Monarch butterflies may be stunning, however they are likewise difficult. The migration of kings takes them from Canada to main Mexico, and the journey is so long that it lastslongerthan a queen’s lifetime. So along the method the butterflies lay eggs, and it is a multigenerational effort to make the journey. That is extraordinary in its own method, however it’s not the most remarkable thing about this journey.
As part of their journey, the emperor butterflies fly throughout Lake Superior. Of course, giventhat this is a body of water this part of the journey should be done in one unbroken flight. That is currently a huge ask, however the butterflies make it even harder for themselves. They fly south throughout the lake, then at one point they all turn east, fly east for a while, and then turn back to the south.
There is no apparent survival benefit in doing this, so why do the butterflies all do it?
A typical theory amongst biologists and geologists is that at one point in the past t