It is difficult for people to imagine how it is - to feel the magnetic field of the earth. But the new study presents the first evidence that the thugs are used by magnetic fields as a compass, and also use them to determine their geographical location, writes Cosmos.

Sea turtles are outstanding navigators capable of pave the ways through thousands of kilometers of the ocean and return to the same places of feeding after migration. Understanding how animals manage to detect and interpret magnetic fields, according to scientists, can help ecologists soften violations caused by artificial structures that interfere with natural magnetic signals.

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According to the first author of the study, Dr. Kyle Gofffort, their new discovery, in fact, is the most important step forward in understanding how animals perceive and use the earth's magnetic field. It is assumed that in the future opening can also contribute to the development of new navigation technologies.

During the study, scientists first studied whether the migrating animal can learn to recognize magnetic signatures of various geographical areas. For decades, it was assumed that animals are able to recognize magnetic signatures, but the new work of scientists, in fact, became the first empirical demonstration of this ability in history. Thus, scientists were able to fill an important gap in the knowledge of mankind.

The magnetic field of the earth is present throughout the globe, but it is not homogeneous. Intensity, inclination and angle formed between the lines of the magnetic field and the surface of the planet predictably change depending on the location. Now, scientists managed to show how the head tortoans manage to recognize, study and remember these magnetic signatures.

For two months, the team taught young headsters: animals were placed in a magnetic field, configured to simulate a field found in the real region in the ocean. After that, the animals also spent the same time in the second magnetic field where they were not fed. Four months later, they again exposed the thugs to the effects of two magnetic fields and measured the amount of time they spent, "

According to the authors of the study, the behavior of turtles during the dance is a distinctive model of movement, demonstrated by animals in anticipation of food. The team also revealed some distinctive features of animal behavior, including:.

All these movements are known together as " The results of the study show that the animals spent significantly more time in the " Moreover, the results indicate that the inclination and intensity of the magnetic field must correspond to the encouraged field so that the turtles react.

The team believes that the animals learned and remembered these conditions as an area where they received food. This indicates that the turtles use learned magnetic information for navigation back to the places of food production.

According to the professor of biology at the University of North Carolina Ken Lomann, the ability to distinguish the magnetic fields of different geographical areas, probably explains how many animals, including sea turtle, manage to move long distances to certain places.

But how exactly the turtles perceive this information? The authors of the study note that the mechanisms were still not defined in animals, but scientists have several assumptions. For example, one of these mechanisms disturbed by magnetic fields in the radio frequency range (0.

1–10 MHz) is considered "

It is curious that the ability of the head torto turtles to navigate with the help of magnetic fields was violated by the oscilizing magnetic fields of the radio frequency range, however, their ability to recognize the fields associated with food was not disturbed. This suggests that the magnetic cartographic feeling and compass feeling of turtles are based on two different mechanisms.

Previously, Focus wrote that scientists discovered the remains of an ancient turtle.