As a species, we have accomplished some incredible things. We have traversed the highest highs and explored the lowest lows of our planet. But, where our helicopter rotors fight to climb higher, the humble bee can fly with ease. Scientists have recently discovered that the alpine bumblebee is capable of navigating air found above Mount Everest’s 29,032-foot peak. This finding challenges what we thought we knew about insect flight and proves that sometimes the most powerful lessons come from the meekest places. While this does have profound implications on our understanding of insect physiology, it could also be applied to human medicine and engineering.
The Unlikely High-Fliers
When researchers Michael Dillon and Robert Dudley traveled to Sichuan, China, they collected Bombus impetuosus bumblebees living at heights of 10,660 feet. These insects aren’t too different from their lowland relatives, but were thriving in conditions that would leave most of us struggling to breathe. As scientists, they wanted to know just how far they could push this impressive adaptation, so they climbed. They placed the bees in a simulated more extreme altitudes. The results left the scientists buzzing.
Breaking Barriers
Inside the pressure chamber, the bees flew unaffected by the constantly thinning atmosphere. All of the tested bees handled conditions equivalent to 13,000 feet with ease, but what was truly incredible was that some bees kept going at altitudes over 29,500 feet, higher than Mount Everest. It is important to note that this demonstration occurred in a controlled setting, with temperature, wind and other variables being kept out of the equation. The findings suggest an untapped reserve that bees have access to that far exceeds their ecological needs. These findings have raised the now obvious question: why would they need such extraordinary abilities?
The Secret Behind Their Success
If we want to climb that high, we risk serious damage to life and limb. But these bees can effortlessly access an adaptation to keep flying even when the air gets thin. Researchers originally theorized that the insects would need to beat their wings faster to keep creating sufficient lift. But high-speed camera footage showed the bees were actually changing the way their wings flapped, using much wider angles for more lift efficiency. Scooping larger amounts of air, the bees could compensate for the lower air density. The bees were so efficient that their metabolic rhythm went unchanged while their wings worked smarter – and not harder.
Defying Physiological Expectations
Bees typically have metabolic rates far exceeding larger animals, theoretically making them more vulnerable to oxygen deprivation. This notion still puzzled scientists because there is now proof that oxygen starvation at extreme heights doesn’t affect these small but mighty bugs. This highlights one of the most compelling parts of the flight discovery – these bees seem to have solved physiological barriers that we as humans can’t even navigate yet.
Evolutionary Advantages
But why do these bees has such capabilities when they don’t live nowhere near Everest or similar conditions? The bees in China were found almost 20,000 feet lower altitudes. Theories include the capacity being for effective predator evasion, allowing for short bursts of rapid flight if threatened. Another theory is for carrying loads – bees returning to their colonies carrying nectar and pollen might need the additional power. Also, a sudden pressure change or downdrafts might be fatal if a bee lacked these abilities.
Implications for Engineering
These bees could revolutionize how we design aircraft for extreme conditions. Current helicopters struggle in Everest-like altitudes from a lack of lift in the thin air. This is why mountain rescues are so dangerous – and sometimes impossible. But with a better understanding of how bees are doing it could inspire new designs for high-altitude aircraft. Engineers can certainly benefit from this new information to develop rescue vehicles that can reach previously inaccessible heights. The simplicity of the bees’ adaptation suggests an elegant solution, rather than higher rpm or simply “hitting the gas harder” to keep aircraft afloat.
Future Research Directions
Scientists are now expanding their studies to see if lowland populations can keep up as well. If they can, it would suggest a species-wide adaptation, rather than just a specialized one. Researchers also plan to see what allows these insects to keep their high metabolism in oxygen-depleted environments. That information could potentially lead to new treatments for oxygen deficiency. If anything can be taken from this, it’s that if bees can surpass our technology, then there isn’t anything we shouldn’t be trying to learn from.