Sea Turtles and Magnetic Field Navigation
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If it ever comes up in the workplace break room, there is a simple way to tell the difference between a turtle and tortoise . (Well, except for the little detail that all tortoises are considered turtles, but not the other way around.) There are other distinguishing characteristics, but turtles live mostly in or around water, and tortoises live on land. The more we learn, the more fascinating nature becomes. Critters are created with specialized traits. Like several others, sea turtles migrate by tuning into Earth's magnetic field. New research takes this trait even further. Juvenile green sea turtle, Flickr / Silke Baron ( CC BY 2.0 ) Loggerhead sea turtles calculate longitude for use in migration. They can remember certain geomagnetic locations, an ability unique to these creatures. Another benefit is that they can find their way back to nesting locations — even after several years. The specified complexity of the mechanisms involved gives Darwin the sads. They also testify of t...