Effects of 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging exposure on the behavior and orientation of homing pigeons Columba livia domestica.

ABSTRACT: Homing pigeons (Columba livia domestica) were used to test whether clinical magnetic resonance (MR) imaging disrupts orientation of animals that sense the earth's magnetic field. Thirty young pigeons were randomly separated into three groups (n = 10/group). Two groups were anaesthetized and exposed to either a constant (no sequence) or a varying (gradient echo and echo planar sequences) magnetic field within a 3 Tesla MR unit for 15 minutes. The control group was not exposed to the MR field but shared all other aspects of the procedure. One day later, animals were released from a site they had never visited, 15 km from the home loft. Three weeks after the procedure, animals were released from a different unfamiliar site 30 km from the loft. Measured variables included the time to disappear

SUBMITTER: Parraga DG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7748148 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature