Page 26 - The Miracle of Migration in Animals

THE MIRACLE OF MIGRATION IN ANIMALS

Creatures with knowledge of the world’s
magnetic field

Birds

Just as ants use the angle of the Sun to find their way, some
larger animals migrate by using the Earth’s magnetic field.
Movement of the molten iron in the Earth’s core is responsible for
creating its magnetic field, which extends in elliptical flow lines from
the core of the terrestrial globe, passing through the oceans and the
atmosphere from one pole to another. These lines converge towards
poles, and the force of the field also increases.
During migrations, certain animals orient themselves by deter-
mining this force and angle of inclination. For instance, to prove that
birds determine the migration route by making use of the Earth’s
magnetic field, scientists fit a group of migrating birds with slender

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