Corneal sensitivity is required for orientation in free-flying migratory bats ...
(Uploaded by Plazi for the Bat Literature Project) Abstract The exact anatomical location for an iron particle-based magnetic sense remains enigmatic in vertebrates. For mammals, findings from a cornea anaesthesia experiment in mole rats suggest that it carries the primary sensors for magnetorecepti...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | unknown |
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Zenodo
2021
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.13466676 https://zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.13466676 |
| Summary: | (Uploaded by Plazi for the Bat Literature Project) Abstract The exact anatomical location for an iron particle-based magnetic sense remains enigmatic in vertebrates. For mammals, findings from a cornea anaesthesia experiment in mole rats suggest that it carries the primary sensors for magnetoreception. Yet, this has never been tested in a free-ranging mammal. Here, we investigated whether intact corneal sensation is crucial for navigation in migrating Nathusius' bats, Pipistrellus nathusii , translocated from their migratory corridor. We found that bats treated with corneal anaesthesia in both eyes flew in random directions after translocation and release, contrasting bats with a single eye treated, and the control group, which both oriented in the seasonally appropriate direction. Using a Y-maze test, we confirmed that light detection remained unaffected by topical anaesthesia. Therefore our results suggest the cornea as a possible site of magnetoreception in bats, although other conceivable effects of the ... |
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