How dung beetles use stars to find their way home

Swedish researchers find that the bugs can use the heavens to correctly orient themselves

They may have bad taste in sustenance, but dung beetles sure are resourceful at night.
(Image credit: Martin Harvey/CORBIS)

Long before GPS and radio, seafarers relied on the stars to guide them to their destinations. In the animal kingdom, birds and seals have demonstrated a similar capacity for celestial navigation. And now there's one more living creature we can add to the list: The humble dung beetle.

Yes, the feces-eating bug joins more exalted company thanks to new research from Lund University in Sweden. In order to feed themselves and their offspring, male beetles seek out fresh piles of guano, roll some of it into a ball, and quickly push it home with their hindlegs before a competitor can snatch their prize away.

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Chris Gayomali is the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com. Previously, he was a tech reporter at TIME. His work has also appeared in Men's Journal, Esquire, and The Atlantic, among other places. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.