May 21, 2009 -- Scientists have taken a close look at the way bumblebees fly, and the video footage isn't pretty. Unlike soaring eagles, graceful butterflies, and swiftly swooping bats, bumblebees are heavy and wide. Their wings are short. And according to the new study, one wing flaps out of synch from the other. The work suggests that bees sacrifice aerodynamics for precision as they navigate from flower to flower, said Adrian Thomas, a biomechanics professor in the department of zoology at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. His study was the first to look at real bees instead of insect robots or computer models. "Brute force may well be the answer in many cases where efficiency isn't important," Thomas said. "Efficiency is important for the hive, not for an individual bee." Related Content:
Thomas and colleagues were motivated by an urban myth. As early as 1919, some aerodynamicists argued that, according to the laws of physics, bees shouldn't be able to fly at all. Yet, they obviously do. Since then, and especially during the last decade, researchers have made significant advances in understanding how insects move through the air. One finding is that basic rules of aerodynamics -- which explain how airplanes and some birds fly -- simply don't apply to bees, which flap their wings 200 times a second. Nevertheless, the bee myth continues to hang around. And despite research on flies, butterflies, dragonflies and other insects, no one has focused on bees, let alone real live versions. Thomas and colleagues set up a wind tunnel that was 1.5 meters (about 5 feet) long, with flowers on one end and a beehive on the other. As 100 trained bees buzzed their way through the tunnel, high-speed cameras captured up to 2,000 frames each second. Lines of smoke filled the tunnel, allowing the scientists to study vortexes formed around each flapping bee wing. After many hours of analysis, the researchers were surprised to see the left and right wings operating independently. Bees didn't use their entire wingspans to generate lift, making them less efficient than they could have been. The scientists hypothesize that a bee's inefficient movements allow it to turn quickly and with a fine sense of control. Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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