Cows II
I've spent the better part of the last two days transecting the fine state of South Dakota. Despite the 63,000 billboards that line the I-90 corridor, I saw several cows. I'm sure there were more hidden behind the Wall Drug billboards, but I found enough for some more cow observations.
1) I saw a line of 50 cows in a line (head to tail) heading for a pond. Amazing. How do they know it is time to head to the water? Maybe there is a time keeper cow. However, what happens when time keeper cow is ill, or becomes part of the food chain? The time concept may be intuitive to all of the cows, yet, they form a line. Why not just head to the pond as a large, unorganized mass (not unlike the population of a small South Dakota town at the opening of a new Super Wal Mart)? No, instead they form an orderly file, on their own, and move to hydration. Fascinating.
2) I saw a mass of cows (called a 'herd' by some). The mass was standing still. I've seen these groups of cows on movies, but they usually are running at a high rate of speed. There was probably 30 cows standing on a spot of field no bigger than 30' by 30'. No particular purpose that I could see (given the visible window one has at 80 mph).
The communication piece is the baffling part. I'm guessing I'm underestimating the power of the moo. The fact that cows can organize and function as a social group is baffling. I can't get six grown adults to stand in a line and move in the same direction. Yet, the bovines do it with little to no communication.
1) I saw a line of 50 cows in a line (head to tail) heading for a pond. Amazing. How do they know it is time to head to the water? Maybe there is a time keeper cow. However, what happens when time keeper cow is ill, or becomes part of the food chain? The time concept may be intuitive to all of the cows, yet, they form a line. Why not just head to the pond as a large, unorganized mass (not unlike the population of a small South Dakota town at the opening of a new Super Wal Mart)? No, instead they form an orderly file, on their own, and move to hydration. Fascinating.
2) I saw a mass of cows (called a 'herd' by some). The mass was standing still. I've seen these groups of cows on movies, but they usually are running at a high rate of speed. There was probably 30 cows standing on a spot of field no bigger than 30' by 30'. No particular purpose that I could see (given the visible window one has at 80 mph).
The communication piece is the baffling part. I'm guessing I'm underestimating the power of the moo. The fact that cows can organize and function as a social group is baffling. I can't get six grown adults to stand in a line and move in the same direction. Yet, the bovines do it with little to no communication.
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