Behavioural evidence for use of a light-dependent magnetoreception mechanism by a vertebrate

Phillips, John B.; Borland, S. Chris

doi:10.1038/359142a0

Cited by 204 publications

(138 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…In mole rats, the magnetic compass appears to be mediated by a mechanism involving permanently magnetic material, presumed to be particles of biogenic magnetite (Kimchi & Terkel, 2001;Marhold, Burda, Kreilos, & Wiltschko, 1997;. In contrast, the magnetic compass of songbirds and amphibians is light dependent (Deutschlander, Borland, & Phillips, 1999;Freake & Phillips, 2005;Phillips & Borland, 1992;W. Wiltschko & R. Wiltschko, 2005) and sensitive to low-level radio frequency fields (Phillips & Freake, 2006;Ritz et al, 2004), consistent with a magnetoreception mechanism involving a light-sensitive biochemical reaction (Ritz et al, 2000).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Magnetic compass orientation in C57BL/6J mice

Muheim

Edgar

Sloan

et al. 2006

Learning & Behavior

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109

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Magnetic compass orientation in C57BL/6J mice

Muheim

Edgar

Sloan

et al. 2006

Learning & Behavior

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109

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“…The intermediate blue-sensitive receptor mechanism is insensitive to PL. Likewise, light-dependent magnetic compass orientation in newts is mediated by an antagonistically interacting spectral mechanism, with a shortwavelength sensitive receptor mediating shoreward orientation and a long-wavelength sensitive mechanism mediating bimodal orientation along an axis perpendicular to shore [84]. Like fishes, newts are disoriented at intermediate wavelengths, which can be explained by an equal excitation of both mechanisms [84].…”

Section: Parallels Between Polarized Light Reception and Light-dependmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioural and physiological mechanisms of polarized light sensitivity in birds

Muheim

2011

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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Polarized light (PL) sensitivity is relatively well studied in a large number of invertebrates and some fish species, but in most other vertebrate classes, including birds, the behavioural and physiological mechanism of PL sensitivity remains one of the big mysteries in sensory biology. Many organisms use the skylight polarization pattern as part of a sun compass for orientation, navigation and in spatial orientation tasks. In birds, the available evidence for an involvement of the skylight polarization pattern in sun-compass orientation is very weak. Instead, cue-conflict and cue-calibration experiments have shown that the skylight polarization pattern near the horizon at sunrise and sunset provides birds with a seasonally and latitudinally independent compass calibration reference. Despite convincing evidence that birds use PL cues for orientation, direct experimental evidence for PL sensitivity is still lacking. Avian double cones have been proposed as putative PL receptors, but detailed anatomical and physiological evidence will be needed to conclusively describe the avian PL receptor. Intriguing parallels between the functional and physiological properties of PL reception and light-dependent magnetoreception could point to a common receptor system.

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“…Both mechanisms can be present in a single animal or, indeed, may be components of a common magnetoreception complex Wiltschko et al, 2007;Phillips, 1986). In vertebrates other than subterranean mole-rats (Thalau et al, 2006), a MBM is thought to provide the high sensitivity necessary to detect spatial variation in the geomagnetic field used to derive geographic position ('map') information, while the RPM or similar quantum process is thought to be primarily involved in deriving directional ('compass') information (Phillips, 1986;Wiltschko et al, 2002;Phillips and Borland, 1992).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High levels of maternally transferred mercury disrupt magnetic responses of snapping turtle hatchlings (Chelydra serpentina)

Landler

Painter

Coe

et al. 2017

Environmental Pollution

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a b s t r a c tThe Earth's magnetic field is involved in spatial behaviours ranging from long-distance migration to nongoal directed behaviours, such as spontaneous magnetic alignment (SMA). Mercury is a harmful pollutant most often generated from anthropogenic sources that can bio-accumulate in animal tissue over a lifetime. We compared SMA of hatchling snapping turtles from mothers captured at reference (i.e., low mercury) and mercury contaminated sites. Reference turtles showed radio frequency-dependent SMA along the north-south axis, consistent with previous studies of SMA, while turtles with high levels of maternally inherited mercury failed to show consistent magnetic alignment. In contrast, there was no difference between reference and mercury exposed turtles on standard performance measures. The magnetic field plays an important role in animal orientation behaviour and may also help to integrate spatial information from a variety of sensory modalities. As a consequence, mercury may compromise the performance of turtles in a wide variety of spatial tasks. Future research is needed to determine the threshold for mercury effects on snapping turtles, whether mercury exposure compromises spatial behaviour of adult turtles, and whether mercury has a direct effect on the magnetoreception mechanism(s) that mediate SMA or a more general effect on the nervous system.

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Behavioural evidence for use of a light-dependent magnetoreception mechanism by a vertebrate

Cited by 204 publications

References 20 publications

Magnetic compass orientation in C57BL/6J mice

Magnetic compass orientation in C57BL/6J mice

Behavioural and physiological mechanisms of polarized light sensitivity in birds

High levels of maternally transferred mercury disrupt magnetic responses of snapping turtle hatchlings (Chelydra serpentina)

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