Study Finds Pigeons Navigate Better Under Heavy Pollution
- 8 years ago
Researchers analyzed 415 pigeon races in the most polluted region of China and determined that pigeons return home "significantly faster" under heavily polluted conditions.
Pigeons navigate better through heavy air pollution, according to a recent study published in Scientific Reports.
Researchers analyzed 415 pigeon races in the North China Plain, a region said to have the worst air pollution in all of the People's Republic.
According to the study, "Homing pigeons are an ideal model system to study the effects of air pollution on bird behavior. Pigeon navigation mechanisms are well-studied: pigeons use solar and geomagnetic cues as a compass to determine the direction to home, and they use olfactory and visual cues as a map to determine their po
Pigeons navigate better through heavy air pollution, according to a recent study published in Scientific Reports.
Researchers analyzed 415 pigeon races in the North China Plain, a region said to have the worst air pollution in all of the People's Republic.
According to the study, "Homing pigeons are an ideal model system to study the effects of air pollution on bird behavior. Pigeon navigation mechanisms are well-studied: pigeons use solar and geomagnetic cues as a compass to determine the direction to home, and they use olfactory and visual cues as a map to determine their po