Generally, a mysterious animal called the narwhal, also known as 'Sea Unicorn,' whose behavior is usually unknown as they live in the icy arctic sea. To help explain its behavior, scientists used the chaos theory to study further how they act in their environment.
Narwhals' Mysterious Behavior as Sea Mammals
Not much is known about these sea unicorns, and there is a need to preserve what is left of these endangered whales, reported Science Alert.
The horned whales can dive to a depth of about 2 km, and the sea ice affects how they live. It was challenging to find them in the icy waste. Scientists have a better understanding of the irregular behavior of East Greenland's coast thanks to the chaos theory.
The study's first author, Evgeny A. Podolskiy, a geoscientist at Japan's Hokkaido University, added that sensors placed on the whale gather more data but do not explain its strange behavior, as stated in a research press release from Hokkaido University.
Podolskiy and Mads Peter Heide-Jørgensen, marine biologists, try to find a new way to develop a logic for the unknown habits of narwhals.
By definition, the Chaos theory is a way to predict what can happen but is ruled by a set of inviolable laws.
According to Fractal Foundation, the theory is based on physics and other ways to track animals without factual data.
New Observations Could Explain Irregular Behavior
An adult male narwhal and its activities were recorded for 83 days by a satellite-linked time-depth recording device attached to the animal's back, providing new insight into narwhal habits in its icy arctic sea habitat.
In the study, Podolskiy and Heide-Jørgensen, used their expertise in math calculations based on chaos theory. Based on the researchers, such methods could uncover new states recognized as "attractors" to which chaotic systems tend to evolve.
Chaos theory tools aided in uncovering a concealed daily pattern for this mammal, such as novel details about how factors like changing seasons could impact these habits.
About midday, the target narwhal may rest near the surface. However, when it did plunge, it went down pretty deep. Diving at twilight is also done at night when the water is shallower but more intense; the study found that this is when the animal looks for squid.
One of the noticeable factors in the behavior of the horned whale is caused by sea ice. When there is lots of ice, the animal will surface less. These rare whales need to be protected as man's activities have lessened their numbers.
Chaos Theory and Mammal Habits
Sea ice and these sea unicorns are specialized in the arctic sea, which is melting due to climate change, affecting their survival.
According to the study's authors, connecting chaos theory and habits has a relationship to their environment, but it is still a relatively new science.
Nevertheless, it encompasses "an uncommonly prolonged stretch" of almost three months, based on the researchers, who point out that equivalent records commonly cover only a few days. The authors added the approach is made simply by recording everything about the sea mammal and how the environment impacts them, per PLOS.
A narwhal is not as studied as other whales because they live in the icy arctic sea, but chaos theory may predict changes.
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