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Learned magnetic map cues and two mechanisms of magnetoreception in turtles

Nature · 2025 · Mixed · Insufficient evidence

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MixedInsufficient evidencePaper 245

Juvenile loggerhead turtles learned to distinguish magnetic fields associated with feeding from other magnetic fields. Conditioned responses in the magnetic map assay were unaffected by radiofrequency oscillating magnetic fields, whereas orientation behaviour…

Study snapshot

PublicationNature · 2025
Study typeanimal
Reported directionMixed
Evidence ratingInsufficient

Abstract

Learned magnetic map cues and two mechanisms of magnetoreception in turtles Goforth KM, Lohmann CMF, Gavin A, Henning R, Harvey A, Hinton TL, Lim DS, Lohmann KJ. Learned magnetic map cues and two mechanisms of magnetoreception in turtles. Nature. 2025 Feb 12. doi: 10.1038/s41586-024-08554-y. Abstract Growing evidence indicates that migratory animals exploit the magnetic field of the Earth for navigation, both as a compass to determine direction and as a map to determine geographical position1 . It has long been proposed that, to navigate using a magnetic map, animals must learn the magnetic coordinates of the destination2,3, yet the pivotal hypothesis that animals can learn magnetic signatures of geographical areas has, to our knowledge, yet to be tested. Here we report that an iconic navigating species, the loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta), can learn such information. When fed repeatedly in magnetic fields replicating those that exist in particular oceanic locations, juvenile turtles learned to distinguish magnetic fields in which they encountered food from magnetic fields that exist elsewhere, an ability that might underlie foraging site fidelity. Conditioned responses in this new magnetic map assay were unaffected by radiofrequency oscillating magnetic fields, a treatment expected to disrupt radical-pair- based chemical magnetoreception4-6, suggesting that the magnetic map sense of the turtle does not rely on this mechanism. By contrast, orientation behaviour that required use of the magnetic compass was disrupted by radiofrequency oscillating magnetic fields. The findings provide evidence that two different mechanisms of magnetoreception underlie the magnetic map and magnetic compass in sea turtles. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Machine Enhanced Logic

AI evidence extraction

Structured fields below were generated from the paper’s abstract and metadata to make the evidence easier to inspect. Automated extraction may be incomplete or incorrect; verify important details against the original paper.

Study typeanimal
Effect directionmixed
PopulationJuvenile loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta)
Sample sizeNot supplied
ExposureRF
Evidence strengthInsufficientConfidence: 74% · Peer reviewed: yes

Main findings

Juvenile loggerhead turtles learned to distinguish magnetic fields associated with feeding from other magnetic fields. Conditioned responses in the magnetic map assay were unaffected by radiofrequency oscillating magnetic fields, whereas orientation behaviour requiring the magnetic compass was disrupted by radiofrequency oscillating magnetic fields.

Outcomes measured

  • Learned discrimination of magnetic fields associated with feeding (magnetic map cues)
  • Conditioned responses in a magnetic map assay under radiofrequency oscillating magnetic fields
  • Orientation behaviour requiring use of the magnetic compass under radiofrequency oscillating magnetic fields

Limitations

  • Sample size not reported in provided abstract
  • Radiofrequency exposure parameters (e.g., frequency, intensity, duration) not reported in provided abstract
  • Details of experimental design and statistical results not provided in provided abstract
View raw extracted JSON
{
  "study_type": "animal",
  "exposure": {
    "band": "RF",
    "source": "radiofrequency oscillating magnetic fields",
    "frequency_mhz": null,
    "sar_wkg": null,
    "duration": null
  },
  "population": "Juvenile loggerhead turtles (Caretta caretta)",
  "sample_size": null,
  "outcomes": [
    "Learned discrimination of magnetic fields associated with feeding (magnetic map cues)",
    "Conditioned responses in a magnetic map assay under radiofrequency oscillating magnetic fields",
    "Orientation behaviour requiring use of the magnetic compass under radiofrequency oscillating magnetic fields"
  ],
  "main_findings": "Juvenile loggerhead turtles learned to distinguish magnetic fields associated with feeding from other magnetic fields. Conditioned responses in the magnetic map assay were unaffected by radiofrequency oscillating magnetic fields, whereas orientation behaviour requiring the magnetic compass was disrupted by radiofrequency oscillating magnetic fields.",
  "effect_direction": "mixed",
  "limitations": [
    "Sample size not reported in provided abstract",
    "Radiofrequency exposure parameters (e.g., frequency, intensity, duration) not reported in provided abstract",
    "Details of experimental design and statistical results not provided in provided abstract"
  ],
  "evidence_strength": "insufficient",
  "confidence": 0.74,
  "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
  "keywords": [
    "loggerhead turtle",
    "Caretta caretta",
    "magnetoreception",
    "magnetic map",
    "magnetic compass",
    "navigation",
    "radiofrequency oscillating magnetic fields",
    "radical pair"
  ],
  "suggested_hubs": [
    {
      "slug": "who-icnirp",
      "weight": 0.2,
      "reason": "Uses radiofrequency oscillating magnetic fields to probe a proposed radical-pair-based magnetoreception mechanism; potentially relevant to RF bioeffects context, though not human health-focused."
    }
  ]
}
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AI-extracted fields are generated from the abstract and metadata and may be incomplete or incorrect. This material is for informational purposes and is not medical advice.

Identifiers and source

DOI: 10.1038/s41586-024-08554-y
PubMed: 39939776

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