Columba

Columba livia domestica, as the homing pigeon is properly known, posesses the talent of "Magnetoception" - the ability to detect the earth's magnetic field to percieve direction, altitude or location. Researchers have identified a small heavily innervated region of the upper beak which contains biological magnetite, a iron oxide mineral which is believed to assist in this navigational mechanism.

Evidence also suggests that a molecule called cryptochrome (which can be affected by magnetic force and resides in the photoreceptor cells of their eyes) alters the light-sensitivity of retinal neurons, with the overall result that the bird can "see" the magnetic field.

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