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Pigeons Navigate Using Magnetic Sensors in Livers
- On Thursday, researchers published a study in the journal Science identifying iron-rich immune cells in the pigeon liver as functioning like an internal compass for navigation.
- Zoologists have suspected for almost 100 years that birds rely on Earth's magnetism for navigation, but previous theories proposed sensing occurred through light-sensitive molecules in the eyes or beak structures.
- Researchers trained 34 pigeons to fly a 12-mile route through the German countryside; those with depleted macrophages could not return home on overcast days, but flew directly back when the sun emerged.
- Clivia Lisowski of the University of Bonn suggests this mechanism represents a new layer of 'immuno-sensation,' with iron-rich cells lying near nerve fibers to transmit magnetic information directly to the brain.
- Neuroethologist John Phillips of Virginia Tech says "there are certainly going to be nonbelievers," though he notes the science is compelling; future research must clarify how signals transfer to the brain.
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A carrier pigeon usually always arrives home. In the past, carrier pigeons brought important messages, but now pigeon owners compete to see whose bird is the fastest.
·Estonia
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An interdisciplinary German team wants to have discovered cells in the liver that could act as magnetic receptors.
·Vienna, Austria
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charitonleader.com+32 Reposted by 32 other sources
Pigeons navigate using magnetic sensors in livers
Immune cells packed with iron act as an "internal compass" — helping the birds detect the Earth's magnetic field.
·Chariton, United States
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Key West Citizen+2 Reposted by 2 other sources
Pigeons navigate using magnetic sensors in their livers
Immune cells packed with iron act as an "internal compass" — helping the birds detect the Earth's magnetic field.
·Key West, United States
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Total News Sources82
Leaning Left12Leaning Right16Center31Last UpdatedBias Distribution53% Center
Bias Distribution
- 53% of the sources are Center
53% Center
L 20%
C 53%
R 27%
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