Loggerhead sea turtles do an excited "turtle dance" when anticipating food. It's adorable, of course, but it has also allowed scientists to understand better how the turtles navigate. Scientists have theorized that sea turtles memorize coordinates to navigate using a magnetic "map." A new study in Nature used the turtles' signature dance to determine if they remembered locations.
Sea turtles navigate the ocean using the Earth's magnetic field, but until now, it was unknown if they could memorize new coordinates. In this study, baby sea turtles in a bowl were exposed to a magnetic field and fed a tasty treat of nutrient gel and squid. The turtles performed a "turtle dance" by splashing and raising themselves out of the water. After the turtles learned to associate the field with food, the electromagnet was turned on without delivering a treat. The turtles still danced in anticipation, as much as four months later, indicating they remembered that magnetic signature.
The study also determined that the turtles have two separate mechanisms for their magnetic map and magnetic compass. When the turtles were exposed to oscillating magnetic fields that disrupted their navigation, they still danced when they detected the magnetic field they associated with snack time.
via Science
Previously: 3D-printed harness fixes sea turtle's "bubble butt"
