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Head direction cells in a migratory bird prefer north.
Susumu Takahashi1, Takumi Hombe2, Sakiko Matsumoto2
1Laboratory of Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, Graduate School of Brain Science, Doshisha University, Kyotanabe City, Kyoto 610-0394, Japan.
Science Advances
|February 4, 2022
Summary
Shearwater chicks possess head direction (HD) cells that prefer a north orientation, indicating an internal magnetic compass. This finding suggests HD cell signals regulate animal navigation and magnetoreception.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Animal Behavior
- Sensory Biology
Background:
- Animals navigate using internal compasses, with head direction (HD) cells encoding heading azimuth.
- HD cell signals are linked to vestibular nuclei, which contain magnetic-responsive cells in birds.
- The precise role of HD cell signals in driving animal compass orientation remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the function of HD cells in avian navigation.
- To determine if HD cell signals are linked to magnetic compass orientation in shearwater chicks before their first migration.
Main Methods:
- Recorded HD cell activity in the medial pallium of shearwater chicks (Calonectris leucomelas).
- Observed HD cell preferences during the pre-migratory period when compass reliance is high.
Main Results:
- Shearwater HD cells exhibited a stable preference for a north orientation.
- This north preference was maintained irrespective of geolocation and environmental cues.
- HD cell activity suggests an internally generated signal guiding magnetic compass orientation.
Conclusions:
- The study provides evidence for an internally regulated magnetic compass in shearwater chicks.
- Findings highlight the integration of directional information and magnetoreception in animal navigation.
- HD cell signals likely play a crucial role in mediating magnetic compass orientation.
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