A new study by the University of Tokyo has shown that many marine life, including seals and dolphins, sometimes swim in circles
It seems now the practice of many marine animals but the reason is not yet clear: a new study conducted by the University of Tokyo has shown that many aquatic fauna, including seals and dolphins, sometimes swim in circles.
Undoubtedly unusual behavior in our eyes but which for some reason large marine animals such as green turtles, sharks, penguins show in the waters: they swim in circles without taking any particular direction.
The research was conducted using innovative biologging techniques, which, as the International Biologging Society website explains, uses miniature electronic tags attached to animals to uncover the hidden lives of wildlife including birds, mammals, fish and even insects.
In other words, some individuals of different animal species are "marked" (marking that includes satellite tags to trace migration routes, video cameras to film foraging, accelerometers to measure energy balances) to study the behavior of animals without direct observation, challenging and, often, simply impossible.
As to why, however, many large marine animals swim in circles there are for now only hypothesis.
©iScience
"I was particularly surprised to note that sea turtles engage in a behavior in circles in places apparently important for navigation - says Tomoko Narazaki, first author of the work - as just before arriving at the target".
So it is possible that the circle helps animals to detect the magnetic field useful for navigation. Among other things, sometimes individuals also turn during geomagnetic observations.
But it is also possible that this behavior has more than one purpose.
Researchers are confident about unraveling the mystery and say studies of such movements in multiple marine species could reveal otherwise neglected important behaviors. In foturo, therefore, they intend to examine the movements of animals in relation to the intrinsic conditions of individuals and to environmental conditions, in search of further clues on the reasons for this "strange" behavior (but only in our eyes).
The work was published in iScience.
Sources of reference: ScienceDaily / iScience / International Biologging Society
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