In 2008, researchers were studying deer and cattle when they noticed something unexpected: the animals seemed to orient their bodies in a north-south direction while grazing and resting.. Yet too little research has been done since then for scientists to figure out why this is so, writes IFLScience.

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In the new study, the team looked at satellite images of cows grazing around the world, and also observed roe deer as they grazed and rested.. Next, scientists analyzed the body prints left in the snow by red deer and roe deer.. During the analysis, scientists also took into account factors such as:.

The scientists' analysis shows that all of these animals seemed to line up along the north/south magnetic line in statistically significant numbers. Climatic factors such as wind, sun and temperature did not appear to be the overall key directional factors explaining the animals' widespread alignment, the researchers said.. As a result, scientists came to the conclusion that the magnetic field is the only common and most likely factor responsible for the behavior of animals.

Analysis of cattle in areas with naturally high positive and negative aggregations provides evidence that the Earth's magnetic field is a sensitive signal.

Note that the study's results are strange, but they are not completely outside the realm of possibility.. Previously, scientists have already proven that some animals on Earth have magnetoreception, or the ability to perceive the planet’s magnetic fields, however, they are usually smaller than cows and deer. In fact, scientists have found that this behavior is quite common and useful for migratory birds—probably helping them navigate..

In a follow-up paper, the scientists also believed they had found evidence that "

And yet, the researchers note that the mechanism of how exactly cows and other large animals navigate the Earth's magnetic fields still remains a mystery to science.. But scientists have several assumptions.

For example, the radical pair hypothesis suggests a connection between magnetic perception and vision. According to this hypothesis, magnetic fields are perceived as visual patterns that depend on both the direction of the field and its intensity.

Interestingly, another study that looked at 34 cows that had strong neodymium magnets attached to their collars found that the animals showed no signs of directional preference whether they were wearing a magnet or not..

In another part of the study, researchers conducted 2,428 daily observations of 659 cows resting throughout the day in Portugal, excluding the hottest times, and found that cows preferred to face southeast. The study's authors concluded that animal behavior may actually be related to the direction of the Sun, rather than magnetic orientation.. Scientists also acknowledge that further research will be required to put an end to this issue..

Previously, Focus wrote that it was discovered that sheep choose a leader and achieve collective intelligence.