Cattle alignment

BBC:

Have you ever noticed that herds of grazing animals all face the same way?

Images from Google Earth have confirmed that cattle tend to align their bodies in a north-south direction.

Wild deer also display this behaviour - a phenomenon that has apparently gone unnoticed by herdsmen and hunters for thousands of years.

In the Proceedings for the National Academy of Sciences, scientists say the Earth's magnetic fields may influence the behaviour of these animals.

The Earth can be viewed as a huge magnet, with magnetic north and south situated close to the geographical poles.

Many species - including birds and salmon - are known to use the Earth's magnetic fields in migration, rather like a natural GPS.

A few studies have shown that some mammals - including bats - also use a "magnetic compass" to help their sense of direction.

...

There is no indication they can compensate for true north as opposed to magnetic north. I will keep an eye on this theory and see if any of my neighbor's cattle are pointed in the right direction. It does not appear to be a natural inclination for humans. Just ask any lieutenant with a map and compass.

Comments

  1. joyce8:35 AM

    I thought they either faced the wind or put their behinds to the wind. And unless the wind was blowing the trees, how could they tell from google earth?

    ReplyDelete

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