Animal Migration

Conservation physiology of animal migration

Migration is a widespread phenomenon among many taxa. This complex behaviour enables animals to exploit many temporally productive and spatially discrete habitats to accrue various fitness benefits (e.g. growth, reproduction, predator avoidance). Human activities and global environmental change represent potential threats to migrating animals (from individuals to species), and research is under...

Cues and decision rules in animal migration

Optimal chemotaxis in animal cell intermittent migration

Animal cells can sense chemical gradients without moving, and are faced with the challenge of migrating towards a target despite noisy information on the target position. Here we discuss optimal search strategies for a chaser that moves by switching between two phases of motion (run and tumble), reorienting itself towards the target during tumble phases, and performing a persistent random walk ...

Animal migration and infectious disease risk.

Animal migrations are often spectacular, and migratory species harbor zoonotic pathogens of importance to humans. Animal migrations are expected to enhance the global spread of pathogens and facilitate cross-species transmission. This does happen, but new research has also shown that migration allows hosts to escape from infected habitats, reduces disease levels when infected animals do not mig...

Animal Migration: Seasonal Reversals of Migrant Moths

A recent study has found that, as migrating silver Y moths pass high overhead above central England in the spring, their headings were generally aimed towards north---a reversal of direction relative to that of autumn migrants. The silver Y must detect its direction of movement, likely by a magnetic sense which must reverse with the season.