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    Objective D

    Uploaded by

    Ashkan Vali
    The document discusses a study which found that cows and deer seem to prefer aligning themselves with the Earth's magnetic field. The study used satellite images and field observations rather than invasive techniques. Understanding how animals sense magnetic fields could provide insights for applied ethics regarding animal welfare and husbandry.

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    Objective D

    Uploaded by

    Ashkan Vali
    45 views1 page
    The document discusses a study which found that cows and deer seem to prefer aligning themselves with the Earth's magnetic field. The study used satellite images and field observations rather than invasive techniques. Understanding how animals sense magnetic fields could provide insights for applied ethics regarding animal welfare and husbandry.

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    © © All Rights Reserved

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    The document discusses a study which found that cows and deer seem to prefer aligning themselves with the Earth's magnetic field. The study used satellite images and field observations rather than invasive techniques. Understanding how animals sense magnetic fields could provide insights for applied ethics regarding animal welfare and husbandry.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    45 views1 page

    Objective D

    Uploaded by

    Ashkan Vali
    The document discusses a study which found that cows and deer seem to prefer aligning themselves with the Earth's magnetic field. The study used satellite images and field observations rather than invasive techniques. Understanding how animals sense magnetic fields could provide insights for applied ethics regarding animal welfare and husbandry.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
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    Criterion D (i, ii, iii, iv)

    Scientists think that some animals are able to help themselves navigate by detecting the Earth's magnetic field.
    However, they are not certain about how animals are able to detect magnetic fields. In 2008, some Czech scientists
    analyzed images from Google Earth and found that cows and deer seemed to prefer to align themselves with the
    Earth's magnetic field. The following text is from the introduction to a paper published in the Proceedings of the
    National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, volume 105 on 9 September 2008. The paper was
    written by Sabine Begall, Jaroslav Cerveny, Julia Neef, Oldrich Vojtech and Hynek Burda.

    “We demonstrate by means of simple, noninvasive methods (analysis of satellite images, field observations,
    and measuring "deer beds" in snow) that domestic cattle (n=8,510 in 308 pastures) across the globe, and
    grazing and resting red and roe deer {n=2,974 at 241 localities), align their body axes in roughly a north-south
    direction. Direct observations of roe deer revealed that animals orient their heads northward when grazing or
    resting. Amazingly, this [widespread] phenomenon does not seem to have been noticed by herdsmen,
    ranchers, or hunters. Because wind and light conditions could be excluded as a common denominator
    determining the body axis orientation, magnetic alignment is the most [convincing] explanation [...]. This
    study reveals the magnetic alignment in large mammals based on statistically sufficient sample sizes. Our
    findings [...] are of potential significance for applied [ethics] (husbandry, animal welfare). They challenge
    neuroscientists and biophysics to explain the [underlying] mechanisms. “

    I. Write a bibliography reference for this paper.


    II. Discuss why non-invasive techniques are preferable when studying animal behavior.
    III. Imagine that you are one of the scientists involved in this research. Write are port suggesting why you should
    be given more funding to continue this research. Explain the potential benefits of understanding why cows
    and deer prefer to align themselves to the Earth's magnetic field.
    IV. It is believed that some animals use magnetic fields to navigate while migrating. Suggest one other way that
    animals might navigate, and compare the advantages and disadvantages of this with sensing the Earth's
    magnetic field.
    V. It is clear that migrating must take a lot of energy so animals would not do this if they did not have to. Give
    three motivations for animal migration.

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