Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sensory biology

Radio waves zap the biomagnetic compass

  • News & Views
  • Published:

From Nature

View current issue Submit your manuscript

A Correction to this article was published on 28 May 2014

This article has been updated

Weak radio waves in the medium-wave band are sufficient to disrupt geomagnetic orientation in migratory birds, according to a particularly well-controlled study. But the underlying biophysics remains a puzzle. See Letter p.353

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1: Biological 'magnetomonsters'.

a, Marianne Hanzlik; b, Heinz A. Lowenstam/Joseph L. Kirschvink; c,d, Dirk Schumann

Change history

References

  1. Wiltschko, W. & Wiltschko, R. J. Comp. Physiol. A 191, 675–693 (2005).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Kirschvink, J. L. Bioelectromagnetics 13, 401–411 (1992).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Kirschvink, J. L., Winklhofer, M. & Walker, M. M. J. R. Soc. Interface 7, S179–S191 (2010).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Kobayashi, A. K., Kirschvink, J. L. & Nesson, M. H. Nature 374, 123 (1995).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Engels, S. et al. Nature 509, 353–356 (2014).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Ritz, T. et al. Biophys. J. 96, 3451–3457 (2009).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. LaBelle, J. & Treumann, R. A. Space Sci. Rev. 101, 295–440 (2002).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  8. Block, S. M. in Sensory Transduction (eds Corey, D. P. & Roper, S. D.) Ch. 1, 1–17 (Rockefeller Univ. Press, 1992).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Eder, S. H. K. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 109, 12022–12027 (2012).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Kirschvink, J. L., Kobayashi-Kirschvink, A. & Woodford, B. J. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 89, 7683–7687 (1992).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Schumann, D. et al. Proc. Natl Acad. Sci. USA 105, 17648–17653 (2008).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Joseph L. Kirschvink is in the Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California 91125, USA, and at the Earth-Life Science Institute, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan.,

    Joseph L. Kirschvink

Authors
  1. Joseph L. Kirschvink
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Joseph L. Kirschvink.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Kirschvink, J. Radio waves zap the biomagnetic compass. Nature 509, 296–297 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13334

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nature13334

  • Springer Nature Limited

This article is cited by

Search

Navigation