OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) - A scientist at the Oklahoma Zoo and Botanical Garden is exploring the "headless butterfly" phenomenon. According to the OKC Zoo, Dr. Emily Geest, a Conservation Scientist at the Zoo, published a paper in the journal "American Entomologist" about how Monarchs and other butterflies can temporarily function without a head. LOCAL NEWS: OKC Zoo hosts Sensory-Friendly Night for Safari Lights Headless monarch butterfly. Image courtesy OKC Zoo. Headless monarch butterfly. Image courtesy OKC Zoo. Headless monarch butterfly. Image courtesy OKC Zoo. “When it first showed up, I thought, ‘Well, that’s weird.’ And then it kept showing up, which means maybe there’s something to this,” Geest said. “The big question is: is this because they’ve lost their heads, or is it genetics?” Officials say Dr. Geest was not interested in the zombie Monarchs at first, that the one-in-a-million phenomenon was not all that rare. That was until she read an 1879 article in the journal "Nature" about a Painted Lady butterfly that was able to lay eggs a day after a bird took its head. According to Geest, how they're able to move isn't really a mystery. Monarchs, like all butterflies, have what's called a decentralized nervous system, which means their brains aren't only in their heads. Their brains are also in ganglia, or a clump of nerve cells, moving throughout the whole body. “If one piece is lost, the body and nervous system can continue functioning, albeit for a short time—the insect has a substantially reduced capability to avoid predation and find food, and no ability to ingest any food it may stumble upon,” she noted. There may also be a genetic connection. Geest says some Monarchs have been documented possibly coming out of the chrysalis without a head. LOCAL NEWS: ‘A big relief’: Piedmont woman’s pet tortoise found after over 2 months of searching Although the ganglia help the insects move, heads are still necessary for life. Monarchs also use their antennae during migration and sensing the weather. They also need a head to eat. “It’s weird and it’s strange, but that’s insects,” Geest said. “It highlights how unique invertebrates are from vertebrates.” Geest's article can be found here.