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Pigeon beaks have navigation system mongabay.com March 14, 2007
German scientists found iron-containing structures in the beaks of homing pigeons that might enable the birds to use the earth's magnetic field for navigation. "The study suggests that the birds sense the magnetic field independent of their motion and posture and thus can identify their geographical position," stated publisher Naturwissenschaften Springer in a release.
The researchers say that the iron oxide crystals found in bird beaks may have practical applications for human use, including more accurate drug targeting and data storage. CITATION: Fleissner et al (2007). A novel concept of Fe-mineral-based magnetoreception: histological and physicochemical data from the upper beak of homing pigeons. Naturwissenschaften (DOI 10.1007/s00114-007-0236-0). This article is based on a news release from Scripps. Comments? News options
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