Learning to migrate

Abstract

Conditions for life are better in different places at different times of the year. Many animals—including birds, mammals, fishes, insects, and reptiles—take advantage of this temporal variation by migrating, sometimes over thousands of kilometers. But how do they know when and where to go, especially when released in an unfamiliar place? On page 1023 of this issue, Jesmer et al. (1) suggest that migratory ungulates—hoofed mammals—do something similar to that of tourists seeking local advice about places to eat: The ungulates' migration develops and persists through cultural transmission. Show more