Professor Rüdiger Wehner

Short citation at year of election

Rüdiger Wehner is one of the most distinguished contemporary scientists in the field of animal navigation. Using the Saharan desert ant Cataglyphis as a model, he has had unparalleled success in unravelling the mechanisms that guide the search for food and the return to the nest. He has elucidated the nature of the celestial compass, the structure of searching strategies and the use of landmarks for visual guidance. Alongside his work in the lab, during four decades he has performed field work in the Saharan and Namibian Deserts and in central Australia.

Wehner’s interest in navigation in arid, featureless landscapes has led him to develop a productive collaboration with Dr Ken Cheng, of Macquarie University, to study animal navigation in the Australian desert. For several years, Wehner was Adjunct Professor at Macquarie University, Sydney.