Nature's compass : the mystery of animal navigation / James L. Gould, Carol Grant Gould.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gould, James L., 1945-

Contributor:

Gould, Carol Grant.

Series:

Handwerker, Mark J. Science essentials.

Science essentials

Science essentials (National Academy of Sciences (U.S.))

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Animal navigation.

Animal orientation.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (311 p.)

Edition:

Course Book

Place of Publication:

Princeton : Princeton University Press, c2012.

Language Note:

English

System Details:

Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Summary:

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.

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Preface

Acknowledgments

Chapter 1. Navigating-Problems and Strategies

Chapter 2. When and Where

Chapter 3. A Matter of Time

Chapter 4. Insect Compasses

Chapter 5. Vertebrate Compasses

Chapter 6. Piloting and Inertial Navigation

Chapter 7. The Map Sense

Chapter 8. Migration and the Future: Conservation and Extinction

Bibliography

Illustration Credits

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

9786613589385

9781280494154

1280494158

9781400841660

1400841666

OCLC:

785347353