and epidermis. Disruption of either the br-Z2 or the br-Z3 isoform caused the formation of shorter wings. Disruption of both br-Z1 and br-Z4 caused the appearance of pupal traits in the adults, but disruption of br-Z5 had no morphological effect. Our findings show that the br isoform functions are broadly conserved within the Holometabola and suggest that evolution of br isoform expression may have played an important role in the evolution of the pupa in holometabolous insects.

Epigaeic Ant Communities Along a Soil Moisture Gradient in Grand Teton Montane Meadows

Climate change has become a major concern for scientists and resource managers across the globe. Whilst there is much speculation about the pending magnitude of the changes and their ecological effects, there is an urgent and undeniable need to have sound ecological monitoring programs in place in sensitive areas. Montane meadows in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) are inhabited by short-lived plants and highly mobile animal species that can exhibit quick changes in distribution patterns relative to environmental changes (Debinski et al. 2000, Debinski et al. 2002). Thus, they can provide an early warning system for other ecosystems across the globe. Currently, the extent and range of climatic changes that will occur in montane meadows are unknown.

Nest distribution shaping within‐stream variation in Atlantic salmon juvenile abundance and competition over small spatial scales

1. Spatial heterogeneity in population density is predicted to have important effects on population characteristics, such as competition intensity and carrying capacity. Patchy breeding distributions will tend to increase spatial heterogeneity in population density, whereas dispersal from breeding patches will tend to decrease it. The potential for dispersal to homogenize densities is likely to differ both among organisms (e.g. plants vs. mobile animals) and throughout ontogeny (e.g. larvae vs. adults). However, for mobile organisms, experimental studies of the importance of breeding distributions from the wild are largely lacking. 2. In the present study, experimental manipulations replicated over eight natural streams and 2 years enabled us to test for effects of the distribution of Atlantic salmon eggs over spatial scales which are relevant to local interactions among individuals. Artificial nests were placed along 250 m study reaches at one of two levels of nest dispersion - patchy (two nests per stream) and dispersed (10 nests per stream) - while holding total egg density (eggs m(-2) stream area) constant. 3. Nest dispersion had significant effects on the spatial distribution of the resulting juveniles in their first summer. Patchy nest distributions resulted in a highly right-skewed frequency distribution of local under-yearling densities (among 25 m sampling sections), as sample sections adjacent to the nest sites had relatively high densities. In contrast, dispersed nest distributions yielded approximately normal density distributions. Sections with high relative densities in the patchy nest distribution treatments also had relatively small juvenile body sizes, and patchy egg distribution appeared to produce a higher redistribution of individuals from the first to the second juvenile growth season than the dispersed distribution. 4. Because patchy breeding distribution combined with limited early dispersal can create spatial variation in density over scales directly relevant for individual interactions, this will be one important component in determining mean levels of early juvenile competition and its spatial variation within populations. Assuming random or ideal-free distribution of individuals may therefore underestimate the mean level of density experienced by juveniles over surprisingly small spatial scales (orders of magnitude smaller than total spatial extent of populations), even for mobile organisms.

INFLUENCE OF FISH ON HABITAT CHOICE OF WATER BIRDS: A WHOLE SYSTEM EXPERIMENT

It is notoriously difficult to study population interactions among highly mobile animals that cannot be meaningfully confined to experimental plots of limited size. For example, migratory water birds are believed to suffer from competition with resident fish populations for shared food resources. While observational evidence in support of this hypothesis is accumulating, replicated experiments addressing this issue at the proper spatial scale are lacking. Here, we report from a replicated whole-system experiment in which we stocked large (0.07 km2), shallow (< or =2.5 m deep), highly eutrophic ponds in the bird protection area "Ismaninger Speichersee mit Fischteichen" with different densities of carp and assessed the responses of water birds and their food resources during summer over several years. In all years, the biomasses of benthic macroinvertebrates, macroalgae, and macrophytes as well as the densities of herbivorous, carnivorous, and omnivorous water birds were reduced in carp ponds compared to fishless ponds. The negative effects of carp on food resources and on the numbers of water birds feeding in carp ponds increased over the season (May-September) and were stronger at high than at low stocking densities of carp. Consequently, differences in resource densities between ponds with and without carp increased, and the ranking of ponds with respect to resource densities became more predictable over the season. These factors may have contributed to a seasonal improvement of the birds' abilities to track resource densities across ponds, as suggested by tight correlations of bird numbers on ponds with resource densities late, but not early, in the season.

Sand addition alters the invertebrate community of intertidal coralline turf

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 345:75-82 (2007) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps06998 Sand addition alters the invertebrate community of intertidal coralline turf Tonya M. Huff1,*, Jessica K. Jarett2 1Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, California 92093, USA 2Southampton College, Long Island University, Southampton, New York 11968, USA *Email: tohuff@ucsd.edu ABSTRACT: Many rocky intertidal areas are subject to periodic sand inundations due to a natural cycle of sand movement that is being altered and intensified by human activities. Though sand is thought to be a major structuring force in intertidal communities, little experimental research has been done to investigate its effects on intertidal organisms. Assemblages of meio- and macrofauna that inhabit intertidal coralline algal turf have been especially neglected in regards to manipulative research on the effects of sand. In this study sand was added daily to coralline turf plots to maintain depths of either 3 or 6 cm for 1 mo. Within 1 h of sand addition, faunal community composition had changed significantly due to a decrease in the abundances of highly mobile animals. Another shift was seen 2 wk later when abundances of psammophilic gastropods increased. One month after sand addition had ceased, communities in treatment plots again resembled those of the controls. This experiment demonstrated that turf communities rapidly respond to and recover from local physical disturbances due to sand inundation. KEY WORDS: Algal turf · Sand inundation · Meiofauna · Coralline algae · Rocky intertidal · Disturbance Full text in pdf format PreviousNextCite this article as: Huff TM, Jarett JK (2007) Sand addition alters the invertebrate community of intertidal coralline turf. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 345:75-82. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps06998 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 345. Online publication date: September 13, 2007 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2007 Inter-Research.

Abundance may be a misleading indicator of fragmentation-sensitivity: The case of fig-eating bats

Assessing the impact of habitat fragmentation has become a central issue in conservation biology. Ecologists are urged to document and predict the ability of species to maintain viable populations in fragmented areas. Rarity in fragments is commonly interpreted as an indication of sensitivity to habitat fragmentation because fragmentation is thought to act as a “filter” impeding the movement or threatening the sustainability of sensitive species. By focusing on two common frugivorous bats in rainforests of French Guiana, we show that sensitivity as measured by abundance may not be consistent with sensitivity as measured by modifications in population structure (sex-ratio) or in physiological state (hematocrit level). Other mechanisms, such as competitive exclusion, may interfere with the filter model. In particular, highly mobile animals like bats and birds have the potential to rapidly modify their distribution as a function of competition. Special attention should be paid to the development of alternative methods to better assess species’ fragmentation-sensitivity.

Colonization patterns of mobile cryptic animals into interstices of coral rubble

Coral rubble is one of the characteristic bottom habitats in tropical and subtropical coral reefs. Many mobile organisms inhabit the interstices among coral rubble. Because coral rubble habi- tats are frequently subjected to physical disturbances, the process of assemblage recolonization is important for maintaining the diversity and productivity in coral reefs. The present study examined the colonization patterns of these mobile organisms by using experimental traps with defaunated coral rubble at 3 areas (Back reef, Seagrass bed, and Nearshore) in a fringing coral reef on Ishigaki Island, Japan. Sixteen mesh trays filled with coral rubble were set at each of the 3 areas; 4 trays were collected after 1, 2, 4, and 8 wk. The experiment was repeated in winter and spring. The number of species that occurred in the trays generally increased with the time period, but detailed examination was difficult because of significant interaction factors. Higher order interactions (season, area, and time period) were also significant for variations in assemblage composition. Temporal and spatial variations in abundances of 15 numerically dominant species (gastropods and decapods) were analyzed by a general linear model with an Akaike's information criterion model selection. Although the patterns of colonization were species specific, initial (<1 wk) and time-dependent (2 to 8 wk) patterns were recognized. These results suggest that a short-distance movement within the local area is the main pathway for the colonization into a disturbed coral rubble habitat. Although seasonal variability in colonization requires consideration, the method using traps with coral rubble provides a standard habitat for quantitative assessment of the assemblage composition of cryptic organisms in coral reefs.

Fish community responses to drying disturbances in an intermittent stream: a landscape perspective

Summary1. Refugia are critical to the persistence of individuals, populations and communities in disturbed environments, yet few studies have considered how the position of refugia within the landscape interacts with the behavioural responses of component species to determine the influence of disturbance events on mobile animals.2. An 18‐month quantitative electrofishing survey was undertaken on the Selwyn River, a stream that is intermittent in its middle reaches, to determine how the direction and distance to refugia affect the response of fish populations to drying, and how landscape context interacts with flow permanence to produce spatial patterns in communities.3. Overall, the propensity of fish to take refuge in perennial reaches during drying episodes, and the rate and extent of recolonization from these refugia upon rewetting, depended upon the direction and distance to refugia and the behaviour of component species.4. In the upper river, Canterbury galaxias (Galaxias vulgaris), upland bullies (Gobiomorphus breviceps) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) migrated upstream to permanent water as the stream dried from the bottom up, but frequent drying and slow recolonization by most species combined to produce a fish community in intermittent reaches that was quantitatively and qualitatively different to that in neighbouring perennial reaches.5. In the lower river, fish did not appear to migrate downstream to permanent water as the stream dried from the top down, but a lower frequency of drying episodes and faster recolonization by upland bullies and eels (Anguilla spp.) from downstream refugia allowed the fish community in intermittent reaches to converge with that in neighbouring perennial reaches during prolonged wetted periods.6. Longitudinal patterns of increasing fish density and species richness with flow permanence are interpreted as the product of species‐specific responses to drying events and the spatial position of refugia within the riverscape.

Processes regulating early post-settlement habitat use in a subtidal assemblage of brachyuran decapods

In highly mobile animals post-settlement dispersion of juveniles can strongly influence the observed patterns of abundance and distribution. To explore the relative importance of factors regulating the use of habitat by crabs we performed a multi-species manipulative experiment in a subtidal environment of the central Chilean coast. First, demographic patterns were established by performing a year-round crab survey in three discrete and well-known subtidal crab habitats: (1) algal turf, (2) cobbles and (3) shell hash. Second, habitat preferences were experimentally evaluated using concrete trays that were filled with different substrate types that simulate natural habitats. Settlement and recruitment rates were estimated from experimental trays that were left in the field and surveyed after 2 weeks (complete experiment was repeated 7 times throughout 1 year). Third, mortality, due to predation, was assessed by covering 50% of the trays with a 4-mm mesh-size screen that excluded large predators (i.e., fishes, shrimps). Fourth, habitat colonization rates were evaluated by quantifying the arrival, into open trays, of large juveniles (secondary dispersal). The most abundant species in this system ( Paraxhantus barbiger, Cancer setosus, Taliepus dentatus and Pilumnoides perlatus) displayed clear habitat preferences at the time of settlement, evidenced by differences in density of recruits among habitats. Recruitment regulation by predation seemed to explain the observed patterns in only one case. For most species, however, evidence of ontogenetic change in the use of habitat, through active habitat redistribution by large juveniles, was detected. Thus, secondary dispersal among habitats seems to outweigh the influence of megalopae's habitat selection and post-settlement mortality as responsible for the observed demographic patterns.

An animal geography of avian ecology in Glasgow

Animal geography has created a ‘new’ look at animal–human relations, incorporating the shared subjectivities of jointly ‘actant’ behaviour. This approach is particularly relevant to urban geographies of avian presence, given the increased intensity of human habitation, with birds as the commonest and most mobile urban animals. The inter- and intra-species, competitive foraging of three bird species in Glasgow, and the shared reactions between the birds and humans is examined using an animal geography and urban ecological approach. The animal geography approach, emphasising bird–human actant interactions, supported by a rigorous, positivist ecology, enables a more informed assessment of urban biogeography and conservation possibilities.

Orientation and navigation in bats: known unknowns or unknown unknowns?

Bats have been extensively studied with regard to their ability to orient, navigate and hunt prey by means of echolocation, but almost nothing is known about how they orient and navigate in situations such as migration and homing outside the range of their echolocation system. As volant animals, bats face many of the same problems and challenges as birds. Migrating bats must relocate summer and winter home ranges over distances as far as 2,000 km. Foraging bats must be able to relocate their home roost if they range beyond a familiar area, and indeed circumstantial evidence suggests that these animals can home from more than 600 km. However, an extensive research program on homing and navigation in bats halted in the early 1970s. The field of bird navigation has advanced greatly since that time and many of the mechanisms that birds are known to use for navigation were not known or widely accepted at this time. In this paper I discuss what is known about orientation and navigation in bats and use bird navigation as a model for future research in bat navigation. Technology is advancing such that previous difficulties in studying orientation in bats in the field can be overcome and so that the mechanisms of navigation in this highly mobile animal can finally be elucidated.

Using geometry to specify location: implications for spatial coding in children and nonhuman animals

The study of spatial cognition has benefited greatly from a technique known as the disorientation procedure. This procedure was originally used with rats to show that they relied on the geometry of an enclosed space to locate a target hidden in that space. Disorientation has since been used with a variety of mobile animals, including human children, to examine the coding of geometric information. Here, we focus mostly on our recent work with young children. We examine a set of issues concerning reorientation--namely, the nature of geometric coding, the processes invoked by disorientation, and the developmental origins of using geometric information to determine location. We have employed a variety of methods to examine these issues; the methods include analyzing search behaviors, using spaces of different shapes, varying viewing position, and comparing different disorientation procedures. The implications for how children and nonhuman animals code geometric information are discussed.

Temporal changes of soft‐bottom zoobenthic communities in and around Alsancak Harbor (Izmir Bay, Aegean Sea), with special attention to the autecology of exotic species

AbstractTemporal and spatial variation in soft‐bottom benthic communities following recovery from a pollution episode were studied between January and September 2004 in and around Alsancak Harbor, located in the polluted part of Izmir Bay (Aegean Sea, eastern Mediterranean). Samples were collected at seven stations by van Veen grab. Three additional stations were sampled by means of a beam trawl to take into account large mobile animals and for a better estimate of the local biodiversity. A total of 231 species belonging to 10 zoobenthic groups were found. Polychaetes contributed 90% of the total faunal populations and mollusks 87% of the total biomass in the area. Community parameters varied significantly among stations and sampling periods; number of species ranged from 2 to 79 per 0.1 m2 grab sample; density from 20 to 81,720 ind·m−2; biomass from 0.1 to 4190 g·m−2; Shannon–Wiener diversity index (log2 base) from 0.4 to 4.4; and Pielou's evenness index from 0.11 to 1.0. Collections indicate that a number of species, including those sensitive to pollution, have colonized the area where azoic conditions had been previously reported. A total of six exotic species, Streblospio gynobranchiata, Polydora cornuta, Hydroides dianthus, Hydroides elegans, Anadara demiri and Fulvia fragilis, probably transferred to the area via ballast water or hull fouling, dominated soft or hard substrata in and near Alsancak Harbor. The first two species accounted for more than 70% of the total population in the area, while A. demiri contributed the most to the biomass (93%, at station 7).

Migratory shearwaters integrate oceanic resources across the Pacific Ocean in an endless summer

Electronic tracking tags have revolutionized our understanding of broad-scale movements and habitat use of highly mobile marine animals, but a large gap in our knowledge still remains for a wide range of small species. Here, we report the extraordinary transequatorial postbreeding migrations of a small seabird, the sooty shearwater, obtained with miniature archival tags that log data for estimating position, dive depth, and ambient temperature. Tracks (262+/-23 days) reveal that shearwaters fly across the entire Pacific Ocean in a figure-eight pattern while traveling 64,037+/-9,779 km roundtrip, the longest animal migration ever recorded electronically. Each shearwater made a prolonged stopover in one of three discrete regions off Japan, Alaska, or California before returning to New Zealand through a relatively narrow corridor in the central Pacific Ocean. Transit rates as high as 910+/-186 km.day-1 were recorded, and shearwaters accessed prey resources in both the Northern and Southern Hemisphere's most productive waters from the surface to 68.2 m depth. Our results indicate that sooty shearwaters integrate oceanic resources throughout the Pacific Basin on a yearly scale. Sooty shearwater populations today are declining, and because they operate on a global scale, they may serve as an important indicator of climate change and ocean health.

Evolution of spatial cognition: mechanisms and tasks

Finding places and orienting in space are among the most basic behavioral performances of all mobile animals. In many different species, simple mechanisms have been identified for recognizing places, returning to a “home” after an excursion, or concatenating simple navigational steps to longer routes. These mechanisms form the basis of human spatial performances. The talk will explore the relation between animal and human spatial cognition along two dimensions, (1) animal roots of human performances, and (2) features of spatial cognition uniquely found in humans. In the first part of the talk, we will present a novel behavioral paradigm for studying large-scale spatial performances in rats (Holscher in J Exp Biol 208:561–569, 2005). The setup consists of a running ball in a socket, hovering in a stream of air. The rat is fixated over the pole of the ball such that the rat’s legs touch the ball. Translatory movements of the rat are thus transformed into rotations of the ball about horizontal (“equatorial”) axes. Rotations of the rat about its vertical (dorso-ventral) axis are not restricted while the ball is prevented from such rotations by guiding wheels. In effect, then, the system is open-loop for translations and closed-loop for rotations of the rat. The rotation of the ball is measured by an optical system and used to control a virtual reality projection surrounding the rat on a panoramic screen. Initial results indicate that rats accept the virtual environment and run for long distances, up to several hundreds of meters. In addition, they can be trained to search for rewards at places specified by landmarks. In ongoing experiments, we investigate route behavior in rats, which is considered a stepping stone to topological navigation in humans. In the second part of the talk, we will discuss in what ways human spatial abilities differs from animal performances. We suggest that human spatial behavior, while relying on abilities found already in the animal wayfinding hierarchy (Trullier et al. in Prog Neurobiol 51:483–544, 1997), has taken advantage of two trends of the cognitive evolution in the social domain. First, communicating spatial knowledge, either face-to-face, by publishing or by sign-posting enables us to travel to almost every point in the world with a minimum of prior knowledge. Second, cooperative behavior in building cities, roads, and transportation systems shapes the environment in ways that may be more easy to navigate. We will argue that human wayfinding differs from animal behavior in the ability of utilizing these “socio-spatial” types of knowledge. The cognitive apparatus needed for these performances is not specifically spatial, but includes general problem solving and working memory abilities.