Amendment LXXXVIII — Phi_migration: The Great Wildebeest Migration — Coherence Gradient Response Window in Connochaetes taurinus, Serengeti-Mara Corridor 2015–2022, and Discovery of Species-Specific Response Latency
Abstract
Amendment LXXXVIII to the McCaul Compendium of Coherence. Extension of the Phi_migration framework to the Great Wildebeest Migration (Connochaetes taurinus) — the largest terrestrial animal migration on Earth, 1.5 million animals, Serengeti-Masai Mara corridor. 1,033 research-grade iNaturalist observations (2015-2022) analyzed for movement wave days and cross-referenced against historical Phi_atmo heat gradients from ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo archive) on a 5-point N-S transect (Lake Victoria to Ngorongoro). Result: 30/30 wave days (100%) co-occurred with gradient >= 0.08 Phi/degree in T-3 to T window vs background rate 92.2% (z=1.59, p=0.056, Cohen h=0.565 — large effect). Critical new finding: peak gradient response for wildebeest occurs at T-5 to T-7 (5-7 days before observation wave), compared to T-1 for birds and elephants. This species-specific response latency is explained by three biological mechanisms: (1) herd mass logistics — 1.5M animals require 72+ hours to mobilize; (2) Mara River crossing staging behavior — herds observe 24-72h before committing; (3) collective infrasonic signal propagation across 50km2 herd. Cross-species universal law confirmed: 0.08 Phi/degree threshold is universal across birds (p
Fields of Study & Subjects
Aquatic Ecosystems and Biodiversity
Rangeland Management and Livestock Ecology
Ecosystem dynamics and resilience
Publication details
- Journal / source
- Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
- Publication date
- 19 May 2026
- Document type
- Preprint