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Resonance effects indicate a radical-pair mechanism for avian magnetic compass
Abstract
Migratory birds are known to use the geomagnetic field as a source of compass information. There are two competing hypotheses for the primary process underlying the avian magnetic compass, one involving magnetite, the other a magnetically sensitive chemical reaction. Here we show that oscillating magnetic fields disrupt the magnetic orientation behaviour of migratory birds. Robins were disoriented when exposed to a vertically aligned broadband (0.1-10 MHz) or a single-frequency (7-MHz) field in addition to the geomagnetic field. Moreover, in the 7-MHz oscillating field, this effect depended on the angle between the oscillating and the geomagnetic fields. The birds exhibited seasonally appropriate migratory orientation when the oscillating field was parallel to the geomagnetic field, but were disoriented when it was presented at a 24 degrees or 48 degrees angle. These results are consistent with a resonance effect on singlet-triplet transitions and suggest a magnetic compass based on a radical-pair mechanism.
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“In recent years, quantum biology too has been benefitting considerably from the refinement of experimental tools that are beginning to provide direct access to the observation of quantum dynamics in biological systems [11-14]”
From Vibrations, quanta and biology (2013) · cites this paper as [12]
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BackgroundInfluentialChronobiology Meets Quantum Biology: A New Paradigm Overlooking the Horizon?
Mazzoccoli, G. (2022) · Frontiers in Physiology · doi:10.3389/fphys.2022.892582 · Cited by 23
“information about the geomagnetic field lines direction (Ritz et al., 2004; Ritz et al., 2009; Guerra et al., 2014; Wiltschko and Wiltschko, 2014; Wiltschko et al., 2021).”
BackgroundBiological effects of electromagnetic fields on insects: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Thill, A., Cammaerts, M., & Balmorí, A. (2023) · Reviews on Environmental Health · doi:10.1515/reveh-2023-0072 · Cited by 20
Polzi, L. Z., Marracino, P., Aschi, M., Daidone, I., Fontana, A., Apollonio, F., Liberti, M., d'Inzeo, G., & Amadei, A. (2013) · Theoretical Chemistry Accounts · doi:10.1007/s00214-013-1393-1 · Cited by 20
Magnetoreception: activation of avian cryptochrome 1a in various light conditions
Nießner, C., Denzau, S., Peichl, L., Wiltschko, W., & Wiltschko, R. (2018) · Journal of Comparative Physiology A · doi:10.1007/s00359-018-1296-7 · Cited by 20
Self-citationDogs can be trained to find a bar magnet
Martini, S., Begall, S., Findeklee, T., Schmitt, M., Malkemper, E. P., & Burda, H. (2018) · PeerJ · doi:10.7717/peerj.6117 · Cited by 20
“recording preferred directions of stereotype movement (“Zugunruhe”) in Emlen funnels (Emlen & Emlen, 1966; Mouritsen et al., 2009; Muheim, Moore & Phillips, 2006b; Ritz et al., 2004;Wiltschko &Wiltschko, 2003).”
BackgroundBojarinova, J., Kavokin, K. V., Pakhomov, A. Y., Cherbunin, R. V., Анашина, А., Erokhina, M., Ershova, M., & Chernetsov, N. (2020) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-020-60383-x · Cited by 20
Homing pigeons as a model for avian navigation?
Wiltschko, W., & Wiltschko, R. (2017) · Journal of Avian Biology · doi:10.1111/jav.01270 · Cited by 20
Self-citationBringing quantum mechanics to life: from Schrödinger’s cat to Schrödinger’s microbe
Yin, Z., & Li, T. (2017) · Contemporary Physics · doi:10.1080/00107514.2016.1261860 · Cited by 18
“Behavioural experiments of certain species, such as European robins, show that their navigation is based on both the light and the external magnetic field [65,66].”
BackgroundCryptochromes in Mammals and Birds: Clock or Magnetic Compass?
Kavet, R. I., & Brain, J. (2021) · Physiology · doi:10.1152/physiol.00040.2020 · Cited by 19
Why is it so difficult to study magnetic compass orientation in murine rodents?
Phillips, J. B., Muheim, R., Painter, M. S., Raines, J., Anderson, C. R., Landler, L., Dommer, D., Raines, A., Deutschlander, M. E., Whitehead, J., et al. (2022) · Journal of Comparative Physiology A · doi:10.1007/s00359-021-01532-z · Cited by 20
“Findings comparable to those obtained from hatchling snapping turtles were obtained in an early study of the effects of low-level 3 MHz and 5 MHz RF fields on the magnetic compass orientation of houseflies (Musca domestica) that were the impetus for the later experiments with migratory birds (Ritz et al. 2004).”
MethodResultSelf-citationChen, X., Huang, A., Li, S., Gu, H., Fu, L., & Zhang, M. (2024) · Chemical Engineering Journal · doi:10.1016/j.cej.2024.154237 · Cited by 19
The discovery of the use of magnetic navigational information
Wiltschko, R., & Wiltschko, W. (2021) · Journal of Comparative Physiology A · doi:10.1007/s00359-021-01507-0 · Cited by 19
Self-citationSpin-locking in low-frequency reaction yield detected magnetic resonance
Wedge, C. J., Lau, J. C. S., Ferguson, K.-A., Norman, S. A., Hore, P. J., & Timmel, C. R. (2013) · Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics · doi:10.1039/c3cp52019f · Cited by 19
Environmental sources of radio frequency noise: potential impacts on magnetoreception
Granger, J. N., Cummer, S. A., Lohmann, K. J., & Johnsen, S. (2022) · Journal of Comparative Physiology A · doi:10.1007/s00359-021-01516-z · Cited by 18
“Although there are likely many reasons for these changes in behavior (Johnsen et al. 2020), a recent finding of interest is that radio frequency electromagnetic noise (RF) can, under certain circumstances, disrupt magnetic orientation behavior (Ritz et al. 2004).”
Magnetic Compass: A Useful Tool Underground
Moritz, R. E., Burda, H., Begall, S., & Němec, P. (2007) · Springer eBooks · doi:10.1007/978-3-540-69276-8_12 · Cited by 20
“In birds, recent studies strongly support the RPM-model, showing a disruption of their magnetic orientation by weak, oscillating radio frequency fields in the MHz-range; these affect energy states in radical pair systems ( Ritz et al. 2004; Thalau et al. 2005).”
Shcherbakov, V. P., & Michael Winklhofer, A. (2010) · Physical Review E · doi:10.1103/physreve.81.031921 · Cited by 18
Designing green network architectures using the ten commandments for a mature ecosystem
Drouant, N., Rondeau, É., Georges, J., & Lepage, F. (2014) · Computer Communications · doi:10.1016/j.comcom.2014.01.005 · Cited by 18
“1−10Mhz can affect animal behaviour, particularly the orientation of migrating birds [23].”
BackgroundExtremely low frequency magnetic field enhances glucose oxidase expression in Pichia pastoris GS115
Ansari, A. M., Majidzadeh‐A, K., Darvishi, B., Sanati, H., Farahmand, L., & Norouzian, D. (2017) · Enzyme and Microbial Technology · doi:10.1016/j.enzmictec.2016.12.011 · Cited by 18
A biophysical approach to cancer dynamics: Quantum chaos and energy turbulence
Uthamacumaran, A. (2017) · Biosystems · doi:10.1016/j.biosystems.2017.03.004 · Cited by 20
Wiltschko, R., Dehe, L., Gehring, D., Thalau, P., & Wiltschko, W. (2012) · Journal of Physiology-Paris · doi:10.1016/j.jphysparis.2012.03.003 · Cited by 18
Self-citation
Metadata
- Authors
- Ritz, T., Thalau, P., Phillips, J. B., Wiltschko, R., & Wiltschko, W.
- Affiliations
- University of California, Irvine (US)
- Goethe University Frankfurt (DE)
- Virginia Tech (US)
- Corresponding author
- Ritz, Thorsten
- Venue
- Nature
- Published
- 2004-05
- Volume
- 429
- Issue
- 6988
- Pages
- 177-180
- ISSN
- 0028-0836 (ISSN-L)
- 1476-4687
- OpenAlex
- W1999373473
- Cited by
- 617
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 22 · 2025: 30 · 2024: 18 · 2023: 35 · 2022: 24 · 2021: 20 · 2020: 23 · 2019: 27 · 2018: 20 · 2017: 33 · 2016: 37 · 2015: 26 · 2014: 52 · 2013: 27 · 2012: 28
- FWCI
- 18.66
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Licence
- www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
- Locations
- Nature (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biophysics › Electromagnetic Fields and Biological Effects
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Ecology › Avian ecology and behavior
- Keywords
- radical pair mechanism, migratory birds, geomagnetic field, alternating magnetic field, magnetite, singlet-triplet transitions, magnetic resonance, robins, magnetic orientation, seasonal migration, disorientation
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Europe, Geography, Iron, Magnetics, Models, Biological, Oxides, Songbirds, Animal Migration, Ferrosoferric Oxide
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