Avian orientation: the pulse effect is mediated by the magnetite receptors in the upper beak
- Publisher:
- Royal Soc
- Publication Type:
- Journal Article
- Citation:
- Proceedings Of The Royal Society Of London Series..., 2009, 276 (1665), pp. 2227 - 2232
- Issue Date:
- 2009-01
Closed Access
| Filename | Description | Size | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 2008007838OK.pdf | 450.95 kB |
Copyright Clearance Process
- Recently Added
- In Progress
- Closed Access
This item is closed access and not available.
Migratory silvereyes treated with a strong magnetic pulse shift their headings by approximately 908, indicating an involvement of magnetite-based receptors in the orientation process. Structures containing superparamagnetic magnetite have been described in the inner skin at the edges of the upper beak of birds, while single-domain magnetite particles are indicated in the nasal cavity. To test which of these structures mediate the pulse effect, we subjected migratory silvereyes, Zosterops l. lateralis, to a strong pulse, and then tested their orientation, while the skin of their upper beak was anaesthetized with a local anaesthetic to temporarily deactivate the magnetite-containing structures there. After the pulse, birds without anaesthesia showed the typical shift, whereas when their beak was anaesthetized, they maintained their original headings. This indicates that the superparamagnetic magnetite-containing structures in the skin of the upper beak are most likely the magnetoreceptors that cause the change in headings observed after pulse treatment.
Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: