It seems that cattle and deer tend to graze while standing in a north-south direction. No one had ever noticed this until some researchers used Google Earth to study the question.
The researchers think it has something to do with Earth’s magnetic field.
(Hat tip: Spectre)
and 
. You can also watch it on 
“The researchers surveyed Google Earth images of 8,510 grazing and resting cattle in 308 pasture plains across the globe”
There are over 1.5 Billion cattle in the world. Maybe more. Is 8,510 really a representative sample?
“Their study ruled out the possibility that the Sun position or wind direction were major influences on the orientation of the cattle.”
How?
Goto Google Images and search for ‘Cattle Grazing’, it will be another source of information. I was actually surprised by the number of photos in which all the cattle were facing the same direction!!!
I think the researchers are ignoring some possibly simpler explanations of the north-south behavior.
Have you noticed that Google Earth photos tend not to have long shadows? That means that most of these satellite photos are taken in the middle of the day, when the sun is high.
If the sun is high in the sky, that means that it is close to directly south of Northern Hemisphere observers and directly north of Southern Hemisphere observers.
The sun’s position is a lot more likely influence on the behavior of grazing animals than magnetic north.
Ah, but some other researchers aren’t so sure. From the AP article: “Joseph L. Kirschvink of the California Institute of Technology said he wondered if fences around the pastures could affect cattle orientation.”
Living in the country…surrounded by pastures with cattle…Gotta tell you…
It ain’t true, about North South orientation.
While they do seem to graze all in the same orientation, wind and light appear to make a difference. I concur with number 11.
Except it seems the temperature and topography has an impact.
I often see cattle grazing facing west to south west in the afternoons…
and when they are down in the gullies they will tend to face the uphill.
slopes as they graze. Winds coming up the slopes make a difference.
What’s more fascinating…the number of hours, manpower, and resources spent on this seemingly useless endeavor, while children in this country are hungry, uneducated, and needing healthcare, and are threateded by global meltdown..
Somehow, I don’t think a woman decided this was the most important place on the planet to invest our planetary resources!
I was intrigued by the title of your column “The Last Thing In The World I Would Ever Think Goggle Earth Would Ever Be Used For” I’m planning on going to a Google Earth workshop this weekend.
I agree with the direction of the sun; its the same reason why most football stadiums face north south as well.
I’m with Greg on this one. It’s the sun. I don’t think that northern slopes are greener in the northern hemisphere and drier in the southern hemisphere because of magnetic fields.