Abstract
In view of the suggestion from earlier experiments that detection of magnetic and gravitational stimuli may be linked, we investigated the possibility that gravitational changes across the synodic lunar month might influence the initial bearings of homing pigeons under conditions when naturally occurring fluctuations in the geomagnetic field have been shown to influence the birds’ orientation behavior. Six separate series of releases were conducted during four different years at three different sites. In all six, a nearly linear correlation between the pigeons’ mean vanishing bearings (MVB) and the day of lunar month (DLM) was found. The monthly oscillation of MVB could apparently exist stably in either of two modes, each 180° out of phase with the other; in some series the oscillation was from new moon to new moon and in others from full moon to full moon. Statistical analyses of several types support the notions that the best frequency of the oscillations of MVB is indeed almost exactly that of the synodic lunar month and that the turning points of the oscillations are the syzygies (new moon and full moon). However, attempts to tie the variations in MVB directly to the gravitational changes occurring during the lunar month have so far been unsuccessful; hence it is not yet known what environmental stimuli are acting as the immediate causes of the birds' changing orientation behavior.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsPreview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Aschoff, J.: Diurnal rhythms. Ann. Rev. Physiol. 25, 581–600 (1965)
Bennett, M.F.: The rhythmic activity of the quahog, Venus mercenaria and its modification by light. Biol. Bull. 107, 174–191 (1954)
Bennett, M.F., Shriner, J., Brown, R.A.: Persistent tidal cycles of spontaneous motor activity in the fiddler crab, Uca pugnax, Biol Bull. 112, 267–275 (1957)
Brown, F.A.: Persistent activity rhythms in the oyster, Am, J. Physiol. 178, 510–514 (1954)
Brown, F.A.: Propensity for lunar periodicity in hamsters and its significance for biological clock theories. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med. 120, 792–797 (1965)
Brown, F.A., Chow, CS.: Lunar-correlated variations in water uptake by bean seeds. Biol. Bull. 145, 265–278 (1973)
Brown, F.A., Chow, C.S.: Differentiation between clockwise and counterclockwise magnetic rotation by the planarian, Dugesia doratacephala. Physiol, Zool. 48, 168–176 (1975)
Brown, F.A., Park, Y.H.: Seasonal variations in sign and strength of gamma-taxis in planarians. Nature (London) 202, 469–471 (1964)
Brown, F.A., Park, Y.H.: Phase-shifting a lunar rhythm in planarians by altering the horizontal magnetic vector. Biol. Bull. 129, 79–86 (1965)
Brown, F.A., Park, Y.H.: Association-formation between photic and subtle geophysical stimulus patterns — a new biological concept. Biol. Bull. 132, 311–319 (1967a)
Brown, F.A., Park, Y.H.: Synodic monthly modulation of the diurnal rhythm of hamsters. Proc. Soc. Exp. Biol. Med, 125, 712–715 (1967b)
Brown, F.A., Webb, H.M.: Some temporal and geographic relations of snail response to very weak gamma radiation. Physiol, Zool. 41, 385–400 (1968)
Brown, F.A., Webb, H.M., Brett, W.J.: Magnetic response of an organism and its lunar relationships. Biol. Bull. 118, 382–392 (1960)
Enright, J.T.: Endogenous tidal and lunar rhythms. Proc. XVI Intern. Cong. Zool. 4, 355–359 (1963)
Enright, J.T.: The search for rhythmicity in biological time-series, J, Theoret. Biol. 8, 426–468 (1965)
Enright, J.T.: A virtuoso isopod: Circa-lunar rhythms and their tidal fine structure. J. Comp. Physiol. 77, 141–162 (1972)
Hauenschild, C: Lunar periodicity. Cold Spring Harbor Symp. Quant, Biol. 25, 491–497 (1960)
Keeton, W.T.: Release-site bias as a possible guide to the “map” component in pigeon homing. J. Comp. Physiol. 86, 1–16 (1973)
Keeton, W.T.: The orientation and navigational basis of homing in birds. Adv. Study Behav. 5, 47–132 (1974)
Keeton, W.T., Larkin, T.S., Windsor, D.M.: Normal fluctuations in the earth’s mag-netic field influence pigeon orientation. J. Comp. Physiol. 95, 95–103 (1974)
Korringa, P.: Relations between the moon and periodicity in the breeding of marine animals. Ecol. Monogr. 17, 347–381 (1947)
Lang, H.-J.: Über das Lichtrückenverhalten des Guppy (Lebistes reticulatus) in farbigen und farblosen Lichtern. Z. Vergl. Physiol. 56, 296–340 (1967)
Larkin, T.S., Keeton, W.T.: Bar magnets mask the effect of normal magnetic disturbances on pigeon orientation. J. Comp. Physiol. 110, 227–231 (1976)
Lieber, A.L., Sherin, CR.: Homicides and the lunar cycle: Toward a theory of lunar influence on human emotional disturbance. Am. J. Psychiat. 129, 69–74 (1972)
Longman, I.M.: Formulas for computing the tidal accelerations due to the moon and the sun. J. Geophys. Res. 64, 2351–2355 (1959)
Schureman, P.: A manual of the harmonic analysis and prediction of tides, U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, Spec. Publ. 98 (1924)
United States Government: The American ephemeris and nautical almanac, U.S. Nautical Almanac Office, Washington, D. C, 1973
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1978 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this paper
Cite this paper
Larkin, T., Keeton, W.T. (1978). An Apparent Lunar Rhythm in the Day-to-Day Variations in Initial Bearings of Homing Pigeons. In: Schmidt-Koenig, K., Keeton, W.T. (eds) Animal Migration, Navigation, and Homing. Proceedings in Life Sciences. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-11147-5_8
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-11147-5_8
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-662-11148-2
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-11147-5
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive