Wordsmith Talk |
About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us | |||
Register Log In Wordsmith.org Forums General Topics Q&A about words butterflies
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
OP Someone just PM'd me saying I know more about butterflies than gnats. I assume this was a tactful way of suggesting I change the topic. So I will.
It happens that I do know more about butterflies than I do about gnats ... even tho I am learning to love gnats.
The big mystery about butterflies is how they manage to transmit navigational information to their offspring so they can make that awesome trek from Canada to a small mountainous region in Central Mexico [then back again] every year.
Some time ago, I read that a researcher found something in a butterfly's brain which might pick up the magnetic field of the earth.
This metallic-like substance might allow a butterfly to "read" the terrain it is traversing.
But, even so, how does that "map" get transmitted to the offspring? It takes about 7 generations of Monarch butterflies to complete a single migration.
Somehow, each new generation is born with "the map".
How is that possible, especially when you consider that each new butterfly must have the complete map even tho that butterfly can only make a fraction of the complete journey?
Does anyone know more about this mystery?
Entire Thread Subject Posted By Posted butterflies grapho 03/19/04 04:43 PM Re: butterflies wwh 03/19/04 05:59 PM Re: butterflies AlimaeHP 03/19/04 06:04 PM Re: butterflies nancyk 03/19/04 06:21 PM Re: butterflies inselpeter 03/19/04 06:31 PM Re: butterflies grapho 03/19/04 06:55 PM Re: butterflies Jackie 03/22/04 01:13 AM Re: butterflies of troy 03/19/04 08:22 PM
Moderated by Jackie
Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics Forums16Topics13,913Posts229,322Members9,182 Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members Ineffable, ddrinnan, TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV
9,182 Registered Users
Who's Online Now 0 members (), 517 guests, and 0 robots. Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days) A C Bowden 15ddrinnan 1
Top Posters wwh 13,858Faldage 13,803Jackie 11,613tsuwm 10,542wofahulicodoc 10,535LukeJavan8 9,916Buffalo Shrdlu 7,210AnnaStrophic 6,511Wordwind 6,296of troy 5,400
Forum Rules · Mark All Read Contact Us · Forum Help · Wordsmith.org