- A new study has suggested homing pigeons navigate using specialised immune cells in their liver and spleen, rather than their eyes or beaks.
- These immune cells, known as macrophages, were found to accumulate iron while breaking down old red blood cells, granting them unique magnetic properties, according to a study published in Science.
- Researchers discovered that removing these macrophages impaired pigeons' ability to find their way home.
- The liver exhibited the highest concentration of iron and the strongest magnetic response among all tissues and organs analysed.
- Clivia Lisowski, an author of the study, said: “These findings provide the first concrete evidence of how the Earth's magnetic field can be perceived within the body and passed on to the brain to guide movement.”
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