Corneal sensitivity is required for orientation in free-flying migratory bats
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...
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ftfuberlin:oai:refubium.fu-berlin.de:fub188/31518 2023-05-15T17:59:45+02:00 Corneal sensitivity is required for orientation in free-flying migratory bats Lindecke, Oliver Holland, Richard A. Pētersons, Gunārs Voigt, Christian C. 2021 7 Seiten application/pdf https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/31518 https://doi.org/10.17169/refubium-31249 https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02053-w eng eng https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/31518 http://dx.doi.org/10.17169/refubium-31249 doi:10.1038/s42003-021-02053-w https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ CC-BY Animal behaviour Visual system Bats ddc:570 doc-type:article 2021 ftfuberlin https://doi.org/10.17169/refubium-31249 https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02053-w 2022-05-15T20:46:01Z 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 anaesthetic are also explored. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the corneal based sense is of bilateral nature but can function in a single eye if necessary. Article in Journal/Newspaper Pipistrellus nathusii Freie Universität Berlin: Refubium (FU Berlin) |
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Open Polar |
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Freie Universität Berlin: Refubium (FU Berlin) |
op_collection_id |
ftfuberlin |
language |
English |
topic |
Animal behaviour Visual system Bats ddc:570 |
spellingShingle |
Animal behaviour Visual system Bats ddc:570 Lindecke, Oliver Holland, Richard A. Pētersons, Gunārs Voigt, Christian C. Corneal sensitivity is required for orientation in free-flying migratory bats |
topic_facet |
Animal behaviour Visual system Bats ddc:570 |
description |
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 anaesthetic are also explored. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the corneal based sense is of bilateral nature but can function in a single eye if necessary. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lindecke, Oliver Holland, Richard A. Pētersons, Gunārs Voigt, Christian C. |
author_facet |
Lindecke, Oliver Holland, Richard A. Pētersons, Gunārs Voigt, Christian C. |
author_sort |
Lindecke, Oliver |
title |
Corneal sensitivity is required for orientation in free-flying migratory bats |
title_short |
Corneal sensitivity is required for orientation in free-flying migratory bats |
title_full |
Corneal sensitivity is required for orientation in free-flying migratory bats |
title_fullStr |
Corneal sensitivity is required for orientation in free-flying migratory bats |
title_full_unstemmed |
Corneal sensitivity is required for orientation in free-flying migratory bats |
title_sort |
corneal sensitivity is required for orientation in free-flying migratory bats |
publishDate |
2021 |
url |
https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/31518 https://doi.org/10.17169/refubium-31249 https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02053-w |
genre |
Pipistrellus nathusii |
genre_facet |
Pipistrellus nathusii |
op_relation |
https://refubium.fu-berlin.de/handle/fub188/31518 http://dx.doi.org/10.17169/refubium-31249 doi:10.1038/s42003-021-02053-w |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.17169/refubium-31249 https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-021-02053-w |
_version_ |
1766168629064237056 |