Scientists already know how birds see the Earth's magnetic field

Migratory birds can sense the Earth's magnetic field. Thus, they determine the direction very ingenious, with scale spread across the continent. But what is the secret behind this ability?

In migratory birds, they are able to determine the direction in an ingenious manner. In the winter they moved to the south to avoid cold, and then returned to their old places when it was sunny.

And their journey is not from one city to another, but to a whole continent.

Migratory birds have the ability to locate directions very skillfully.

According to scientists, the reason they can do so is because of the ability to feel the magnetic field of the Earth - also known as magnetoreception - a very wonderful gift of nature . However, the secret behind this ability has never been found.

But recently, it seems that the secret has been "revealed", thanks to the research of two expert groups.

Accordingly, what is behind this transcendence is a protein called Cry4 .

Specifically, two study groups were conducted on two different migratory birds. One group is on zebra finch, the other is red-necked bird. Both want to confirm the role of Cry4 with the ability to see from the field.

The underlying cause is Cry4 - a protein in the bird's eye.

Previous studies have shown that the Cry4 group of proteins - called cryptochrome - seems to play a role with the ability to see from the field. The reason is because these proteins are found in the eyes of birds. However, it is not easy to find out exactly what kind of cryptochrome is.

In order to find out the secret, experts from Lund University (Sweden) tried to test 3 types of Cry1, 2 and 4 in the manhole. The results showed that Cry1 and 2 are related to the ability to shape routine, as it changes over time of the day.

But Cry4 alone is always stable regardless of time. This suggests that this may be the protein behind the ability to perceive magnetic fields.

"Cry4 may be a magnetic receptor protein, because the amount of substance in the eye is stable" - said Atticus Pinzón-Rodríguez, research director.

"This is as expected of a receptor that can operate regardless of the time of day."

Birds are fragile in the research of Lund University.

According to the Pinzón-Rodríguez, this result shows many other birds, or even all migratory birds have this protein in their eyes.

This result also coincides with another research group at Oldenburg University (Germany), when the group tested Cry4 on the red-necked bird.

However, the group in Oldenburg realized that the presence of Cry4 helped the bird's eyes absorb a lot of light.

This shows that the ability to perceive magnetic fields also depends on the light. That is, birds really "see" the magnetic field.

The role of Cry4 is more clearly confirmed when compared to chickens. Perhaps everyone knows, chicken is a popular poultry, and whether it is a chicken or a chicken, there is no migratory behavior. This difference also coincides with the amount of Cry4 in them: much more in birds, Cry4, especially in winter.

According to both expert groups, their research results have partly revealed the veil of mystery behind the extraordinary ability of birds. However, more research is needed in the future, because the mystery is still very much.