The DOI matches its Crossref record; 64 of the 65 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
The quantum needle of the avian magnetic compass
Open accessAbstract
Significance: Billions of birds fly thousands of kilometers every year between their breeding and wintering grounds, helped by an extraordinary ability to detect the direction of the Earth’s magnetic field. The biophysical sensory mechanism at the heart of this compass is thought to rely on magnetically sensitive, light-dependent chemical reactions in cryptochrome proteins in the eye. Thus far, no theoretical model has been able to account for the <5° precision with which migratory birds are able to detect the geomagnetic field vector. Here, using computer simulations, we show that genuinely quantum mechanical, long-lived spin coherences in realistic models of cryptochrome can provide the necessary precision. The crucial structural and dynamical molecular properties are identified.
Overview
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
The claims and statistics of this paper haven’t been checked yet.
Run the check — free, no account needed. It reads the open-access text and checks the sources it cites.
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
In the citing paper
“In response to this it has been suggested that the incredible accuracy of the compass is the result of avoided crossings of the spin energy levels of radicals formed in cryptochromes, a process that is genuinely quantum mechanical [99].”
From The future of quantum biology (2018) · cites this paper as [99]
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
The self-check needs the paper’s full text.
Citations
Cites
A Model for Photoreceptor-Based Magnetoreception in Birds
Ritz, T., Adem, S., & Schulten, K. (2000) · Biophysical Journal · doi:10.1016/s0006-3495(00)76629-x · Cited by 1,176 · cited 5×
“Theoretical treatments of radical pair-based magnetoreception typically involve simulations of the quantum spin dynamics of short-lived radicals in Earth strength (∼50 μT) magnetic fields (9, 10, 17).”
BackgroundInfluentialMagnetic Compass of European Robins
Wiltschko, W., & Wiltschko, R. (1972) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.176.4030.62 · Cited by 752
Chemical magnetoreception in birds: The radical pair mechanism
Rodgers, C. T., & Hore, P. J. (2009) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0711968106 · Cited by 542
Self-citationGill, R. E., Tibbitts, T. L., Douglas, D. C., Handel, C. M., Mulcahy, D. M., Gottschalck, J., Warnock, N. D., McCaffery, B. J., Battley, P. F., & Piersma, T. (2008) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2008.1142 · Cited by 497
A Biomagnetic Sensory Mechanism Based on Magnetic Field Modulated Coherent Electron Spin Motion
Schulten, K., Swenberg, C. E., & Weller, A. (1978) · Zeitschrift für Physikalische Chemie · doi:10.1524/zpch.1978.111.1.001 · Cited by 430
Anthropogenic electromagnetic noise disrupts magnetic compass orientation in a migratory bird
Engels, S., Schneider, N.-L., Lefeldt, N., Hein, C. M., Zapka, M., Michalik, A., Elbers, D., Kittel, A., Hore, P. J., & Mouritsen, H. (2014) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature13290 · Cited by 403 · cited 4×
“It remains to be seen, however, whether the spin relaxation can be slow enough to explain the reported effects (52).”
BackgroundInfluentialSelf-citationEffects of weak magnetic fields on free radical recombination reactions
Timmel, C. R., Till, U., Brocklehurst, B., McLauchlan, K. A., & Hore, P. J. (1998) · Molecular Physics · doi:10.1080/00268979809483134 · Cited by 393
Self-citationMaeda, K., Robinson, A. J., Henbest, K. B., Hogben, H. J., Biskup, T., Ahmad, M., Schleicher, E., Weber, S., Timmel, C. R., & Hore, P. J. (2012) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1118959109 · Cited by 384
Self-citationMigrating Songbirds Recalibrate Their Magnetic Compass Daily from Twilight Cues
Cochran, W. W., Mouritsen, H., & Wikelski, M. C. (2004) · Science · doi:10.1126/science.1095844 · Cited by 383
Self-citationSustained Quantum Coherence and Entanglement in the Avian Compass
Gauger, E. M., Rieper, E., Morton, J. J. L., Benjamin, S. C., & Vedral, V. (2011) · Physical Review Letters · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.106.040503 · Cited by 357
Red light disrupts magnetic orientation of migratory birds
Wiltschko, W., Munro, U. H., FORD, H. A., & Wiltschko, R. (1993) · Nature · doi:10.1038/364525a0 · Cited by 314
Physics of life: The dawn of quantum biology
Ball, P. (2011) · Nature · doi:10.1038/474272a · Cited by 307
Magnetic Compass of Birds Is Based on a Molecule with Optimal Directional Sensitivity
Ritz, T., Wiltschko, R., Hore, P. J., Rodgers, C. T., Stapput, K., Thalau, P., Timmel, C. R., & Wiltschko, W. (2009) · Biophysical Journal · doi:10.1016/j.bpj.2008.11.072 · Cited by 305
Self-citationMouritsen, H., Janssen‐Bienhold, U., Liedvogel, M., Feenders, G., Stalleicken, J., Dirks, P., & Weiler, R. (2004) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.0405968101 · Cited by 304
Self-citationVisual but not trigeminal mediation of magnetic compass information in a migratory bird
Zapka, M., Heyers, D., Hein, C. M., Engels, S., Schneider, N.-L., Hans, J. B., Weiler, S., Dreyer, D., Kishkinev, D., Wild, J. M., et al. (2009) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature08528 · Cited by 296
Self-citationLight-induced electron transfer in a cryptochrome blue-light photoreceptor
Giovani, B., Byrdin, M., Ahmad, M., & Brettel, K. (2003) · Nature Structural & Molecular Biology · doi:10.1038/nsb933 · Cited by 274
Cryptochromes—a potential magnetoreceptor: what do we know and what do we want to know?
Liedvogel, M., & Mouritsen, H. (2010) · Journal of The Royal Society Interface · doi:10.1098/rsif.2009.0411.focus · Cited by 231
Self-citationHeyers, D., Manns, M., Luksch, H., Güntürkün, O., & Mouritsen, H. (2007) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0000937 · Cited by 223
Self-citationMagnetic Field Effects in Arabidopsis thaliana Cryptochrome-1
Solov’yov, I. A., Chandler, D. E., & Schulten, K. (2007) · Biophysical Journal · doi:10.1529/biophysj.106.097139 · Cited by 196
Life on the edge: the coming of age of quantum biology
(2016) · Choice Reviews Online · doi:10.5860/choice.194602 · Cited by 193
Role of Exchange and Dipolar Interactions in the Radical Pair Model of the Avian Magnetic Compass
Efimova, O., & Hore, P. J. (2007) · Biophysical Journal · doi:10.1529/biophysj.107.119362 · Cited by 189
Self-citationAvian Ultraviolet/Violet Cones Identified as Probable Magnetoreceptors
Nießner, C., Denzau, S., Gross, J. C., Peichl, L., Bischof, H., Fleissner, G., Wiltschko, W., & Wiltschko, R. (2011) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0020091 · Cited by 184
Quantum Control and Entanglement in a Chemical Compass
Cai, J., Guerreschi, G. G., & Briegel, H. J. (2010) · Physical Review Letters · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.104.220502 · Cited by 182
Structure of full-length Drosophila cryptochrome
Zoltowski, B. D., Vaidya, A. T., Top, D., Widom, J. M., Young, M. W., & Crane, B. R. (2011) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature10618 · Cited by 162
Night-vision brain area in migratory songbirds.
Mouritsen, H., Feenders, G., Liedvogel, M., Wada, K., & Jarvis, E. (2005) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America · doi:10.1073/pnas.0409575102 · Cited by 159
Self-citationMagnetoreception through Cryptochrome May Involve Superoxide
Solov’yov, I. A., & Schulten, K. J. (2009) · Biophysical Journal · doi:10.1016/j.bpj.2009.03.048 · Cited by 157
Light-induced Electron Transfer in Arabidopsis Cryptochrome-1 Correlates with in Vivo Function
Zeugner, A., Byrdin, M., Bouly, J., Bakrim, N., Giovani, B., Brettel, K., & Ahmad, M. (2005) · Journal of Biological Chemistry · doi:10.1074/jbc.c500077200 · Cited by 156
The magnetic retina: light-dependent and trigeminal magnetoreception in migratory birds
Mouritsen, H., & Hore, P. J. (2012) · Current Opinion in Neurobiology · doi:10.1016/j.conb.2012.01.005 · Cited by 154
Self-citationDirect Observation of a Photoinduced Radical Pair in a Cryptochrome Blue‐Light Photoreceptor
Biskup, T., Schleicher, E., Okafuji, A., Link, G., Hitomi, K., Getzoff, E. D., & Weber, S. (2008) · Angewandte Chemie International Edition · doi:10.1002/anie.200803102 · Cited by 153
Cintolesi, F., Ritz, T., Kay, C. W. M., Timmel, C. R., & Hore, P. J. (2003) · Chemical Physics · doi:10.1016/s0301-0104(03)00320-3 · Cited by 146
Self-citationThe effects of weak magnetic fields on radical recombination reactions in micelles
R. W. Eveson, C. R. T. (2000) · International Journal of Radiation Biology · doi:10.1080/09553000050176270 · Cited by 143
Alternative radical pairs for cryptochrome-based magnetoreception
Lee, A. A., Lau, J. C. S., Hogben, H. J., Biskup, T., Kattnig, D. R., & Hore, P. J. (2014) · Journal of The Royal Society Interface · doi:10.1098/rsif.2013.1063 · Cited by 140
Self-citationAcuity of a Cryptochrome and Vision-Based Magnetoreception System in Birds
Solov’yov, I. A., Mouritsen, H., & Schulten, K. (2010) · Biophysical Journal · doi:10.1016/j.bpj.2010.03.053 · Cited by 119
Self-citationHogben, H. J., Efimova, O., Wagner-Rundell, N., Timmel, C. R., & Hore, P. J. (2009) · Chemical Physics Letters · doi:10.1016/j.cplett.2009.08.051 · Cited by 114
Self-citationSchwarze, S., Schneider, N.-L., Reichl, T., Dreyer, D., Lefeldt, N., Engels, S., Baker, N., Hore, P. J., & Mouritsen, H. (2016) · Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience · doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2016.00055 · Cited by 109
Self-citationUpdated structure of Drosophila cryptochrome
Levy, C., Zoltowski, B. D., Jones, A. R., Vaidya, A. T., Top, D., Widom, J. M., Young, M. W., Scrutton, N. S., Crane, B. R., & Leys, D. (2013) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature11995 · Cited by 99
Biological sensing of small field differences by magnetically sensitive chemical reactions
Weaver, J. C., Vaughan, T. E., & Astumian, R. D. (2000) · Nature · doi:10.1038/35015128 · Cited by 97
Lüdemann, G., Solov’yov, I. A., Kubař, T., & Elstner, M. (2014) · Journal of the American Chemical Society · doi:10.1021/ja510550g · Cited by 95
Robins have a magnetic compass in both eyes
Hein, C. M., Engels, S., Kishkinev, D., & Mouritsen, H. (2011) · Nature · doi:10.1038/nature09875 · Cited by 91
Self-citationÅkesson, S., Morin, J., Muheim, R., & Ottosson, U. (2001) · Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences · doi:10.1098/rspb.2001.1736 · Cited by 85
Quantum Coherence and Sensitivity of Avian Magnetoreception
Bandyopadhyay, J. N., Paterek, T., & Kaszlikowski, D. (2012) · Physical Review Letters · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.109.110502 · Cited by 74
Entanglement and Sources of Magnetic Anisotropy in Radical Pair-Based Avian Magnetoreceptors
Hogben, H. J., Biskup, T., & Hore, P. J. (2012) · Physical Review Letters · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.109.220501 · Cited by 73
Self-citationHore, P. J. (2015) · Oxford University Press eBooks · doi:10.1093/hesc/9780198703419.001.0001 · Cited by 72
Self-citationTill, U., Timmel, C. R., Brocklehurst, B., & Hore, P. J. (1998) · Chemical Physics Letters · doi:10.1016/s0009-2614(98)01158-0 · Cited by 69
Self-citationHein, C. M., Zapka, M., Heyers, D., Kutzschbauch, S., Schneider, N.-L., & Mouritsen, H. (2009) · Journal of The Royal Society Interface · doi:10.1098/rsif.2009.0376.focus · Cited by 66
Self-citationQuantum coherence and entanglement in the avian compass
Pauls, J. A., Zhang, Y., Berman, G. P., & Kais, S. (2013) · Physical Review E · doi:10.1103/physreve.87.062704 · Cited by 64
Quantum limits for the magnetic sensitivity of a chemical compass
Cai, J., Caruso, F., & Plenio, M. B. (2012) · Physical Review A · doi:10.1103/physreva.85.040304 · Cited by 63
Effects of disorder and motion in a radical pair magnetoreceptor
Lau, J. C. S., Wagner-Rundell, N., Rodgers, C. T., Green, N. J. B., & Hore, P. J. (2009) · Journal of The Royal Society Interface · doi:10.1098/rsif.2009.0399.focus · Cited by 62
Self-citationTimmel, C. R., Cintolesi, F., Brocklehurst, B., & Hore, P. J. (2001) · Chemical Physics Letters · doi:10.1016/s0009-2614(00)01436-6 · Cited by 59
Self-citationLau, J. C. S., Rodgers, C. T., & Hore, P. J. (2012) · Journal of The Royal Society Interface · doi:10.1098/rsif.2012.0374 · Cited by 52
Self-citationThe puzzle of magnetic resonance effect on the magnetic compass of migratory birds
Kavokin, K. V. (2009) · Bioelectromagnetics · doi:10.1002/bem.20485 · Cited by 47
An improved semiclassical theory of radical pair recombination reactions
Manolopoulos, D. E., & Hore, P. J. (2013) · The Journal of Chemical Physics · doi:10.1063/1.4821817 · Cited by 44
Self-citationLefeldt, N., Dreyer, D., Steenken, F., Schneider, N.-L., & Mouritsen, H. (2014) · Journal of Experimental Biology · doi:10.1242/jeb.107235 · Cited by 40
Self-citationA New Type of Radical-Pair-Based Model for Magnetoreception
Stoneham, A. M., Gauger, E. M., Porfyrakis, K., Benjamin, S. C., & Lovett, B. W. (2012) · Biophysical Journal · doi:10.1016/j.bpj.2012.01.007 · Cited by 39
Dellis, A. T., & Kominis, I. K. (2011) · Biosystems · doi:10.1016/j.biosystems.2011.11.007 · Cited by 38
Lewis, A. M., Manolopoulos, D. E., & Hore, P. J. (2014) · The Journal of Chemical Physics · doi:10.1063/1.4890659 · Cited by 37
Self-citationSensitivity and entanglement in the avian chemical compass
Zhang, Y., Berman, G. P., & Kais, S. (2014) · Physical Review E · doi:10.1103/physreve.90.042707 · Cited by 32
A chemical compass for bird navigation
Solov’yov, I. A., Ritz, T., Schulten, K., & Hore, P. J. (2014) · Cambridge University Press eBooks · doi:10.1017/cbo9780511863189.012 · Cited by 31
Self-citationAn improved semiclassical theory of radical pair recombination reactionsPreprint
Manolopoulos, D. E., & Hore, P. J. (2016) · Cited by 26
Self-citationRadical-pair model of magnetoreception with spin–orbit coupling
Lambert, N., Liberato, S. D., Emary, C., & Nori, F. (2013) · New Journal of Physics · doi:10.1088/1367-2630/15/8/083024 · Cited by 21
Effect of radio frequency fields on the radical pair magnetoreception model
Xu, B.-M., Zou, J., Li, H., Li, J., & Shao, B. (2014) · Physical Review E · doi:10.1103/physreve.90.042711 · Cited by 17
Environment-induced anisotropy and sensitivity of the radical pair mechanism in the avian compass
Carrillo, A., Cornelio, M. F., & de Oliveira, M. C. (2015) · Physical Review E · doi:10.1103/physreve.92.012720 · Cited by 15
Comment on “Quantum Coherence and Sensitivity of Avian Magnetoreception”
Gauger, E. M., & Benjamin, S. C. (2013) · Physical Review Letters · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.110.178901 · Cited by 15
Quantum Control and Entanglement in a Chemical Compass
Guerreschi, G. G., Cai, J., & Briegel, H. J. (2011) · Bulletin of the American Physical Society · Cited by 6
Research works printed but not linked: 1
- CT Rodgers Magnetic field effects in chemical systems. DPhil thesis (Univ of Oxford Oxford UK). (2007).
Cited by
Sorted by citations
The Radical-Pair Mechanism of Magnetoreception
Hore, P. J., & Mouritsen, H. (2016) · Annual Review of Biophysics · doi:10.1146/annurev-biophys-032116-094545 · Cited by 813
“This study (a) affords new insights into radical-pair magnetoreception, (b) suggests ways in which the performance of the compass could have been optimized by evolution, (c) may provide the beginnings of an explanation for the magnetic disorientation of migratory birds exposed to anthropogenic electromagnetic noise, a…”
BackgroundMethodInfluentialSelf-citationLong-distance navigation and magnetoreception in migratory animals
Mouritsen, H. (2018) · Nature · doi:10.1038/s41586-018-0176-1 · Cited by 547
Self-citationHigh-intensity urban light installation dramatically alters nocturnal bird migration
Doren, B. M. V., Horton, K. G., Dokter, A. M., Klinck, H., Elbin, S. B., & Farnsworth, A. (2017) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1708574114 · Cited by 334
“The avian geomagnetic sense, which provides songbirds with a compass to inform their spatial maps (19, 20, 24), may function with a dependency on frequencies of light, and ALAN may interfere with this dependency (25 – 28).”
BackgroundMarais, A., Adams, B., Ringsmuth, A. K., Ferretti, M., Gruber, J. M., Hendrikx, R., Schuld, M., Smith, S. L., Sinayskiy, I., Krüger, T. P. J., et al. (2018) · Journal of The Royal Society Interface · doi:10.1098/rsif.2018.0640 · Cited by 274
Chiral Induced Spin Selectivity Gives a New Twist on Spin-Control in Chemistry
Naaman, R., Paltiel, Y., & Waldeck, D. H. (2020) · Accounts of Chemical Research · doi:10.1021/acs.accounts.0c00485 · Cited by 267
Metadata
- Authors
- Hiscock, H. G., Worster, S., Kattnig, D. R., Steers, C., Jin, Y., Manolopoulos, D. E., Mouritsen, H., & Hore, P. J.
- Affiliations
- University of Oxford (GB)
- Carl von Ossietzky Universität Oldenburg (DE)
- ORCID
- Venue
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
- Publisher
- National Academy of Sciences
- Published
- 2016-04-04
- Volume
- 113
- Issue
- 17
- Pages
- 4634-4639
- ISSN
- 0027-8424 (ISSN-L)
- 1091-6490
- PMC
- PMC4855607
- OpenAlex
- W2338302371
- Cited by
- 215
- References
- 65
- Citations by year
- 2026: 20 · 2025: 23 · 2024: 23 · 2023: 13 · 2022: 19 · 2021: 24 · 2020: 24 · 2019: 15 · 2018: 24 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 11
- FWCI
- 14.31
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- Locations
- Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (publishedVersion)
- Europe PMC (PubMed Central) (publishedVersion)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Durham Research Online (Durham University) (submittedVersion, cc-by)
- Explore Bristol Research (submittedVersion)
- Bristol Research (University of Bristol) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- EC | European Research Council (FP7/2007-2013/ERC grant agreement no. 340451)
- DOD | Air Force Office of Scientific Research (FA9550-14-1-0095)
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (GRK 1885)
- Volkswagen Foundation (Lichtenberg Professur)
- EMF Biological Research Trust (BRT 15/50)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Biophysics › Electromagnetic Fields and Biological Effects
- Physical Sciences › Chemistry › Spectroscopy › Electron Spin Resonance Studies
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › Geomagnetism and Paleomagnetism Studies
- Keywords
- cryptochrome, migratory birds, spin coherence, coherent spin dynamics, quantum biology, electromagnetic noise
- MeSH terms
- Animals, Birds, Computer Simulation, Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation, Homing Behavior, Models, Biological, Models, Chemical, Quantum Theory, Radiation Dosage, Signal Transduction, Animal Migration, Cryptochromes, Magnetometry, Magnetic Fields
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
