Species-specific Capabilities Research Articles

A bioinspired navigation strategy that uses magnetic signatures to navigate without GPS in a linearized northern Atlantic ocean: a simulation study

Certain animal species use the Earth’s magnetic field (i.e. magnetoreception) in conjunction with other sensory modalities to navigate long distances. It is hypothesized that several animals use combinations of magnetic inclination and intensity as unique signatures for localization, enabling migration without a pre-surveyed map. However, it is unknown how animals use magnetic signatures to generate guidance commands, and the extent to which species-specific capabilities and environmental factors affect a given strategy’s efficacy or deterioration. Understanding animal magnetoreception can aid in developing better engineered navigation systems that are less reliant on satellites, which are expensive and can become unreliable or unavailable under a variety of circumstances. Building on previous studies, we implement an agent-based computer simulation that uses two variants of a magnetic signature-based navigation strategy. The strategy can successfully migrate to eight specified goal points in an environment that resembles the northern Atlantic ocean. In particular, one variant reaches all goal points with faster ocean current velocities, while the other variant reaches all goal points with slower ocean current velocities. We also employ dynamic systems tools to examine the stability of the strategy as a proxy for whether it is guaranteed to succeed. The findings demonstrate the efficacy of the strategy and can help in the development of new navigation technologies that are less reliant on satellites and pre-surveyed maps.

Early Childhood Musical Development

Musical perception, cognition and behaviour are species-specific capabilities that, like language, originate in basic neurological structures. Musical development in early childhood is a complex product of human potential interfacing with, and being mediated by, socio-cultural influences and opportunities. At any given moment, musical behaviour reflects this interaction and synthesis, creating observable differences between individuals as they follow their own particular developmental 'route' through society's myriad musical 'pathways'. Observed musical behaviour should not be seen as being immutably 'fixed', but open to continued change and development, particularly for those who are within a nurturing educational context (whatever its degree of formalisation). Although development may be faster or slower for particular individuals, there is sufficient evidence to suggest that, with appropriate support, all young children can achieve a degree of mastery in the contemporary musical idioms of their maternal culture.