Which of the following organisms perform waggle dance for others of their kin to indicate the direct

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UPSC Prelims is a competitive examination conducted in India. This question is from the 2023 UPSC Prelims Environment & Ecology paper.

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This UPSC Prelims 2023 Environment & Ecology question has a medium difficulty level.

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Question

Which of the following organisms perform waggle dance for others of their kin to indicate the direction and the distance to a source of their food?

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: C — HoneybeesStep-by-step Solution:The waggle dance is a form of communication performed by worker honeybees (Apis mellifera) to inform other members of the colony about the direction and distance of a food source relative to the sun and hive. Austrian scientist Karl von Frisch famously decoded the waggle dance (Nobel Prize 1973). Bees also perform a round dance for nearby food sources (Why other options are incorrect:Option A (Butterflies): Butterflies do not perform such dances; they use visual cues and pheromones but not a complex symbolic communication like the waggle dance.Option B (Dragonflies): Dragonflies are predators and do not communicate food source locations to others; they are solitary hunters.Option D (Wasps): While some social wasps have recruitment behaviours, they do not perform the distinct waggle dance with encoding of distance and direction like honeybees.Key Concept: Honeybee dance language is an example of symbolic communication in non-human animals. The dance indicates: direction — angle relative to vertical/gravity representing angle to sun; distance — duration of waggle phase (1 second per ~1 km). Recent studies show bees learn and improve their dance accuracy through experience.

Which of the following organisms perform waggle dance for others of their kin to indicate the direction and the distance to a source of their food?

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Which of the following organisms perform waggle dance for others of their kin to indicate the direction and the distance to a source of their food?

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