The monarch’s stupendous migration, dissected

Tim Vernimmen

doi:10.1146/knowable-051220-2

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CREDIT: MAKI NARO

Living World

Comic

The monarch’s stupendous migration, dissected

COMIC: The feisty orange-black butterfly uses a toolbox of biological tricks to find its way down to Mexico for winter and flap north again in spring. Here’s how scientists figured out those tricks — and what they don’t yet understand.

By Tim Vernimmen Illustrated by Maki Naro 06.14.2018

10.1146/knowable-051220-2

Tim Vernimmen is a freelance journalist based near Antwerp, Belgium. He writes about the science of life.

Maki Naro  is an award-winning feral cartoonist and science communicator. You can reliably find him online, where he tweets from the handle @sciencecomic

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<p class="article-info">
Comic</p>
<h1>The monarch’s stupendous migration, dissected</h1>
<p class="article-subhead">COMIC: The feisty orange-black butterfly uses a toolbox of biological tricks to find its way down to Mexico for winter and flap north again in spring. Here’s how scientists figured out those tricks — and what they don’t yet understand.</p>
<p class="article-byline">
<span class="author-byline">By Tim Vernimmen</span>
<span class="pub-date">06.14.2018<span>
</p>
<div class="article-content">
<div class="article-text -drop-cap"><div class="article-comic"><div class="comic-panel"><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-1-1_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-1-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-2-1_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-2-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-3-1_1.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-3-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-4-1_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-4-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-5-1_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-5-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-6-1_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-6-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-7-1_1.gif" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-7-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-8-1_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-8-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-9-1_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-9-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-9-3_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-10-1_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-10-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-11-1_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-11-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-12-1_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-12-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-13-1_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-13-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-14-1_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-14-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-15-1_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-15-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-16-1_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-16-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-17-1_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-17-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-18-1_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-18-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-18-3_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-19-1_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-19-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-20-1_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-20-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-21-1_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-21-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-22-1_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" src="/docserver/fulltext/10.1146/knowable-051220-2/monarch-comic-22-2_1.png" class="fr-fic fr-dii"></img></div></div></div><div class="comic-panel-row"><div class="comic-panel-images"><div class="comic-panel-cell"><img alt="" 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The monarch’s stupendous migration, dissected

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Neurobiology of Monarch Butterfly Migration

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