Page 30 - The Miracle of Migration in Animals
P. 30
How could hatchlings that
have never migrated before de-
velop this skill? How are they able
to follow the route with nothing to
guide them to warm waters? How can
they gauge and evaluate the magnetic fields? Who teaches them
which direction is the right one to follow?
In Supernature: The Unseen Powers of Animals, John Downer gives
the following explanation of how newly hatched turtles find their
way:
The world is a giant magnet and, like a child’s bar magnet, it has a
north and a south pole. This is a godsend for human navigators be-
cause, following the laws of magnetic attraction, the magnetized needle
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