Available online
| Module code and title: | SDT286, Biological bases of behaviour |
|---|---|
| Item code: | SDT286; 05 |
| First transmission date: | 11-03-1972 |
| Published: | 1972 |
| Rights Statement: | |
| Restrictions on use: | |
| Duration: | 00:24:28 |
| + Show more... | |
| Producer: | Roger Jones |
| Contributors: | Neil Chalmers; Larry Roberts |
| Publisher: | BBC Open University |
| Keyword(s): | Bats; Electric tail; Elephant trunk fish; Female mouse; Navigation; Ultrasonics |
| Footage description: | Shots of a female mouse with her pups in the studio. Neil Chalmers removes one of the pups from the nest and places it on his knee for examination. Chalmers removes all the pups from the nest to the other side of the cage. The mother retrieves the pups, one by one, and returns them to the nest. Commentary by Chalmers raises the question of what senses the animal uses to guide this sort of behaviour. Larry Roberts describes the guidance system of the bat. He has with him in the studio a bat and he monitors the ultrasonic emissions from the bat on a bat detector. Roberts explains that the possibility of other animals also using ultrasonic sounds was investigated. He places baby mice in front of the bat detector and the ultrasonic sounds from these animals activate the machine. Shots of the mother retrieving the pups again. Roberts commentary discusses the significance of these ultrasonics in mice. Roberts performs an experiment to demonstrate that the ultrasonic sounds from baby mice alone are sufficient to cause the mother to react. He removes the babies from the nest and then lays a tape recording of their ultrasonic sounds to the mother, who goes to the loudspeaker in search. Roberts performs an experiment to test the affect of ultrasonic sounds on determining a hierarchical arrangement in a rat society, he places two male rats together. One submits with a series of ultrasonic cries and fighting stops. Neil Chalmers with three species of fish in 3 separate tanks. Chalmers speculates on the several different senses each fish could use to find its way around. He places a rod into the water near the fish. The fish seems to sense the rod with its tail Shots of dissected tail of an elephant trunk fish. The electric organ is exposed. Chalmers explains how this electric organ enables the fish to navigate. Chalmers describes the experiments which were done to demonstrate this phenomenon. He repeats parts of the experiments. Diagrams show how the electric field generated around the fish enables it to navigate. Film sequence of an experiment to test the hypothesis - that the fish, gymnarchus and others of this type navigate by distortions in the electrical field which they generate. Commentary by Chalmers describes the experiment each step of the way. Chalmers sums up the fish experiment. |
| Master spool number: | 6LT/70361 |
| Production number: | 00521_2138 |
| Videofinder number: | 675 |
| Available to public: | no |
