Sea Turtles' Magnetic GPS: Navigating 10,000 Miles

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Sea turtles at UNC-Chapel Hill showed scientists how they remember food locations through a unique behavioral response to magnetic fields.

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Head-raising, flipper-paddling, and spinning movements occurred when turtles detected magnetic fields where they previously found food.

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Loggerhead turtles created GPS-like mental maps using Earth's magnetic field to navigate 10,000-mile ocean journeys.

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Researchers trained juvenile turtles by feeding them in specific magnetic fields matching real ocean locations along the Eastern Seaboard.

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Two separate magnetic senses emerged: map sense for location detection and compass sense for directional guidance.

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Radiofrequency waves disrupted turtles' compass abilities but left their magnetic location memory intact, proving these systems work independently.

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After several months without exposure, turtles still recognized and responded to magnetic fields associated with feeding spots.

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Young sea turtles must quickly locate food to outgrow predator threats, making this magnetic memory crucial for survival.

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Similar magnetic sensing abilities could exist across vertebrate species, suggesting broader implications for animal navigation research.

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