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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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“Arguably the most convincing evidence for a radical pair mechanism [5–7] is that birds when tested in Emlen funnels (orientation cages [8]) during the migratory season become disoriented if exposed to weak radiofrequency (1−80 MHz) magnetic fields [9–18].”
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Gehring, D., Wiltschko, W., Güntürkün, O., Denzau, S., & Wiltschko, R. (2012) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2012.1654 · Cited by 9
Self-citationMagnetic Force Microscopy of the Ethmoid Bones of Migratory and Non-Migratory Fishes
Gorobets, S., Gorobets, O., Bulaievska, M., & Sharau, I. (2018) · Acta Physica Polonica A · doi:10.12693/aphyspola.133.734 · Cited by 9
Magnetic Orientation in Migratory Songbirds
Deutschlander, M. E., Muheim, R., & Bairlein, F. (2018) · Elsevier eBooks · doi:10.1016/b978-0-12-809633-8.90099-2 · Cited by 9
A conceptual framework on the role of magnetic cues in songbird migration ecology
Karwinkel, T., Peter, A., Holland, R. A., Thorup, K., Bairlein, F., & Schmaljohann, H. (2024) · Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society · doi:10.1111/brv.13082 · Cited by 8
An amplification mechanism for weak ELF magnetic fields quantum-bio effects in cancer cells
Zandieh, A., Shariatpanahi, S. P., Ravassipour, A. A., Azadipour, J., Nezamtaheri, M. S., Habibi-Kelishomi, Z., Ghanizadeh, M., Same-Majandeh, A., Majidzadeh‐A, K., Taheri, A., et al. (2025) · Scientific Reports · doi:10.1038/s41598-025-87235-w · Cited by 8
“Based on this mechanism Ritz et al. proposed an interesting explanation for Wiltschkos’ observation in the 1970s concerning a possible magnetic compass in European robins [10][11].”
Optically detected and radio wave-controlled spin chemistry in flavoproteins
Meng, K., Nie, L., Berger, J., von Grafenstein, N. R., Weber, S., Essen, L.-O., Rizzato, R., Einholz, C., Schleicher, E., & Bucher, D. (2026) · Nature Biotechnology · doi:10.1038/s41587-026-03158-5 · Cited by 8
Шашурин, М. М., Prokopiev, I. А., Филиппова, Г. В., Zhuravskaya, A. N., & Korsakov, A. (2017) · Russian Journal of Plant Physiology · doi:10.1134/s1021443717030165 · Cited by 8
Conditioning domestic chickens to a magnetic anomaly
Denzau, S., Kuriakose, D., Freire, R., Munro, U. H., & Wiltschko, W. (2011) · Journal of Comparative Physiology A · doi:10.1007/s00359-011-0675-0 · Cited by 8
Self-citationLight-dependent information: influence of loft conditions on young pigeon’s navigational system
Jorge, P. E., & Vicente, L. (2005) · Journal für Ornithologie · doi:10.1007/s10336-005-0015-7 · Cited by 8
“: +351-21-7500000 Fax: +351-21-7500169 initial step in the detection of the magnetic field is photon absorption, thus implying that magneto-reception should be a light-dependent process (Wiltschko et al. 1993; Ritz et al. 2000, 2004).”
BackgroundBiological effects of pulsating magnetic fields: role of solitonsPreprint
Brizhik, L. S. (2014) · arXiv (Cornell University) · doi:10.48550/arxiv.1411.6576 · Cited by 8
“In particular, such functions as navigation and hunting [6, 7], biological clock [8] and some other biological processes are based on the recognition of magnetostatic changes, mainly through certain cells in the visual system.”
BackgroundPhotoredox Catalysis with Spin Magnetic Field Effects: A Scheme for Chiral Resolution
Poh, Y. R., Koner, A., Reitz, M., & Yuen-Zhou, J. Y. (2025) · Journal of the American Chemical Society · doi:10.1021/jacs.5c11502 · Cited by 8
Phillips, J. B., & Painter, M. (2023) · Lynx new series · doi:10.37520/lynx.2022.015 · Cited by 7
Self-citationQuantum Computation by Biological Systems
D’Acunto, M. (2023) · IEEE Transactions on Molecular Biological and Multi-Scale Communications · doi:10.1109/tmbmc.2023.3272230 · Cited by 7
“tion [7], [8], [9], quantum tunneling in olfaction, and tunneling of electron and protons in enzyme catalysis [10], [11].”
BackgroundPerdeuterated Conjugated Polymers for Ultralow‐Frequency Magnetic Resonance of OLEDs
Milster, S., Grünbaum, T., Bange, S., Kurrmann, S., Kraus, H., Stoltzfus, D. M., Leung, A. E., Darwish, T. A., Burn, P. L., Boehme, C., et al. (2020) · Angewandte Chemie · doi:10.1002/ange.202002477 · Cited by 7
Tunable zero-field magnetoresistance responses in Si transistors: Origins and applications
Moxim, S. J., Harmon, N. J., Myers, K. J., Ashton, J. P., Frantz, E. B., Flatté, M. E., Lenahan, P. M., & Ryan, J. T. (2024) · Journal of Applied Physics · doi:10.1063/5.0203331 · Cited by 7
Magnetoreception and the ruling hypothesis
Vortman, Y., Fitak, R. R., & Natan, E. (2025) · Journal of Experimental Biology · doi:10.1242/jeb.250252 · Cited by 6
Romanova, N., Utvenko, G., Prokshina, A., Cellarius, F., Fedorishcheva, A., & Pakhomov, A. Y. (2023) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2023.2499 · Cited by 6
“Disruption of magnetic orientation in the presence of OMFs has been suggested as a diagnostic tool for the radical pair reaction mechanism underlying the magnetic compass in different animal taxa ([8 – 10], but see [11]).”
Background
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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