Re: Homing Pigeons? Try Homing Crocodiles...

[Guy Leahy <xrciseguy@sbcglobal.net>]

Here is the original research article documenting
homing instinct in Crocodylus porosus:

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0000949

The authors note that evidence for homing behavior
over shorter distances appears to exist for alligators
and caimans, which suggests this capacity may be a
general crocodilian characteristic, and not restricted
to estuarine species.

Guy Leahy


--- Dann Pigdon <dannj@alphalink.com.au> wrote:

> Before we start making any sweeping statements about
> dinosaurs based on 
> phylogenetic bracketing though, let's keep in mind
> that such homing 
> abilities have only been demonstrated in estuarine
> (sea-going) crocs. It 
> could be that fresh water species have lost these
> abilities (if indeed they 
> *don't* have them), but it could be equally likely
> that sea-going crocs 
> evolved the ability themselves independantly of
> birds (or a shared archosaur 
> ancestor), and use very different physiological
> tricks to achieve similar 
> goals. Until it can be demonstrated that all
> crocodilians either have 
> advanced navigating abilities or have secondarily
> lost them (and the same is 
> determined for birds), then using a phylogenetic
> bracket to give dinosaurs 
> the same abilities might be a bit of a stretch. 
> 
>
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> 
> 
> Dann Pigdon
> GIS / Archaeologist              geo
> cities.com/dannsdinosaurs
> Melbourne, Australia            
> heretichides.soffiles.com
>
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>