Skip to main content

Revealed: The tiny inner ear compass which helps birds navigate as they migrate



Scientists claim they have discovered how birds find their way across thousands of miles of land guided by the earth's magnetic field.

It seems beneath the feathers they are equipped with an internal navigation system similar to the gadgets used by comic superhero Iron Man.

Sensory neurons called hair cells are found inside the ears and they are responsible for detecting sound and gravity.



Migrating: A flock of cranes fly 200 kilometres east of Budapest. Scientists are baffled how birds always fly to the same location and even the same nest

To the surprise of Austrian and Australian scientists each cell has a single iron ball, which is up to 2,000 times small than the width of a human hair, in the same place as every cell.


More...
Rats get the summertime blues: Researchers discover rodents get more anxious as days grow longer
The real Tinker Bell: Scientists discover new species of minute fairyfly that is just one quarter of a millimetre long
Core, that's hot! Centre of Earth is 1,000 degrees higher than previously thought (making it as scorching as the sun)

The researchers believe that the iron responds much like a compass - known as magnetoreceptors - to help birds know whether they are flying north or south, the position of the sun and visual maps to help them find their way.

Hair cells are also involved in hearing and balance in most animals, so the researchers believe the iron may help the birds 'sense' the magnetic field, reports the Daily Telegraph.


PhD student Mattias Lauwers, from the Institute of Molecular Pathology (IMP) in Vienna, said: 'It's very exciting.



Research: The image shows cells from the inner ear of pigeons stained with a chemical that turns iron bright blue in colour. It highlights the balls of iron discovered by the Keays lab. Each one lies directly beneath the hairs and there is just one per cell

'We find these iron balls in every bird, whether it's a pigeon or an ostrich, but not in humans.'

But IMP group leader Dr David Keays told the paper: 'We're a long way off understanding how magnetic sensing works - we still don't know what these mysterious iron balls are doing.


Diagram: A hair cell which detects sound and gravity. Balls of iron are found directly beneath the hairs and may play a role in magnetic detection

'Who knows? Perhaps they are the elusive magnetoreceptors. Only time will tell.'

Dr Keays examined zebra finches, ducks, chickens, ostriches and budgerigars and found iron spheres in hair cells in each of their inner ears. Each cell contained just iron ball.

But they could not find any iron granules in the hair cells of mammals like mice, guinea pigs, humans and even fish.

For decades experts have been puzzled how birds migrate a mass movement along a 'flyway' between wintering and breeding grounds, thousands of miles in formation, often returning to the same location and even the same nest year after year.

Arctic Terns fly 44,000 miles per year when they travel from their breeding grounds to their feeding grounds in the Antarctic.

Sooty Shearwaters fly up to 40,000 miles each year from their home in the Falkland Islands to the Arctic where they feed in the summer.

British birds, including sparrows and cuckoos migrate south for the winter, travelling hundreds of miles over the Sahara desert.

The latest study published in the online version of Current Biology, builds on previous work by the Keays lab at IMP and the University of Western Australia's Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis (CMCA).

Last year the collaboration showed that iron-rich cells in the beak of pigeons - previously believed to be the magnetic sensors - were just blood cells.

CMCA research associate Dr Jeremy Shaw, who has studied iron in a range of animals from molluscs to humans, said it was an astonishing finding.



Superhero: Birds apparently have an internal navigation system similar to the gadgets used by Iron Man

Dr Shaw said: 'Despite decades of research, these conspicuous balls of iron had never been observed previously.

'Nature keeps surprising us with the various ways iron can be utilised by animals."

The scientists are now planning to investigate if the iron spheres react when moving through a magnetic field.

Popular posts from this blog

Study Abroad USA, College of Charleston, Popular Courses, Alumni

Thinking for Study Abroad USA. School of Charleston, the wonderful grounds is situated in the actual middle of a verifiable city - Charleston. Get snatched up by the wonderful and customary engineering, beautiful pathways, or look at the advanced steel and glass building which houses the School of Business. The grounds additionally gives students simple admittance to a few major tech organizations like Amazon's CreateSpace, Google, TwitPic, and so on. The school offers students nearby as well as off-grounds convenience going from completely outfitted home lobbies to memorable homes. It is prepared to offer different types of assistance and facilities like clubs, associations, sporting exercises, support administrations, etc. To put it plainly, the school grounds is rising with energy and there will never be a dull second for students at the College of Charleston. Concentrate on Abroad USA is improving and remunerating for your future. The energetic grounds likewise houses various

Best MBA Online Colleges in the USA

“Opportunities never open, instead we create them for us”. Beginning with this amazing saying, let’s unbox today’s knowledge. Love Business and marketing? Want to make a high-paid career in business administration? Well, if yes, then mate, we have got you something amazing to do!   We all imagine an effortless future with a cozy house and a laptop. Well, well! You can make this happen. Today, with this guide, we will be exploring some of the top-notch online MBA universities and institutes in the USA. Let’s get started! Why learn Online MBA from the USA? Access to More Options This online era has given a second chance to children who want to reflect on their careers while managing their hectic schedules. In this, the internet has played a very crucial in rejuvenating schools, institutes, and colleges to give the best education to students across the globe. Graduating with Less Debt Regular classes from high reputed institutes often charge heavy tuition fees. However onl

Sickening moment maskless 'Karen' COUGHS in the face of grocery store customer, then claims she doesn't have to wear a mask because she 'isn't sick'

A woman was captured on camera following a customer through a supermarket as she coughs on her after claiming she does not need a mask because she is not sick.  Video of the incident, which has garnered hundreds of thousands of views on Twitter alone, allegedly took place in a Su per Saver in Lincoln, Nebraska according to Twitter user @davenewworld_2. In it, an unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of the customer recording her. Scroll down for video An unidentified woman was captured dramatically coughing as she smiles saying 'Excuse me! I'm coming through' in the direction of a woman recording her A woman was captured on camera following a customer as she coughs on her in a supermarket without a mask on claiming she does not need one because she is not sick @chaiteabugz #karen #covid #karens #karensgonewild #karensalert #masks we were just wearing a mask at the store. ¿ o