Chemical compass model of avian magnetoreception

Kiminori Maeda, Kevin B. Henbest, Filippo Cintolesi, Ilya Kuprov, Christopher T. Rodgers, Paul A. Liddell, Devens Gust, Christiane R. Timmel () and P. J. Hore ()
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Kiminori Maeda: University of Oxford, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QR, UK
Kevin B. Henbest: University of Oxford, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QR, UK
Filippo Cintolesi: University of Oxford, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, UK
Ilya Kuprov: University of Oxford, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, UK
Christopher T. Rodgers: University of Oxford, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, UK
Paul A. Liddell: Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
Devens Gust: Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA
Christiane R. Timmel: University of Oxford, Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QR, UK
P. J. Hore: University of Oxford, Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3QZ, UK

Nature, 2008, vol. 453, issue 7193, 387-390

Abstract: Animal magnetism: Feeling the force It has long been known that animals of many kinds can orient themselves with respect to the Earth's magnetic field. The question is: how do they do it? There is evidence in some species that grains of magnetite are used as detectors. In others, though, the magnetic orientation seems to involve the eye, possibly via the magnetic modulation of a photochemical reaction. But it is not known whether such modulation is even possible, for any chemical system, given that the Earth's magnetic field is relatively weak. Now Maeda et al. present evidence that weak magnetic fields can modulate photochemical reactions in the expected manner. The model system is entirely artificial, and the temperature rather low — but the point has been made, and researchers can now seek with renewed confidence the mechanisms used in the real world for orientation and migration.

Date: 2008
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DOI: 10.1038/nature06834

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