Myths in magnetosensation

iScience

David A. Keays¹  Simon Nimpf¹ 

[1] Division of Neurobiology, Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Planegg-Martinsried, 82152 Munich, Germany;

关键词: Biological science;    ethology;    zoology;    physiology;   

DOI  :  

来源: DOAJ

【 摘 要 】

Summary: The ability to detect magnetic fields is a sensory modality that is used by many animals to navigate. While first postulated in the 1800s, for decades, it was considered a biological myth. A series of elegant behavioral experiments in the 1960s and 1970s showed conclusively that the sense is real; however, the underlying mechanism(s) remained unresolved. Consequently, this has given rise to a series of beliefs that are critically analyzed in this manuscript. We address six assertions: (1) Magnetoreception does not exist; (2) It has to be magnetite; (3) Birds have a conserved six loci magnetic sense system in their upper beak; (4) It has to be cryptochrome; (5) MagR is a protein biocompass; and (6) The electromagnetic induction hypothesis is dead. In advancing counter-arguments for these beliefs, we hope to stimulate debate, new ideas, and the design of well-controlled experiments that can aid our understanding of this fascinating biological phenomenon.

【 授权许可】

Unknown