Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields disrupt magnetic alignment of ruminants

Burda, Hynek; Begall, Sabine; Červený, Jaroslav; Neef, Julia; Němec, Pavel

doi:10.1073/pnas.0811194106

Cited by 100 publications

(94 citation statements)

References 34 publications

(42 reference statements)

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“…Magnetic compass orientation has been convincingly demonstrated in only two species of distantly related subterranean rodents (Burda et al, 1990;Kimchi and Terkel, 2001), two epigeic rodent species (Deutschlander et al, 2003;Muheim et al, 2006) and three bat species (Holland et al, 2006;Holland et al, 2010;Wang et al, 2007). More recently, magnetic alignment has been demonstrated in larger mammals, namely cattle and deer (Begall et al, 2008;Begall et al, 2011;Burda et al, 2009), and in hunting foxes . Likewise, the mechanisms of magnetoreception in mammals have been less studied than those of other vertebrates (Johnsen and Lohmann, 2005;Mouritsen and Ritz, 2005;Nemec et al, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Magnetic compass orientation in two strictly subterranean rodents: learned or species-specific innate directional preference?

Oliveriusová

Němec

Králová

et al. 2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

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SUMMARYEvidence for magnetoreception in mammals remains limited. Magnetic compass orientation or magnetic alignment has been conclusively demonstrated in only a handful of mammalian species. The functional properties and underlying mechanisms have been most thoroughly characterized in Ansellʼs mole-rat, Fukomys anselli, which is the species of choice due to its spontaneous drive to construct nests in the southeastern sector of a circular arena using the magnetic field azimuth as the primary orientation cue. Because of the remarkable consistency between experiments, it is generally believed that this directional preference is innate. To test the hypothesis that spontaneous southeastern directional preference is a shared, ancestral feature of all African mole-rats (Bathyergidae, Rodentia), we employed the same arena assay to study magnetic orientation in two other mole-rat species, the social giant mole-rat, Fukomys mechowii, and the solitary silvery mole-rat, Heliophobius argenteocinereus. Both species exhibited spontaneous western directional preference and deflected their directional preference according to shifts in the direction of magnetic north, clearly indicating that they were deriving directional information from the magnetic field. Because all of the experiments were performed in total darkness, our results strongly suggest that all African mole-rats use a lightindependent magnetic compass for near-space orientation. However, the spontaneous directional preference is not common and may be either innate (but species-specific) or learned. We propose an experiment that should be performed to distinguish between these two alternatives.Supplementary material available online at

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 91%

Magnetic compass orientation in two strictly subterranean rodents: learned or species-specific innate directional preference?

Oliveriusová

Němec

Králová

et al. 2012

Journal of Experimental Biology

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“…A number of the reviewed studies lacked statistical analyses (Bramble and Byrnes, 1972;Cavanagh et al, 1976;Mayer, 1976;Doucet et al, 1983;Doucet et al, 1987;Garant et al, 1987), did not precisely report the methodology (Loft and Menke 1984), power line voltage and/or ROW width (Mayer, 1976;Ricard and Doucet, 1999;Rieucau et al, 2007;Burda et al, 2009;Panzacchi et al, 2013). There were also large differences in scale ranging from few metres (Lamothe and Dupuy, 1984;Jackson and Hecklau, 1995;Rieucau et al, 2007) up to several kilometres ).…”

Section: Knowledge Gapsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, ungulates may align themselves in the direction of power lines (Burda et al, 2009), supposedly interrupted in their north south alignment (Begall et al, 2008), for other reasons that were not accounted for such as wind and solar conditions for thermoregulation (Hetem et al, 2011). Fluctuations in electric fields of a 500 kV power line did not influence cattle behaviour (Ganskopp et al, 1991).…”

Section: Electromagnetic Fieldsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Power line electromagnetic fields are suspected to disturb the hypothesized magnetic alignment of cattle and roe deer (Capreolus capreolus) (Burda et al, 2009). However, ungulates may align themselves in the direction of power lines (Burda et al, 2009), supposedly interrupted in their north south alignment (Begall et al, 2008), for other reasons that were not accounted for such as wind and solar conditions for thermoregulation (Hetem et al, 2011).…”

Section: Electromagnetic Fieldsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The effects of power lines on ungulates and implications for power line routing and rights-of-way management

Bartzke¹,

May²,

Bevanger³

et al. 2014

Int. J. Biodivers. Conserv.

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Thousands of kilometres of power lines exist and more are planned. Ungulates that range over large areas are likely to encounter power lines, but a synthesis of power line effects on ungulates is lacking. Reindeer (Rangifer tarandus tarandus) are suspected to avoid power lines up to distances of 4 km. In contrast, some forest ungulates preferentially forage in power line rights-of-way, cleared areas under power lines. We reviewed the factors that possibly influence avoidance and attraction effects of power lines on ungulates, construct a conceptual framework, and make suggestions on how to mitigate avoidance effects through power line routing and rights-of-way management. Power line construction, noise and electromagnetic fields are possible sources of disturbance, while rights-of-way management influences habitat use under power lines. Disturbance and altered habitat use can induce barrier and corridor effects, thereby influencing connectivity. Species-specific effects influence behavioural disturbance and habitat use. We found little evidence for behavioural disturbance of reindeer or forest ungulates under power lines. Forest ungulates could benefit from browsing in power line rights-of-way if they are managed to provide abundant and preferred forage as well as sufficient cover. However, power lines may facilitate access for hunters and predators. As a precaution, construction of power lines should be avoided in calving areas. To establish a causal relationship between the construction of power lines and potential avoidance, before-after-impact-control studies are recommended. More research is needed to make recommendations for the optimal design of power line networks.

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“…However, recent studies have yielded evidence that magnetic sensitivity is more widespread in mammals. Magnetic compass orientation has been reported in epigeic rodents (Deutschlander et al 2003;Muheim et al 2006) and bats (Holland et al 2006;Wang et al 2007), and magnetic alignment in ruminants (Begall et al 2008;Burda et al 2009). Thus, magnetic directional cues are used for short-or long-distance orientation also in surfacedwelling mammals, although probably only in specific behavioural contexts and/or specific environmental conditions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Changing and shielded magnetic fields suppress c-Fos expression in the navigation circuit: input from the magnetosensory system contributes to the internal representation of space in a subterranean rodent

Burger

Lucová

Moritz

et al. 2010

J. R. Soc. Interface.

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The neural substrate subserving magnetoreception and magnetic orientation in mammals is largely unknown. Previous experiments have demonstrated that the processing of magnetic sensory information takes place in the superior colliculus. Here, the effects of magnetic field conditions on neuronal activity in the rodent navigation circuit were assessed by quantifying c-Fos expression. Ansell's mole-rats (Fukomys anselli), a mammalian model to study the mechanisms of magnetic compass orientation, were subjected to natural, periodically changing, and shielded magnetic fields while exploring an unfamiliar circular arena. In the undisturbed local geomagnetic field, the exploration of the novel environment and/or nesting behaviour induced c-Fos expression throughout the head direction system and the entorhinal-hippocampal spatial representation system. This induction was significantly suppressed by exposure to periodically changing and/or shielded magnetic fields; discrete decreases in c-Fos were seen in the dorsal tegmental nucleus, the anterodorsal and the laterodorsal thalamic nuclei, the postsubiculum, the retrosplenial and entorhinal cortices, and the hippocampus. Moreover, in inactive animals, magnetic field intensity manipulation suppressed c-Fos expression in the CA1 and CA3 fields of the hippocampus and the dorsal subiculum, but induced expression in the polymorph layer of the dentate gyrus. These findings suggest that key constituents of the rodent navigation circuit contain populations of neurons responsive to magnetic stimuli. Thus, magnetic information may be integrated with multimodal sensory and motor information into a common spatial representation of allocentric space within this circuit.

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Extremely low-frequency electromagnetic fields disrupt magnetic alignment of ruminants

Cited by 100 publications

References 34 publications

Magnetic compass orientation in two strictly subterranean rodents: learned or species-specific innate directional preference?

Magnetic compass orientation in two strictly subterranean rodents: learned or species-specific innate directional preference?

The effects of power lines on ungulates and implications for power line routing and rights-of-way management

Changing and shielded magnetic fields suppress c-Fos expression in the navigation circuit: input from the magnetosensory system contributes to the internal representation of space in a subterranean rodent

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