Honeybees that scout for new food sources or nest sites have gene activity in their brains associated with novelty-seeking in humans.
A study has found that certain bees in a colony have consistently high levels of exploratory behaviour. Researchers found that genes related to dopamine and glutamate signalling between neurons, involved in regulating novelty-seeking in humans, are different in scouting and non-scouting bees.
This suggests that these processes may be a basic mechanism in the evolution of behaviour across various species.
Read more at Cornell University