Skip to main content

The Dung Beetle’s Navigation Skill

Two dung beetles rolling a ball of dung

But how does the dung beetle keep from going in circles, especially at night?
Previous studies have shown that dung beetles can navigate by the light of either the sun or the moon, yet they can also hold to a straight line even on clear moonless nights. Researchers in South Africa discovered that the beetles do this, not by seeing individual stars, but by using the band of light produced by the Milky Way galaxy. According to the journal Current Biology, this is “the first documented use of the Milky Way for orientation in the animal kingdom.”

Dung beetles, says researcher Marcus Byrne, have “an effective visual navigation system which can operate in the dimmest starlight, using limited computational power.” He adds: “They therefore have the potential to teach humans how to solve complex visual processing problems.” For example, a drone might be programmed to search a collapsed building by mimicking the dung beetle’s navigation system.

Did you know?
Dung beetles loosen and nourish the soil, spread plant seeds, and keep fly populations under control.

Popular posts from this blog

Oil—How It Affects You

HAVE you ever stopped to think what life for many would be like without petroleum and its products?   Oil made from petroleum is used to lubricate motor vehicles, bicycles, strollers, and other things with moving parts. Oil lessens friction, thus slowing the breakdown of machine components. But that is not all.  
Read more

Beyonce’s Good Genes

Beyonce’ s good looks are definitely good genes. Here’s a 20-year-old baby faced Bey at the Golden Globes in 2001   (left)   and 15 years later ... the flawless singer -- who turns 35 this weekend -- at the MTV VMAs last week   (right) .
Read more

An Overview of Indonesia

Land  Straddling the equator between Australia and continental Asia, Indonesia is the world’s largest archipelago. Most of its more than 17,500 islands feature rugged mountains and dense tropical forests. With more than 100 active volcanoes, it is also the most active volcanic region on earth.
Read more