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The Biological Bulletin, Vol 185, Issue 1 149-151, Copyright © 1993 by Marine Biological Laboratory


RESEARCH NOTE

A Light-Independent Magnetic Compass in the Leatherback Sea Turtle

K. J. Lohmann and CMF. Lohmann
Department of Biology, Coker Hall, CB-3280, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599

Diverse animals can orient to the earth's magnetic field (1-6), but the mechanism or mechanisms undrlying magnetic field detection have not been determined. Behavioral (7-9) amd neurophysiological (10-12) results suggest that the transduction process underlying magnetic compass orientation in vertebrates is light-dependent, a finding consistent with theoretical models proposing that magnetoreception involves a modulation of the response of retinal photoreceptors to light (13, 14). We report, however, that leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys coriacea) hatchlings orient to the geomagnetic field in complete darkness. Thus, light-dependence is not a universal feature of vertebrate magnetic compasses.


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