The mysterious and remarkable ways that animals navigate
We know that animals cross miles of water, land, and sky with pinpoint
precision on a daily basis. But it is only in recent years that
scientists have learned how these astounding feats of navigation are
actually accomplished. With colorful and thorough detail, Nature's
Compass explores the remarkable methods by which animals find their way
both near home and around the globe. Noted biologist James Gould and
popular science writer Carol Gould delve into the elegant strategies and
fail-safe backup systems, the invisible sensitivities and mysterious
forces, and incredible mental abilities used by familiar and rare
species, as they investigate a multitude of navigation strategies, from
the simple to the astonishing.
The Goulds discuss how animals navigate, without instruments and
training, at a level far beyond human talents. They explain how animals
measure time and show how the fragile monarch butterfly employs an
internal clock, calendar, compass, and map to commence and measure the
two-thousand-mile annual journey to Mexico*--*all with a brain that
weighs only a few thousandths of an ounce. They look at honey bees and
how they rely on the sun and mental maps to locate landmarks such as
nests and flowers. And they examine whether long-distance migrants, such
as the homing pigeon, depend on a global positioning system to let them
know where they are. Ultimately, the authors ask if the disruption of
migratory paths through habitat destruction and global warming is
affecting and endangering animal species.
Providing a comprehensive picture of animal navigation and migration,
Nature's Compass decodes the mysteries of this extraordinary aspect of
natural behavior.
