About 1910 Frisch initiated a study that proved fishes could distinguish colour and brightness differences. He also later proved that auditory acuity and sound-distinguishing ability in fishes is superior to that in humans.
Frisch is best known for his studies of bees, however. In 1919 he demonstrated that they can be trained to distinguish between various tastes and odours. He found that while their sense of smell is similar to that of humans, their sense of taste is not as highly developed. He also observed that it is not limited to the quality of sweetness. He found that bees communicate the distance and direction of a food supply to other members of the colony by two types of rhythmic movements or dances: circling and wagging. The circling dance indicates that food is within 75 m (about 250 feet) of the hive, while the wagging dance indicates a greater distance.
In 1949 Frisch established that bees, through their perception of polarized
light, use the Sun as a compass. He also found that they are capable
of using this method of orientation when the Sun is not visible, apparently
remembering patterns of polarization presented by the sky at different
times of the day and the location of previously encountered landmarks.
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