Here’s your reminder that nature is truly mind blowing 🤯 #Science #biology #nature #animals #learnbiologyontiktok

how do animals just know what to do? Let's talk about it. First of all, DNA doesn't actually store behavioral instructions, but it does contain the instructions for how the brain should wire itself when it's being formed in the embryo. These pre-wired pathways that result in instinctive behavior are called fixed-action patterns. And we know that this is 100% genetic because of what happens when you cross breed animals with different instincts. In 1991, Dr. Peter Berthold famously studied two populations of black cap or blur songbirds. One group instinctively migrates southwest for the winter while the other group instinctively migrates southeast. To test their internal compass, researchers placed birds that were raised in total isolation inside of an eminent funnel, which is basically a cone-shaped cage lined with paper with an ink pad at the bottom. As the birds hopped towards their intended destination, their inked feet left tracks would show the exact direction they wanted to fly. When researchers cross bred the southeast and southwest birds, the resulting hybrid offspring didn't get confused. Their ink tracks clearly pointed to yourself. They had literally inherited a brand new, mathematically averaged genetic compass from their parents. Just further proof that living organisms are biological computers, bills on code, powered by software, and just running on math.