Avian magnetoreception: elaborate iron mineral containing dendrites in the upper beak seem to be a common feature of birds.

The magnetic field sensors enabling birds to extract orientational information from the Earth's magnetic field have remained enigmatic. Our previously published results from homing pigeons have made us suggest that the iron containing sensory dendrites in the inner dermal lining of the upper be...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales:	Gerald Falkenberg, Gerta Fleissner, Kirsten Schuchardt, Markus Kuehbacher, Peter Thalau, Henrik Mouritsen, Dominik Heyers, Gerd Wellenreuther, Guenther Fleissner
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2010
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/37a9be9a9bef4001935e39b04e4cd5ea
Etiquetas:	Agregar Etiqueta Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!

id	oai:doaj.org-article:37a9be9a9bef4001935e39b04e4cd5ea
record_format	dspace
spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:37a9be9a9bef4001935e39b04e4cd5ea2021-11-25T06:25:48ZAvian magnetoreception: elaborate iron mineral containing dendrites in the upper beak seem to be a common feature of birds.1932-620310.1371/journal.pone.0009231https://doaj.org/article/37a9be9a9bef4001935e39b04e4cd5ea2010-02-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/20169083/?tool=EBIhttps://doaj.org/toc/1932-6203The magnetic field sensors enabling birds to extract orientational information from the Earth's magnetic field have remained enigmatic. Our previously published results from homing pigeons have made us suggest that the iron containing sensory dendrites in the inner dermal lining of the upper beak are a candidate structure for such an avian magnetometer system. Here we show that similar structures occur in two species of migratory birds (garden warbler, Sylvia borin and European robin, Erithacus rubecula) and a non-migratory bird, the domestic chicken (Gallus gallus). In all these bird species, histological data have revealed dendrites of similar shape and size, all containing iron minerals within distinct subcellular compartments of nervous terminals of the median branch of the Nervus ophthalmicus. We also used microscopic X-ray absorption spectroscopy analyses to identify the involved iron minerals to be almost completely Fe III-oxides. Magnetite (Fe II/III) may also occur in these structures, but not as a major Fe constituent. Our data suggest that this complex dendritic system in the beak is a common feature of birds, and that it may form an essential sensory basis for the evolution of at least certain types of magnetic field guided behavior.Gerald FalkenbergGerta FleissnerKirsten SchuchardtMarkus KuehbacherPeter ThalauHenrik MouritsenDominik HeyersGerd WellenreutherGuenther FleissnerPublic Library of Science (PLoS)articleMedicineRScienceQENPLoS ONE, Vol 5, Iss 2, p e9231 (2010)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Gerald Falkenberg Gerta Fleissner Kirsten Schuchardt Markus Kuehbacher Peter Thalau Henrik Mouritsen Dominik Heyers Gerd Wellenreuther Guenther Fleissner Avian magnetoreception: elaborate iron mineral containing dendrites in the upper beak seem to be a common feature of birds.
description	The magnetic field sensors enabling birds to extract orientational information from the Earth's magnetic field have remained enigmatic. Our previously published results from homing pigeons have made us suggest that the iron containing sensory dendrites in the inner dermal lining of the upper beak are a candidate structure for such an avian magnetometer system. Here we show that similar structures occur in two species of migratory birds (garden warbler, Sylvia borin and European robin, Erithacus rubecula) and a non-migratory bird, the domestic chicken (Gallus gallus). In all these bird species, histological data have revealed dendrites of similar shape and size, all containing iron minerals within distinct subcellular compartments of nervous terminals of the median branch of the Nervus ophthalmicus. We also used microscopic X-ray absorption spectroscopy analyses to identify the involved iron minerals to be almost completely Fe III-oxides. Magnetite (Fe II/III) may also occur in these structures, but not as a major Fe constituent. Our data suggest that this complex dendritic system in the beak is a common feature of birds, and that it may form an essential sensory basis for the evolution of at least certain types of magnetic field guided behavior.
format	article
author	Gerald Falkenberg Gerta Fleissner Kirsten Schuchardt Markus Kuehbacher Peter Thalau Henrik Mouritsen Dominik Heyers Gerd Wellenreuther Guenther Fleissner
author_facet	Gerald Falkenberg Gerta Fleissner Kirsten Schuchardt Markus Kuehbacher Peter Thalau Henrik Mouritsen Dominik Heyers Gerd Wellenreuther Guenther Fleissner
author_sort	Gerald Falkenberg
title	Avian magnetoreception: elaborate iron mineral containing dendrites in the upper beak seem to be a common feature of birds.
title_short	Avian magnetoreception: elaborate iron mineral containing dendrites in the upper beak seem to be a common feature of birds.
title_full	Avian magnetoreception: elaborate iron mineral containing dendrites in the upper beak seem to be a common feature of birds.
title_fullStr	Avian magnetoreception: elaborate iron mineral containing dendrites in the upper beak seem to be a common feature of birds.
title_full_unstemmed	Avian magnetoreception: elaborate iron mineral containing dendrites in the upper beak seem to be a common feature of birds.
title_sort	avian magnetoreception: elaborate iron mineral containing dendrites in the upper beak seem to be a common feature of birds.
publisher	Public Library of Science (PLoS)
publishDate	2010
url	https://doaj.org/article/37a9be9a9bef4001935e39b04e4cd5ea
work_keys_str_mv	AT geraldfalkenberg avianmagnetoreceptionelaborateironmineralcontainingdendritesintheupperbeakseemtobeacommonfeatureofbirds AT gertafleissner avianmagnetoreceptionelaborateironmineralcontainingdendritesintheupperbeakseemtobeacommonfeatureofbirds AT kirstenschuchardt avianmagnetoreceptionelaborateironmineralcontainingdendritesintheupperbeakseemtobeacommonfeatureofbirds AT markuskuehbacher avianmagnetoreceptionelaborateironmineralcontainingdendritesintheupperbeakseemtobeacommonfeatureofbirds AT peterthalau avianmagnetoreceptionelaborateironmineralcontainingdendritesintheupperbeakseemtobeacommonfeatureofbirds AT henrikmouritsen avianmagnetoreceptionelaborateironmineralcontainingdendritesintheupperbeakseemtobeacommonfeatureofbirds AT dominikheyers avianmagnetoreceptionelaborateironmineralcontainingdendritesintheupperbeakseemtobeacommonfeatureofbirds AT gerdwellenreuther avianmagnetoreceptionelaborateironmineralcontainingdendritesintheupperbeakseemtobeacommonfeatureofbirds AT guentherfleissner avianmagnetoreceptionelaborateironmineralcontainingdendritesintheupperbeakseemtobeacommonfeatureofbirds
_version_	1718413735900479488

Avian magnetoreception: elaborate iron mineral containing dendrites in the upper beak seem to be a common feature of birds.

Ejemplares similares