A rather . . . interesting scientific experiment caught my eye today.
A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Zoology finds that a wide range of canines preferred to “excrete with the body being aligned along the north-south axis” under “calm magnetic field conditions.” The nearly 37 breeds of dogs studied were found to completely avoid urination or defecation along an east-west direction.
The study is the first time that magnetic sensitivity was proven in dogs, although previous research has shown that many mammals “spontaneously align their body axis” with Earth’s magnetic field in a diverse range of behavioral contexts.
Examination of 70 dogs over two years – including 1,893 defecations and 5,582 urinations – revealed that dogs who were not leashed or influenced in movement were naturally inclined to relieve themselves in “axial orientation” with the earth’s magnetic field.
The study did not detail exactly why this phenomenon occurs.
There's more at the link.
What I want to know is, who counted the number of defecations and urinations so meticulously? And who cleaned up after them? That must have been a very dedicated lab assistant . . . 'lab' as in both laboratory and breed!
Peter
I want to see how those lab folks list the experience o a resume! "Directional defecation detector" just doesn't seem to capture the responsibility level properly.
ReplyDeleteFor me, first consideration is wind direction.
ReplyDeleteI think Jim Croce realized he couldn't get away with singin' anything but "you don't spit into the wind" or he'd get no airplay.