Page 226 - The Miracle of Migration in Animals

THE MIRACLE OF MIGRATION IN ANIMALS

the hormone melatonin related to sleep. The joint actions of the hor-
mones corticosterone and prolactin are thought to stimulate noctur-
nal restlessness (zugunruhe), which increases during migratory times
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of the year. The molecular structure of hormones playing a role in
this complex endocrinal process is so finely calibrated that it’s not
possible for even one such hormone to appear by chance. Nor is there
any scientific evidence of this. (For detailed information, see Harun
Yahya, The Miracle of Hormones, Goodword Books, September, 2003.)
Another feature that cannot be explained by mutations is that
some migrating birds fly at high altitudes. For example, the bar-
headed goose, Anser indica, is known to fly over the Himalayas at an
altitude of 9,000 meters (29,500 feet). At such altitudes, the atmos-
phere is lacking in oxygen, and the oxygen-carrying capacity in the
birds’ blood is increased by a high concentration of red blood cells.
Unlike non-migratory birds, the hemoglobin in some migrating birds

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