Magnetosensitivity of amphibian morphological pigmentation is light- and eye-dependent and consistent with the radical pair mechanism

Abstract:Weak magnetic fields influence a wide range of biological processes, yet the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. The radical pair mechanism (RPM), which involves quantum spin dynamics, is a leading hypothesis. Here we show that weak magnetic fields modulate morphological pigmentation -- specifically, the number of perioptic melanophores -- in Xenopus laevis tadpoles in a field-strength-dependent manner. The response is light- and eye-dependent. The observed field-strength dependence is quantitatively consistent with a radical pair model. These properties are reminiscent of the light-dependent magnetoreception that is thought to operate in migratory birds, and establish amphibian pigmentation as a tractable vertebrate system for the study of radical-pair quantum biology.

Biological Physics (physics.bio-ph); Tissues and Organs (q-bio.TO); Quantum Physics (quant-ph)

arXiv:2607.20513 [physics.bio-ph]

(or arXiv:2607.20513v1 [physics.bio-ph] for this version)

https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2607.20513 Focus to learn more arXiv-issued DOI via DataCite (pending registration)

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