Pigeons Lose Direction When Liver Immune Cells Are Removed

Removing iron-containing immune cells from the livers of pigeons specifically disrupted their ability to navigate under overcast skies, revealing a previously unknown mechanism for birds relying on Earth’s magnetic field. Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, the University of Bonn, and the University of Duisburg-Essen published their findings in Science demonstrating that macrophages, immune cells that accumulate iron, may be key to detecting magnetic fields. Dr. Clivia Lisowski, from the University of Bonn and the University Hospital Bonn, who led the immunological work, stated,…