Stephen Emlen demonstrated that young indigo buntings (Passerine cyanea) have to learn where north is rather than being born with that information already programmed. He did that by having birds that would orient appropriately relative to the center of star rotation even though they had been reared in a planetarium with
A) the dome diffusely lit.
B) the stars held stationary relative to Polaris.
C) the stars in retrograde relative to Vega.
D) the stars rotating around Betelgeuse.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Emlen's experiment involved rearing indigo buntings in a planetarium where the stars rotated around Betelgeuse instead of the North Star, Polaris. The birds oriented themselves relative to this new center of rotation, demonstrating that they learned celestial navigation cues from their environment rather than inheriting them.

Stephen Emlen Demonstrated That Young Indigo Buntings (Passerine Cyanea) Have