Ever Wonder Why Some Animals Can Detect Magnetic Fields?

Current theories for magnetoreception have yet to be confirmed, which is why a group of scientists have come up with a new one.

Transcript

00:00 It's no secret that many animals have more acute senses than humans, even being able

00:08 to detect magnetic fields with an ability called magnetoreception.

00:12 But now a new study suggests it might have less to do with an animal's innate ability

00:16 and more with microbes living inside their bodies.

00:19 Magnetotactic bacteria, or MTB, use magnetic structures to maneuver via magnetic field

00:24 lines and through symbiosis, wildlife genomist Robert Fittak and his co-authors hypothesize

00:29 they form a symbiotic relationship with animals, giving the creatures a minor superpower while

00:34 the microbes get a nice place to live.

00:36 But there are problems with this hypothesis.

00:39 Principally, what's the pathway for magnetic detecting microbes to communicate with the

00:43 animal?

00:44 They're not entirely sure, but they're following evidence from a previous study that

00:46 found that particular link between MTB and microscopic marine protists, and the researchers

00:51 say their current study has uncovered that MTB are far more common than previously thought,

00:56 going largely overlooked.

00:57 The team are now testing their hypothesis, experimenting with whether birds lose their

01:01 keen magnetic-driven sense of direction after receiving antibiotics.

01:05 (upbeat music)

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