Moths and Perhaps Other Animals Rely on Precise Timing of Neural Spikes
Tuesday, December 17, 2019 - 04:30
in Biology & Nature
Extracting nectar from flowers that may be dancing in the wind requires precise, millisecond timing between the brain and muscles. By capturing and analyzing nearly all of the brain signals sent to the wing muscles of hawk moths (Manduca sexta), which feed on such nectar, researchers have shown that precise timing within rapid sequences of neural signal spikes is essential to controlling the flight muscles necessary for the moths to eat.