I'm a decent navigator with a compass or GPS, and to my coworker's astonishment I often know which way north is. But that's nothing like animals who traverse the world just knowing where they're going! That is a remarkable feat and also why I put this book on our list. I'm excited to learn more and hope to enjoy this!
Amazon's blurb about this book: "In Supernavigators, award-winning author David Barrie catches us up on the cutting-edge science. Here are astounding animals of every stripe: Dung beetles that steer by the light of the Milky Way. Ants and bees that rely on patterns of light invisible to humans. Sea turtles and moths that find their way using Earth’s magnetic field. Humpback whales that swim thousands of miles while holding a rocksteady course. Birds that can locate their nests on a tiny island after crisscrossing an ocean.
The age of viewing animals as unthinking drones is over. As Supernavigators makes clear, a stunning array of species command senses and skills—and arguably, types of intelligence—beyond our own. Weaving together interviews with leading animal behaviorists and the groundbreaking discoveries of Nobel Prize–winning scientists, David Barrie reveals these wonders in a whole new light."
This looks good! I will give it a go next. I just started what seems to be a similar book “An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us” by Ed Yong. So far it is quite good.
I was out of town for a month and baggage weight was at a premium so I only brought my kindle, SO I'm finally catching up on these books! I finished Supernavigators this morning. It was really good. Since my background is in wildlife ecology I already knew most of the ways animals navigate but it was easily explained and engaging. And I didn't know some species use scent!! Absolutely wild. Nature is cool. If you've read this, what did you think?
I am still reading the Ed Yong book. It is quite good; don't let my slow pace on it belie its content quality. I just so happen to also be presently stuck in a Wings of Fire reading roll so as to read along with my daughter. :) -M
Amazon's blurb about this book: "In Supernavigators, award-winning author David Barrie catches us up on the cutting-edge science. Here are astounding animals of every stripe: Dung beetles that steer by the light of the Milky Way. Ants and bees that rely on patterns of light invisible to humans. Sea turtles and moths that find their way using Earth’s magnetic field. Humpback whales that swim thousands of miles while holding a rocksteady course. Birds that can locate their nests on a tiny island after crisscrossing an ocean.
The age of viewing animals as unthinking drones is over. As Supernavigators makes clear, a stunning array of species command senses and skills—and arguably, types of intelligence—beyond our own. Weaving together interviews with leading animal behaviorists and the groundbreaking discoveries of Nobel Prize–winning scientists, David Barrie reveals these wonders in a whole new light."