Key facts
- Supermagnetic macrophages have been identified in the livers of homing pigeons.
- These cells appear essential for navigation when the sun is not visible.
- This suggests a new mechanism for animal magnetoreception.
Understanding how animals navigate is a long-standing scientific challenge. Pigeons, known for their remarkable homing abilities, have long been studied for clues into their navigation mechanisms. This new research suggests a previously unconsidered biological factor may play a crucial role.