Why did the ants ability to find its way around in the desert seem inexplicable to scientist first?

Scientists initially found the ants' navigation in the desert inexplicable because these insects rely on visual cues and natural landmarks to orient themselves in an environment that appears barren and featureless. The desert's vast, uniform landscape lacks the typical visual references that ants use in other habitats. Additionally, the precise mechanisms by which ants compute their position and direction were not well understood, leading to further intrigue about their remarkable navigational skills. Research eventually revealed that ants employ a combination of path integration and the use of polarized light from the sun to guide their movements.