Pigeons May Sense Earth’s Magnetic Field Using Superparamagnetic Immune Cells in Their Livers
Researchers have discovered that homing pigeons possess superparamagnetic immune cells in their livers that act as biological compasses. This finding offers a new explanation for how birds navigate using Earth's magnetic field when visual cues are absent.
Why it matters
This discovery solves a long-standing mystery in animal biology regarding the mechanism of magnetoreception.
An international research team led by scientists from the University of Bonn, the University Hospital Bonn and the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior has identified supermagnetic macrophages in the livers of homing pigeons ( Columba livia domestica ) that appear essential for navigation when the Sun is not visible, pointing to an entirely new mechanism for animal magnetoreception.
The article is a straightforward report on scientific research findings.
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