Orientation Patterns of Behaviour – Types, Importance, Examples

What is Orientation in Animal Behaviour?

Orientation in animal behaviour is the process by which an animal finds and maintains a particular direction or position in its environment.

This orientation response may be innate or learned. It helps the animal to move properly in relation to environmental stimuli such as light, gravity, chemicals, water current and the earth magnetic field. Animals detect these environmental stimuli through different sensory receptors, which help in producing the proper orientation response.

This behaviour is very important for survival. It helps in searching of food and water, escaping from predator, finding mate and also in migration. During this process animal first gets a general direction and then correct its movement according to the surrounding condition.

The main orientation patterns are taxis and kinesis.

Taxis is a directional movement of animal towards or away from a stimulus. Movement towards the stimulus is called positive taxis and movement away from the stimulus is called negative taxis. Example, insect moving towards light shows positive phototaxis.

Kinesis is a non-directional movement. In this case the animal does not move directly towards or away from stimulus. The speed of movement or rate of turning changes according to intensity of stimulus. Example, woodlouse moves randomly in bright light until it reaches a dark and safe place.

Types of Orientation Patterns of Behaviour

The orientation patterns of behaviour are mainly classified as follows-

A. Broad Categories of Orientation

1. Primary Orientation

Primary orientation is the basic and general direction taken by an animal. It is based on major cue of environment like sun, stars, wind, light or earth magnetic field.

2. Secondary Orientation

Secondary orientation is the small correction of path after primary direction is taken. It helps the animal to maintain the correct direction during movement.

B. Taxis

Taxis is a directional movement of an animal towards or away from a stimulus. Movement towards the stimulus is called positive taxis and movement away from stimulus is called negative taxis.

Taxis is again classified in two ways-

I. Taxis based on type of stimulus

1. Phototaxis

Phototaxis is the orientation movement in response to light. Example, insects moving towards lamp light.

2. Geotaxis

Geotaxis is the orientation movement in response to gravity. The movement may be towards or away from gravitational force.

3. Chemotaxis

Chemotaxis is the orientation movement in response to chemical stimulus. The animal may move towards useful chemical and away from harmful chemical.

4. Thermotaxis

Thermotaxis is the movement in response to temperature. It helps animal to find suitable temperature condition.

5. Rheotaxis

Rheotaxis is the orientation movement in response to water current. It is common in aquatic animals.

6. Anemotaxis

Anemotaxis is the movement in response to air current or wind. Some insects use wind direction during movement.

7. Phonotaxis

Phonotaxis is the orientation movement in response to sound waves. Example, female cricket moves towards sound of male cricket.

8. Hygrotaxis

Hygrotaxis is the movement in response to humidity. The animal may move towards moist place.

9. Astrotaxis

Astrotaxis is the orientation by using sun, moon and stars. It is used in navigation of some animals.

10. Magnetotaxis

Magnetotaxis is the orientation by using earth magnetic field. It helps in long distance migration.

II. Taxis based on navigational mechanism

1. Klinotaxis

Klinotaxis is a type of taxis where the animal compares stimulus intensity by moving side to side. The movement is zigzag type.

2. Tropotaxis

Tropotaxis is the orientation by using paired receptors. Both side receptors compare the stimulus at same time and animal moves in proper direction.

3. Telotaxis

Telotaxis is a goal directed movement. In this type animal fixes one stimulus source and moves towards it.

4. Menotaxis

Menotaxis is the movement by keeping a constant angle with the stimulus. It is also called light compass orientation when light is used.

5. Mnemotaxis

Mnemotaxis is the orientation by memory. It is related to learning behaviour, where the animal uses previous routes, experience and landmarks for reaching a place.

C. Kinesis

Kinesis is a non-directional movement. In this type animal does not move directly towards or away from stimulus. Only activity rate changes according to intensity of stimulus.

1. Orthokinesis

Orthokinesis is the type of kinesis where speed of movement changes. The animal may move fast or slow according to stimulus intensity.

2. Klinokinesis

Klinokinesis is the type of kinesis where rate of turning changes. The animal turns more in unfavourable condition until it reaches favourable place.

The main difference between orthokinesis and klinokinesis is that orthokinesis changes the speed of movement, while klinokinesis changes the rate or frequency of turning.

D. Other Complex Orientation Methods

1. Landmark-based Orientation

Landmark-based orientation is the orientation by using visible object of environment. Example, tree, mountain, river, nest or other fixed structure.

2. Hydrodynamic Orientation

Hydrodynamic orientation is the orientation by using water flow pattern. Aquatic animals use it to know direction and position in water.

Primary and Secondary Orientation in Animal Behaviour

Primary and secondary orientation in animal behaviour work together during navigation. Primary orientation gives the animal a general direction, while secondary orientation makes small corrections in the selected path.

Primary Orientation

Primary orientation is the first general direction taken by an animal in relation to its environment or any stimulus.

• Primary orientation gives a broad direction to the animal before starting movement.
• It is not a fine and exact adjustment of movement.
• It is mainly used in large scale movement of animals.
• In this type, the animal first fixes a general path or general heading.
• This direction may be guided by sun, stars, landmarks, light, wind direction or earth magnetic field.
• It helps the animal to move in correct general direction during migration and searching of suitable place.
• Primary orientation works with secondary orientation.
• Primary orientation gives the main direction and secondary orientation makes small correction in the path.
• Example, when a bird starts migration, it first follows a general direction by using sun, stars or landmark.
• This first setting of direction during movement is called primary orientation.

Secondary Orientation

Secondary orientation is the small and precise correction of movement after the animal has already taken a general direction.

• Secondary orientation is also known as fine-scale orientation or course correction.
• It occurs after primary orientation has been established by the animal.
• In this type, the animal makes small adjustment in its movement to maintain a particular direction.
• It does not give the first general direction to the animal.
• It helps to correct the path when the animal moves away from the proper direction.
• It helps the animal to avoid obstacle during movement.
• It also helps to respond to new environmental cue during travelling.
• Primary orientation gives the main direction and secondary orientation corrects that direction.
• Both primary orientation and secondary orientation work together for proper navigation.
• Example, after a migrating bird takes a general path, it uses position of sun or stars for making small correction in its route.
• This continuous small correction of route is called secondary orientation.

Difference Between Klinotaxis and Tropotaxis

Tropotaxis commonly depends on paired eyes, antennae or other sensory receptors of insects.

The following table shows the important differences between klinotaxis and tropotaxis.

In simple words, klinotaxis uses movement for comparing the stimulus at different times, while tropotaxis uses paired receptors for comparing the stimulus at the same time.

Taxis (Directional Movement)

Taxis is a directed movement or orientation of an animal in response to a particular environmental stimulus.

• In taxis, the animal moves directly towards the stimulus or away from the stimulus. Movement towards stimulus is called positive taxis and movement away from stimulus is called negative taxis.
• Taxis is different from kinesis, because in taxis the movement is directional but in kinesis the movement is random and not fixed towards the stimulus.
• Taxis are mainly classified into two groups, one is based on the type of stimulus and another is based on the navigational mechanism.

A. Based on type of stimulus

1. Phototaxis – Phototaxis is the movement of animal in response to light, such as insects moving towards lamp light.
2. Chemotaxis – Chemotaxis is the directional movement of an organism in response to a chemical gradient. The mechanism is commonly observed during bacterial chemotaxis, where bacteria move towards nutrients or away from harmful chemicals.
3. Geotaxis – Geotaxis is the movement of organism in response to gravity, such as root moving downward.
4. Thermotaxis – Thermotaxis is the movement of animal in response to temperature.
5. Hygrotaxis – Hygrotaxis is the movement of animal in response to humidity.
6. Rheotaxis – Rheotaxis is the movement of animal in response to water current.
7. Anemotaxis – Anemotaxis is the movement of animal in response to air current or wind.
8. Phonotaxis – Phonotaxis is the movement of animal in response to sound waves, such as female cricket moving towards sound of male cricket.
9. Astrotaxis – Astrotaxis is the orientation by using celestial bodies like sun, moon and stars.
10. Magnetotaxis – Magnetotaxis is the orientation by using the earth magnetic field.

B. Based on navigational mechanism

1. Klinotaxis – Klinotaxis is the movement in which organism moves in zigzag pattern or moves head from side to side for comparing stimulus intensity, and it is seen in Euglena, earthworm and fly larvae.
2. Tropotaxis – Tropotaxis is the movement in which organism uses paired receptors like two eyes or two antennae to compare stimulus from both side at the same time and then moves in a straight line.
3. Telotaxis – Telotaxis is a goal directed movement in which animal fixes one particular stimulus source and moves directly towards it, such as honey bees selecting one light source.
4. Menotaxis – Menotaxis is the movement in which animal maintains a constant fixed angle with the stimulus, such as moth flying at fixed angle to wind or bees and birds using position of sun.
5. Mnemotaxis – Mnemotaxis is the orientation by using memory and familiar landmarks, and this type is seen in digger wasps, salmon, birds and human being.
6. Taxistropotaxis – Taxistropotaxis is a special spiral type movement in which organism gradually comes near the target, and it is seen in bacteria searching food and sperm cells moving towards egg. Sperm cells may move towards the egg by following chemical attractants released around it during fertilization.

Kinesis (Non-Directional Movement)

Kinesis is a non-directional and random movement of an animal in response to environmental stimulus.

• In kinesis, the animal does not move directly towards or away from the stimulus.
• It depends on the intensity of stimulus and not on the direction of stimulus.
• In this behaviour, the speed of movement or rate of turning changes according to the strength of stimulus.
• Kinesis helps the animal to come out from unfavourable area and remain in favourable area.
• It also makes the movement of animal less predictable, so predator cannot easily follow the prey.
• Kinesis is different from taxis, because taxis is directional movement but kinesis is random movement.

A. Types of Kinesis based on navigational mechanics

1. Orthokinesis – Orthokinesis is a type of kinesis where the speed of locomotion changes according to the intensity of stimulus, and whole body movement helps the animal to leave unfavourable place quickly. A common example of Orthokinesis is – cockroach moving fast from bright area to dark area and Ammocoete larvae moving away from light in sand.
2. Klinokinesis – Klinokinesis is a type of kinesis where the rate or frequency of turning changes according to stimulus intensity. A common example of klinokinesis is the human body louse, which changes its turning rate according to the surrounding temperature.

B. Types of Kinesis based on stimulus

1. Hygrokinesis – Hygrokinesis is a non-directional response to humidity, such as woodlice move faster in dry air and slow down with more turning when they reach moist area.
2. Photokinesis – Photokinesis is a non-directional response to light intensity, where the animal changes its activity according to bright or dark condition.
3. Chemokinesis – Chemokinesis is a non-directional response to chemical stimulus, where the speed or activity of organism changes according to chemical concentration in the environment.

Importance of Orientation

The following are the important points of orientation.

• Orientation helps animals to find essential resources like food, water and suitable habitat.
• It helps animal to avoid predator and move away from dangerous place.
• Orientation is important for finding mate and it increases the chance of reproduction.
• It helps organism to remain in favourable environmental condition and avoid unfavourable condition.
• It helps in maintaining normal body condition by keeping the animal within suitable range of temperature, humidity, light and other stimulus.
• Orientation is particularly important during migration in birds, because birds use the sun, stars, magnetic field and landmarks to maintain the proper direction.
• It helps birds, fishes and insects to return back to nest, shelter or breeding place.
• It helps animal to use memory and landmark for finding the same place again.
• In human being, orientation helps to understand position, direction and surrounding condition.
• It also helps in goal directed behaviour, because individual can select proper way and act according to need.

Examples of Orientation

The following are some important examples of orientation behaviour.

1. Bacteria – Aquaspirillum bacteria use the earth magnetic field for orientation and move downward into mud. It is an example of magnetotaxis.
2. Other bacteria – Some bacteria use spiral type movement for finding food source. This type of movement is called taxistropotaxis.
3. Euglena – Euglena detects light through its eyespot apparatus and moves by comparing the intensity and direction of light. It is an example of phototaxis and klinotaxis.
4. Woodlice – Woodlice show kinesis by moving faster in dry place and moving slowly in moist place, so they can remain in favourable humid condition.
5. Woodlice in bright light – Woodlice also show klinokinesis because they turn more irregularly when exposed to bright light.
6. Earthworm – Earthworm uses klinotaxis during movement in soil. It moves head side to side and detects chemical cue for finding food and mate.
7. Cockroach – Cockroach shows orthokinesis by moving very fast from bright area to dark area.
8. Fly larvae – Fly larvae or maggots show klinotaxis. They move their head side to side and compare light intensity to move away from light.
9. Planaria – Planaria uses paired eye receptors for comparing light from both side. It is an example of tropotaxis.
10. Honey bee – Honey bee uses menotaxis by maintaining a constant angle with the sun. The direction and distance of a food source are communicated through the waggle dance of honey bees.
11. Ants – Ants use menotaxis by following polarized light of sky. It helps them to return back to nest.
12. Silkworm moth – Silkworm moth flies at fixed angle to wind. It is an example of menotaxis and it helps to detect scent trail.
13. Digger wasp – Digger wasp uses mnemotaxis by remembering local landmarks around the nest. It helps the wasp to return to nest correctly.
14. Migrating birds – Migrating birds use primary orientation for taking general flight direction and secondary orientation for making small correction by using sun and stars.
15. Monarch butterfly – Monarch butterfly shows long distance orientation during migration from Canada to Mexico. It can travel very long distance by keeping proper direction.
16. Salmon fish – During migration in fishes, salmon uses visual landmarks and the specific smell of its natal stream for returning from sea to freshwater. It is an example of memory and chemical based orientation.
17. Human being – Human being uses mnemotaxis during movement in complex places. They use memory, familiar building, road sign and landmark for finding the path.

Difference Between Orthokinesis and Klinokinesis

The following table shows the important differences between orthokinesis and klinokinesis.

In simple words, orthokinesis changes how fast an organism moves, while klinokinesis changes how frequently the organism turns.

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