In general, it’s surprising how little ecologists know about why large animals choose their migration paths. The motivations for moving are obvious, and include things like food, water, and a safe place to raise young. But how herds or animals learn their routes is a major debate. Evolution plays some role. There are signs of genetic predisposition in birds, for example, which may grow restless in their cages when the seasons change, even if they have always lived in captivity, and in insects like the monarch butterfly, which takes the same path for Mexico each year. But in mammals, that kind of genetic programming is harder to see. Their
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