The magnetic compass mechanisms of birds and rodents are based on different physical principles.
Recently, oscillating magnetic fields in the MHz-range were introduced as a useful diagnostic tool to identify the mechanism underlying magnetoreception. The effect of very weak high-frequency fields on the orientation of migratory birds indicates that the avian magnetic compass is based on a radical pair mechanism. To analyse the nature of the magnetic compass of mammals, we tested rodents, Ansell's mole-rats, using their tendency to build their nests in the southern part of the arena as a criterion whether or not they could orient. In contrast to birds, their orientation was not disrupted when a broad-band field of 0.1-10MHz of 85nT or a 1.315MHz field of 480nT was added to the static geomagnetic field of 46000nT. Even increasing the intensity of the 1.315MHz field (Zeeman frequency in the local geomagnetic field) to 4800nT, more than a tenth of the static field, the mole-rats remained unaffected and continued to build their nests in the south. These results indicate that in contrast to that of birds, their magnetic compass does not involve radical pair processes; it seems to be based on a fundamentally different principle, which probably involves magnetite.
Thalau
Peter
P
Fachbereich Biowissenschaften der J.W.Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Siesmayerstrasse 70, 60054 Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Ritz
Thorsten
T
Burda
Hynek
H
Wegner
Regina E
RE
Wiltschko
Roswitha
R
D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D008280:Magnetics; D008297:Male; D019577:Mole Rats / Q000502:physiology*; D009425:Nesting Behavior / Q000502:physiology*