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Biol Bull 118: 382-392. (June 1960)
© 1960 Marine Biological Laboratory
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MAGNETIC RESPONSE OF AN ORGANISM AND ITS LUNAR RELATIONSHIPS

F. A. BROWN JR. 1, H. M. WEBB 1, and W. J. BRETT 1

1 Departments of Biological Sciences, Northwestern University, Goucher College and Indiana State Teachers College, and the Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, Mass.

1. The direction, and mean amount, of turning in snails initially directed southward into a constant symmetrical, illuminated field displays a lunar-day rhythm with minimum turning about the time of moon-rise, and maximum turning at lunar nadir. There is also a lunar-day cycle of standard deviation of snail pathways, with a minimum about moon-rise and a maximum near moon-set.

2. The response of snails to an experimentally augmented magnetic field also exhibits a lunar-day rhythm with maximum turning to the left at lunar nadir.

3. The specific character of the lunar-day rhythm of the response to the experimental magnetic fields gives further support for the view that magnetic field is normally involved in snail orientation.

4. The mean daily response of snails to experimental magnetic fields, expressed as differences from the response of controls in the earth's natural field, displays a semi-monthly rhythm. Maximum right-turning in response to a magnetic increase of 10-fold over that of the earth occurs one to two days before new and full moon, and maximum left turning just before the times of the first and third quarters of the moon.

5. There is a synodic monthly fluctuation in mean daily standard deviations of snail paths with maximum deviation about two days before new moon and minimum deviation about the time of full moon.

6. Some suggestive correlations are demonstrated between barometric pressure and the spatial orientation of snails in an environment constant with respect to all generally accepted orienting factors.

7. It is pointed out that similarities in influence of some unidentified barometric pressure correlates on (a) magnetic orientation of snails, (b) general cellular oxidations, and (c) spontaneous activity cycles present reasons for postulating that the latter two phenomena are in some manner related to the magnetic field response and suggest that response to magnetic field is a widely distributed biological phenomenon.

8. Evidence is presented that suggests there is a biological influence of a universal-time-related, rhythmic, environmental factor.






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Copyright © 1960 by the Marine Biological Laboratory.