Sensitivity of the pigeon to changes in the magnetic field

Meyer, Merle E.; Lambe, Dean R.

doi:10.3758/bf03328433

Cited by 23 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 5 publications

(5 reference statements)

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“…It now includes absolute failures to demonstrate magnetic sensitivity in studies involving four sorts of reinforcers (food, water, shock, and shock avoidance) and five responses (heart rate, pecking, drinking movements, walking, and flying) (Alsop, 1987;Beaugrand, 1976Beaugrand, , 1977Cannan et al, 1987;Delius & Emmerton, 1978;Griffin, 1982;Kreithen & Keeton, 1974;McIsaac & Kreithen, 1987;Meyer & Lambe, 1966;Orgel & Smith, 1954). A great many other negative studies have remained unpublished (see Alsop, 1987;Bookman, 1977;Delius & Emmerton, 1978;McIsaac & Kreithen, 1987;Neville, 1955).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The more recent literature, however, has been mixed. Studies employing conditioning (psychophysical) techniques have continued to give primarily negative results (Alsop, 1987;Beaugrand, 1976Beaugrand, , 1977Carman, Walker, & Lee, 1987;Delius & Emmerton, 1978;Griffin, 1982;Kreithen & Keeton, 1974;McIsaac & Kreithen, 1987; see also Meyer & Lambe, 1966;Neville, 1955;Orgel & Smith, 1954;cf. Bookman, 1977;Reille, 1968).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Pigeons fail to detect low-frequency magnetic fields

Moore

Stanhope

Wilcox

1987

Animal Learning & Behavior

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In an attempt to resolve basic inconsistencies in the literature on magnetic reception in birds, we tested 4 pigeons for possible sensitivity to low-frequency magnetic fields. Horizontal and vertical components of an earth-strength field were varied at frequencies of 0.01 to 10 Hz. None of the pigeons seemed able to distinguish between varying and static fields, although each received 1,800 trials of discrimination training. These results, related findings, and the reported failure to replicate a critical field study lead the authors to question the prevailing belief that pigeons can detect magnetic fields.Until 1971 most relevant studies indicated that birds were unable to detect magnetic fields (see Keeton, 1971). The more recent literature, however, has been mixed. Studies employing conditioning (psychophysical) techniques have continued to give primarily negative results

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Pigeons fail to detect low-frequency magnetic fields

Moore

Stanhope

Wilcox

1987

Animal Learning & Behavior

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“…Supportive evidence also comes from Walcott and Green (1974) who found that pigeons wearing a small Helmholtz coil around the head tended to fly in a direction opposite from home, when the artificial field produced had its axial inclination reversed (North up). Although magnetic sensitivity and its use by some invertebrates and lower vertebrates is known (Brown, 1962;Schneider, 1963;Barnothy, 1964;Ratner and Jennings, 1968;Martin and Lindauer, 1973) laboratory experiments using conditioning techniques have failed to show the existence of such a sensitivity in the pigeon (Orgel and Smith, 1954;Meyer and Lambe, 1966). One exception is the report of Reille (1968) on pigeons responding by heart rate accelerations to variations of an experimentally manipulated local magnetic field.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

An attempt to confirm magnetic sensitivity in the pigeon,Columba livia

Beaugrand

1976

J. Comp. Physiol.

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Summary. An attempt was made to test the sensitivity of homing pigeons to weak magnetic variations of the order of the ones naturally occurring on earth. Pigeons were first subjected to a cardiac orienting reflex test to 50 magnetic stimuli and to 50 control stimuli presented alone and randomly interdigitated. They were then subjected to a differential nociceptive conditioning procedure using the same magnetic and control stimuli for 100 trials under each stimulus condition. Cardiac activity was used as an index of reactivity throughout the study. The tests were performed in uniform magnetic fields using l to diameter Helmholtz coils. Results indicate that the magnetic stimuli presentations did not evoke a cardiac orienting reflex when compared to the cardiac orienting response of control pigeons to a neutral luminous stimulus. Moreover, results from the conditioning tests indicate that the magnetic stimuli were not used by the pigeons as a cue presaging the forthcoming shock. It is concluded that, in the present experimental situation, homing pigeons did not respond to small changes in the ambient magnetic field with changes in autonomic functioning. Results are discussed in the context of the inappropriateness of the stimuli and tests used to show magnetic sensitivity in birds.

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“…Although behavioral experiments in the field have suggested the use of a magnetic sense in the navigation of homing pigeons (Frei & Wagner, 1976;Keeton, 1971;Walcott, 1978;Walcott & Green, 1974), various attempts to demonstrate sensitivity to magnetic stimuli in the laboratory have failed (Alsop, 1987;Beaugrand, 1976;Delius & Emmerton, 1978;Griffin, 1982;Kreithen & Keeton, 1974;McIsaac & Kreithen, 1987;Meyer & Lambe, 1966;Moore, Stanhope, & Wilcox, 1987;Orgel & Smith, 1954). If a magnetic sense exists in these animals, such failures to demonstrate magnetic discrimination in the laboratory could be due to the failure to satisfy anyone of several prerequisites for such a demonstration.…”

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confidence: 99%

Attempts to demonstrate magnetic discrimination by homing pigeons in flight

Carman

Walker

Lee

1987

Animal Learning & Behavior

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Eight homing pigeons, trained to fly between two elevated feeders within a flight tunnel, were tested for their ability to discriminate between two magnetic field stimuli and two acoustic stimuli, using a unitary discrete-trials procedure with successive presentation of stimuli. Magnetic stimuli consisted of the ambient magnetic field and a reduced magnetic field in which the vertical component of the field was reduced to 50% of its ambient value. Acoustic stimuli consisted of an ambient white noise and the white noise plus a tone. Stimuli were paired with food reward and either a time penalty (Experiment 1) or electric shock (Experiment 2). Although subjects could discriminate sounds with our procedures, none of the subjects demonstrated discrimination of magnetic fields. The failure of pigeons to discriminate magnetic stimuli is discussed as a consequence of either the failure to provide conditions sufficient for such discrimination or the absence of a magnetic sense in these animals.

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Sensitivity of the pigeon to changes in the magnetic field

Cited by 23 publications

References 5 publications

Pigeons fail to detect low-frequency magnetic fields

Pigeons fail to detect low-frequency magnetic fields

An attempt to confirm magnetic sensitivity in the pigeon,Columba livia

Attempts to demonstrate magnetic discrimination by homing pigeons in flight

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