| Magnetoreception in birds: no intensity window in "fixed direction" responses. | |
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MedLine Citation:
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PMID: 19760275 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
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Under 502 nm turquoise light combined with 590 nm yellow light and in total darkness, European robins, Erithacus rubecula, no longer prefer their migratory direction, but exhibit so-called fixed direction responses that do not show the seasonal change between spring and autumn. We tested robins under these light conditions in the local geomagnetic field of 46 microT, a field of twice this intensity, 92 microT, and a field of three times this intensity, 138 microT. Under all three magnetic conditions, the birds preferred the same easterly direction under turquoise-and-yellow light and the same northwesterly direction under dark, while they were oriented in their seasonally appropriate direction under control conditions. "Fixed direction" responses are thus not limited to a narrow intensity window as has been found for normal compass orientation. This can be attributed to their origin in the magnetite-based receptor in the upper beak, which operates according to fundamentally different principles than the radical pair mechanism in the retina mediating compass orientation. "Fixed direction" responses are possibly a relict of a receptor mechanism that changed its function, now mainly providing information on magnetic intensity. |
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Authors:
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Wolfgang Wiltschko; Lars Dehe; Katrin Stapput; Peter Thalau; Roswitha Wiltschko |
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Publication Detail:
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Type: Journal Article; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't Date: 2009-09-17 |
Journal Detail:
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Title: Die Naturwissenschaften Volume: 97 ISSN: 1432-1904 ISO Abbreviation: Naturwissenschaften Publication Date: 2010 Jan |
Date Detail:
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Created Date: 2010-01-21 Completed Date: 2010-04-23 Revised Date: - |
Medline Journal Info:
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Nlm Unique ID: 0400767 Medline TA: Naturwissenschaften Country: Germany |
Other Details:
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Languages: eng Pagination: 37-42 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
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FB Biowissenschaften, J.W. Goethe-Universit?t Frankfurt, Siesmayerstrasse 70, 60054, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. |
Export Citation:
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| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
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Animal Migration Animals Animals, Zoo / physiology Color Vision / physiology Darkness Electromagnetic Fields Germany Light Lighting Magnetics* Orientation / physiology* Photoperiod Seasons Songbirds / physiology* |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
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