Scientists at the Max Planck Institute have discovered the ability to see magnetic fields in dogs and primates. Biologists have discovered the necessary magnetoreceptor molecules in the eyes of these animals, according to an article by scientists for the journal Nature Scientific Reports.
We are talking about a group of light-sensitive molecules called cryptochrome, which are common in both animals and plants, and are found in bacteria. In addition to their primary function, they also enable some animals to sense magnetic fields, which helps them perceive height and direction.
It was previously thought that they were only common among fish, birds, reptiles and insects. In mammals, orientation by magnetic fields is found only in moles and bats. A new study has shown that another 90 species of mammals also have cryptochromes, including dogs, primates and bears.
Since cryptochrome is located in the retina of the eye, it allows you to literally “see” the tilt of magnetic fields relative to the ground, rather than “feel” as it is believed. The confirmation is the location of the molecules - they are located in the outer, light-sensitive segments of the "cones".
Anton Zhevlakov
