Magnetite Biomineralization and Magnetoreception in Organisms: A New Biomagnetism (Topics in Geobiology Book 5)

The mystery of how migrating animals find their way over unfamiliar terrain has intrigued people for centuries, and has been the focus of productive research in the biological sci­ ences for several decades. Whether or not the earth's magnetic field had anything to do with their navigational abilities has sufaced and been dismissed several times, beginning at least in the mid to late 1800s. This topic generally remained out of the mainstream of scientific research for two reasons: (1) The apparent irreproducibility of many of the be­ havioral experiments which were supposed to demonstrate the existence of the magnetic sense; and (2) Perceived theoretical difficulties which were encountered when biophysi­ cists tried to understand how such a sensory system might operate. However, during the mid to late 1960s as the science of ethology (animal behavior) grew, it became clear from studies on bees and birds that the geomagnetic field is used under a variety of conditions. As more and more organisms were found to have similar abilities, the problem shifted back to the question as to the basis of this perception. Of the various schemes for trans­ ducing the geomagnetic field to the nervous system which have been proposed, the hy­ pothesis of magnetite-based magnetoreception discussed at length in this volume has per­ haps the best potential for explaining a wide range of these effects, even though this link is as yet clear only in the case of magnetotactic bacteria. Front Matter....Pages i-xxi Front Matter....Pages 1-2 Iron Biomineralization....Pages 3-15 Ferrimagnetic Properties of Magnetite....Pages 17-41 The Geomagnetic Field Its Nature, History, and Biological Relevance....Pages 43-102 An Introduction to the Use of SQUID Magnetometers in Biomagnetism....Pages 103-151 Front Matter....Pages 153-154 Detection, Extraction, and Characterization of Biogenic Magnetite....Pages 155-166 Studying Mineral Particulates of Biogenic Origin by Transmission Electron Microscopy and Electron Diffraction....Pages 167-181 The Cellular Localization of Particulate Iron....Pages 183-195 Large-Volume, Magnetically Shielded Room....Pages 197-220 Front Matter....Pages 221-221 Limits to Induction-Based Magnetoreception....Pages 223-232 Energetics and Sensitivity Considerations of Ferromagnetic Magnetoreceptors....Pages 233-242 Particle-Size Considerations for Magnetite-Based Magnetoreceptors....Pages 243-254 Front Matter....Pages 255-256 Are Animal Maps Magnetic?....Pages 257-268 Mössbauer Spectroscopy of Iron Biomineralization Products in Magnetotactic Bacteria....Pages 269-287 Magnetotactic Microorganisms Found in Muds from Rio de Janeiro....Pages 289-309 Structure, Morphology, and Crystal Growth of Bacterial Magnetite....Pages 311-332 Biomineralization Processes of the Radula Teeth of Chitons....Pages 333-363 Magnetic Remanence and Response to Magnetic Fields in Crustacea....Pages 365-383 Magnetic Field Sensitivity in Honeybees....Pages 385-406 Magnetic Butterflies A Case Study of the Monarch (Lepidoptera, Danaidae)....Pages 407-415 Magnetoreception and Biomineralization of Magnetite Fish....Pages 417-437 Front Matter....Pages 255-256 Magnetoreception and Biomineralization of Magnetite in Amphibians and Reptiles....Pages 439-453 Avian Navigation, Geomagnetic Field Sensitivity, and Biogenic Magnetite....Pages 455-482 Magnetic Remanence in Bats....Pages 483-487 Magnetoreception and Biomineralization of Magnetite in Cetaceans....Pages 489-507 Magnetoreception and the Search for Magnetic Material in Rodents....Pages 509-533 Front Matter....Pages 535-535 Magnetoreception by Man and Other Primates....Pages 537-561 Statistical and Methodological Critique of Baker’s Chapter....Pages 563-568 Human Navigation Attempts to Replicate Baker’s Displacement Experiment....Pages 569-572 Human Homing Orientation Critique and Alternative Hypotheses....Pages 573-593 Absence of Human Homing Ability as Measured by Displacement Experiments....Pages 595-599 A Study of the Homeward Orientation of Visually Handicapped Humans....Pages 601-603 An Attempt to Replicate the Spinning Chair Experiment....Pages 605-608 A Cautionary Note on Magnetoreception in Dowsers....Pages 609-610 Human Navigation A Summary of American Data and Interpretations....Pages 611-622 Front Matter....Pages 623-623 A Search for Bacterial Magnetite in the Sediments of Eel Marsh, Woods Hole, Massachusetts....Pages 625-645 Possible Biogenic Magnetite Fossils from the Late Miocene Potamida Clays of Crete....Pages 647-669 Back Matter....Pages 671-682