Unique

Pigeons Navigate With Their Livers

Superparamagnetic macrophages, and a compass nobody was looking for

Pigeons Navigate With Their Livers

The magnetite-in-the-beak theory has been contested for years. This puts the compass somewhere nobody was searching: superparamagnetic macrophages — immune cells — in the livers of homing pigeons, apparently essential to navigating when the sun is not visible. Kottke’s entire commentary on it was “So metal! 🤘”, which is both the correct pun and the correct reaction.

sci.news ↗

← back