Thanks Ashwin for sharing such a valuable information!! regards Arjan
On 11/19/09, Ashwin Baindur <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > Hi friends, > > Antennas help butterflies in the senses of smell and feel but I was > surprised to learn that in the Monarch (Danaus plexippus), and in possibly > many others, antennas contain a biological sun-compass (akin to a circadian > rhythm) with the help of which they can detect the angle of incident > polarised light falling on the antenna and thus deduce the position of the > Sun in the sky! > > Recent research by American scientists that they corelate this information > with the time of day as per the biological clock of circadiian rhtyhm in > their brains and determine which is South even though the Sun keeps changing > its position in the sky! They then migrate! > > Imagine! Its like being told that the tip of your nose can point you > Southwards based on how the sunlight falls on it? > > I wonder which Indian butterflies use this as a migration aid? The Indian > Danaids? What other mysteries does biology hold for us? > > Read more at:- > > http://thebutterflydiaries.wordpress.com/2009/11/17/antennas-gps/ > > > > > -- Arjan Basu Roy 6/7 Bijoygarh, Kolkata - 700 032 West Bengal, India Be natures' mate! -- Enjoy
