Earth’s Magnetic Field Through a Bird’s Eyes
In that sense, “birds may see the magnetic field,” said study lead author Dominik Heyers, a biologist at the University of Oldenburg.
The magnetic field of Earth is produced with an electrical charge motion, believed to be associated with electrical currents produced by the mixing of convective effects and a rotation in the outer core of iron and nickel—termed “dynamo effect.”
Most of the magnetic fossils have shown us that the magnetic field of Earth has the ability to reverse itself every million years or so. What this means is that the north and south magnetic poles reverse, demonstrated by rocks formed from their molten state. These are labeled as indicators of the magnetic field, telling us when they were formed at a certain molten state during the time of their solidification.
At the Los Alamos National Laboratory, the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) is considered to be a general user facility. This refers to it being open to all researchers, on a proposal review basis, who wish to perform experiments in high magnetic fields. It is a particular mission by the National Science Foundation to work with the highest magnetic fields, in addition to providing necessary services for physics, chemistry, materials science, engineering, biology, and geology.
But another area of magnetic field research includes birds—simple feathered friends. In the past, scientists believed that birds’ eyes contain molecules that are thought to sense where the magnetic field is on Earth. But according to National Geographic, a new German study has found that these molecules are linked an area of the brain known to process visual information. For years, scientists have thought that migratory birds use an internal compass in order to navigate between their nesting areas and their wintering grounds—regardless how many thousands of miles may separate them. The German study is hoping to explain how this natural process works with Earth’s magnetic field.
During the study, Heyers and colleagues went ahead and injected migratory garden warblers with a special dye. This dye allowed the scientists to trace its path along the birds’ nerve fibers. One type of tracer dye went into the eyes, and another tracer dye went into an area of the brain called “Cluster N,” which is most active when the birds orient themselves.
Once the birds got their bearings with their intended location, both tracer paths traveled and met in the thalamus, a region in the middle of the brain responsible for vision. This connection showed a direct linkage between the eye and Cluster N, while strongly supported the hypothesis that migratory birds use their visual system to navigate using the magnetic field.
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