A research team in Germany has published new data on how pigeons use magnetic fields as a navigation method when visibility is limited. A key part of the long-sought answer could lie in an unexpected organ, their livers.

A research team in Germany has published new data on how pigeons use magnetic fields as a navigation method when visibility is limited. A key part of the long-sought answer could lie in an unexpected organ, their livers.

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But given the birds’ inability to navigate magnetically without the assistance from their livers, the researchers concluded: “We propose that in homing pigeons, superparamagnetic macrophages in the liver are required for finding magnetic direction.”

Macrophages are immune cells that break down old red blood cells. As part of this process, they accumulate iron, which may allow them to respond to magnetic fields.

Link to the paper

  • FTonsilStones@lemmy.caOPEnglish
    10·
    12 hours ago

    Per the article, they didn’t remove the livers, only depleted the macrophages:

    “We found that after macrophage depletion, pigeons flying under overcast conditions lacked their usual orientation capabilities,” they said.

    Also:

    When the sun was visible, the birds’ orientation was unimpaired, suggesting that visual and solar-based cues were another of the pigeons’ navigation methods.