Andrew B. Barron

Bio: Andrew B. Barron is an academic researcher from Macquarie University. The author has contributed to research in topics: Honey bee & Foraging. The author has an hindex of 40, co-authored 136 publications receiving 5049 citations. Previous affiliations of Andrew B. Barron include Australian National University & University of Cambridge.

The life and death of Hopkins' host-selection principle.

Abstract: Hopkins’ host-selection principle (HHSP) refers to the observation that many adult insects demonstrate a preference for the host species on which they themselves developed as larvae. The meaning of HHSP has changed significantly since its first proposal in 1916. This review considers how the meaning of HHSP has changed over time and considers the various mechanisms that could contribute to a behavioral bias for the developmental host. The assumption that HHSP implies that the behavior of adult insects is conditioned by larval experience has resulted in widespread condemnation of HHSP. Despite a great deal of attention, there is still very little convincing evidence for preimaginal conditioning of host choice in insects. But growing evidence indicates that genetic variation in behavior and conditioning during the life span of an adult insect can contribute to a preference for the host on which an insect developed. Insects can acquire adult oviposition or feeding preferences through exposure to chemical residues from the environment of earlier life history stages. The concepts of host races and host fidelity have become familiar and acceptable, while the association of HHSP with preimaginal conditioning has led to a general rejection of the term.

A quantitative model of honey bee colony population dynamics.

Abstract: Since 2006 the rate of honey bee colony failure has increased significantly. As an aid to testing hypotheses for the causes of colony failure we have developed a compartment model of honey bee colony population dynamics to explore the impact of different death rates of forager bees on colony growth and development. The model predicts a critical threshold forager death rate beneath which colonies regulate a stable population size. If death rates are sustained higher than this threshold rapid population decline is predicted and colony failure is inevitable. The model also predicts that high forager death rates draw hive bees into the foraging population at much younger ages than normal, which acts to accelerate colony failure. The model suggests that colony failure can be understood in terms of observed principles of honey bee population dynamics, and provides a theoretical framework for experimental investigation of the problem.

What insects can tell us about the origins of consciousness

Abstract: How, why, and when consciousness evolved remain hotly debated topics. Addressing these issues requires considering the distribution of consciousness across the animal phylogenetic tree. Here we propose that at least one invertebrate clade, the insects, has a capacity for the most basic aspect of consciousness: subjective experience. In vertebrates the capacity for subjective experience is supported by integrated structures in the midbrain that create a neural simulation of the state of the mobile animal in space. This integrated and egocentric representation of the world from the animal’s perspective is sufficient for subjective experience. Structures in the insect brain perform analogous functions. Therefore, we argue the insect brain also supports a capacity for subjective experience. In both vertebrates and insects this form of behavioral control system evolved as an efficient solution to basic problems of sensory reafference and true navigation. The brain structures that support subjective experience in vertebrates and insects are very different from each other, but in both cases they are basal to each clade. Hence we propose the origins of subjective experience can be traced to the Cambrian.

Rapid behavioral maturation accelerates failure of stressed honey bee colonies.

Abstract: Many complex factors have been linked to the recent marked increase in honey bee colony failure, including pests and pathogens, agrochemicals, and nutritional stressors. It remains unclear, however, why colonies frequently react to stressors by losing almost their entire adult bee population in a short time, resulting in a colony population collapse. Here we examine the social dynamics underlying such dramatic colony failure. Bees respond to many stressors by foraging earlier in life. We manipulated the demography of experimental colonies to induce precocious foraging in bees and used radio tag tracking to examine the consequences of precocious foraging for their performance. Precocious foragers completed far fewer foraging trips in their life, and had a higher risk of death in their first flights. We constructed a demographic model to explore how this individual reaction of bees to stress might impact colony performance. In the model, when forager death rates were chronically elevated, an increasingly younger forager force caused a positive feedback that dramatically accelerated terminal population decline in the colony. This resulted in a breakdown in division of labor and loss of the adult population, leaving only brood, food, and few adults in the hive. This study explains the social processes that drive rapid depopulation of a colony, and we explore possible strategies to prevent colony failure. Understanding the process of colony failure helps identify the most effective strategies to improve colony resilience.

Why Bees Are So Vulnerable to Environmental Stressors

Abstract: Bee populations are declining in the industrialized world, raising concerns for the sustainable pollination of crops. Pesticides, pollutants, parasites, diseases, and malnutrition have all been linked to this problem. We consider here neurobiological, ecological, and evolutionary reasons why bees are particularly vulnerable to these environmental stressors. Central-place foraging on flowers demands advanced capacities of learning, memory, and navigation. However, even at low intensity levels, many stressors damage the bee brain, disrupting key cognitive functions needed for effective foraging, with dramatic consequences for brood development and colony survival. We discuss how understanding the relationships between the actions of stressors on the nervous system, individual cognitive impairments, and colony decline can inform constructive interventions to sustain bee populations.

Principles of Neural Science

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Modern Applied Statistics With S

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Neuroscience 細胞死：最近の知見

Abstract: 中枢神経系疾患の治療は正常細胞（ニューロン）の機能維持を目的とするが，脳血管障害のように機能障害の原因が細胞の死滅に基づくことは多い．一方，脳腫瘍の治療においては薬物療法や放射線療法といった腫瘍細胞の死滅を目標とするものが大きな位置を占める．いずれの場合にも，細胞死の機序を理解することは各種病態や治療法の理解のうえで重要である．現在のところ最も研究の進んでいる細胞死の型はアポトーシスである．そのなかで重要な位置を占めるミトコンドリアにおける反応および抗アポトーシス因子について概要を紹介する．