A Light-Independent Magnetic Compass in the Leatherback Sea Turtle | Zendy

Kenneth J. Lohmann | Zendy; CMF. Lohmann | Zendy

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A Light-Independent Magnetic Compass in the Leatherback Sea Turtle

Author(s) -

Kenneth J. Lohmann,

CMF. Lohmann

Publication year - 1993

Publication title -

biological bulletin

Language(s) - English

Resource type - Journals

SCImago Journal Rank - 0.669

H-Index - 77

eISSN - 1939-8697

pISSN - 0006-3185

DOI - 10.2307/1542138

Subject(s) - magnetoreception , compass , biology , earth's magnetic field , turtle (robot) , magnetic field , physics , ecology , quantum mechanics

Diverse animals can orient to the earth's magnetic field (1-6), but the mechanism or mechanisms undrlying magnetic field detection have not been determined. Behavioral (7-9) amd neurophysiological (10-12) results suggest that the transduction process underlying magnetic compass orientation in vertebrates is light-dependent, a finding consistent with theoretical models proposing that magnetoreception involves a modulation of the response of retinal photoreceptors to light (13, 14). We report, however, that leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) hatchlings orient to the geomagnetic field in complete darkness. Thus, light-dependence is not a universal feature of vertebrate magnetic compasses.

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