maximus otter
Recovering policeman
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Scientists have discovered a confounding pattern in nature: Many marine animals are strangely swimming in circles.
The researchers modeled the animals’ behavior using a variety of math ideas and the navigational concept of dead reckoning. In a variety of animals, including turtles, penguins, and a solitary whale shark, the scientists spotted the behavior because of the advent of true 3D sensing of movement.
Why is this happening? No one is exactly sure.
Lead study author Tomoko Narazaki, of the University of Tokyo, first noticed the circles in a group of turtles she was studying. She and her team moved the turtles specifically to monitor how they would navigate back to their home waters, and even with a destination in mind, they still often swam in circles.
The scientists gathered the data while the animals—located everywhere from the Cape Verde Islands to Okinawa, Japan—were foraging, swimming home, and returning after nesting. The circles ranged from just a few to dozens in a row. The scientists saw most of the recorded circles during foraging, especially among sharks.
“Animals might also be able to improve measurement accuracy by taking multiple samples by circling several times. Animals might circle to derive directional/positional cues from the geomagnetic field, especially in navigationally challenging situations.”
The scientists say the ideal next step is to record a lot more data and analyze it in a simultaneous way to help identify patterns.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/a35886739/marine-animals-swimming-circles-mystery/
maximus otter
The researchers modeled the animals’ behavior using a variety of math ideas and the navigational concept of dead reckoning. In a variety of animals, including turtles, penguins, and a solitary whale shark, the scientists spotted the behavior because of the advent of true 3D sensing of movement.
Why is this happening? No one is exactly sure.
Lead study author Tomoko Narazaki, of the University of Tokyo, first noticed the circles in a group of turtles she was studying. She and her team moved the turtles specifically to monitor how they would navigate back to their home waters, and even with a destination in mind, they still often swam in circles.
The scientists gathered the data while the animals—located everywhere from the Cape Verde Islands to Okinawa, Japan—were foraging, swimming home, and returning after nesting. The circles ranged from just a few to dozens in a row. The scientists saw most of the recorded circles during foraging, especially among sharks.
“Animals might also be able to improve measurement accuracy by taking multiple samples by circling several times. Animals might circle to derive directional/positional cues from the geomagnetic field, especially in navigationally challenging situations.”
The scientists say the ideal next step is to record a lot more data and analyze it in a simultaneous way to help identify patterns.
https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/a35886739/marine-animals-swimming-circles-mystery/
maximus otter
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