Mouritsen Henrik, Ritz Thorsten
Volkswagen Nachwuchsgruppe Animal Navigation, Institute of Biology, University of Oldenburg, D-26111 Oldenburg, Germany.
Curr Opin Neurobiol. 2005 Aug;15(4):406-14. doi: 10.1016/j.conb.2005.06.003.
Recent advances have brought new insight into the physiological mechanisms that enable birds and other animals to use magnetic fields for orientation. Many birds seem to have two magnetodetection senses, one based on magnetite near the beak and one based on light-dependent radical-pair processes in the bird's eye(s). Among the most exciting recent results are: first, behavioural responses of birds experiencing oscillating magnetic fields. Second, the occurrence of putative magnetosensory molecules, the cryptochromes, in the eyes of migratory birds. Third, detection of a brain area that integrates specialised visual input at night in night-migratory songbirds. Fourth, a putative magnetosensory cluster of magnetite in the upper beak. These and other recent findings have important implications for magnetoreception; however, many crucial open questions remain.
最近的进展为鸟类和其他动物利用磁场进行定向的生理机制带来了新的见解。许多鸟类似乎有两种磁探测感官，一种基于喙附近的磁铁矿，另一种基于鸟类眼睛中与光相关的自由基对过程。最近最令人兴奋的结果包括：第一，经历振荡磁场的鸟类的行为反应。第二，候鸟眼睛中存在假定的磁感觉分子——隐花色素。第三，在夜间迁徙鸣禽中检测到一个在夜间整合特殊视觉输入的脑区。第四，上喙中假定的磁铁矿磁感觉簇。这些以及其他最近的发现对磁感受具有重要意义；然而，许多关键的开放性问题仍然存在。
