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Brain & Nervous System

Magnetoreception in the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus): influence of weak frequency-modulated radio frequency fields.

No Effects Found

Malkemper EP, Eder SH, Begall S, Phillips JB, Winklhofer M, Hart V, Burda H · 2015

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Weak radio frequency fields disrupted magnetic navigation in mammals at exposure levels 1,000 times lower than typical household appliances.

Plain English Summary

Summary written for general audiences

Researchers tested whether wood mice can sense magnetic fields by observing where they built nests in circular arenas. They found that mice normally oriented their nests north-south using Earth's magnetic field, but when exposed to weak radio frequency fields (0.9-5 MHz), the mice switched to building nests east-west instead. This demonstrates that low-level RF exposure can disrupt an animal's natural magnetic navigation system.

Exposure Information

A logarithmic frequency spectrum from 10 Hz to 100 GHz showing where this study's 5 MHz exposure sits relative to common EMF sources.Where This Frequency Sits on the EMF SpectrumELFVLFLF / MFHF / VHFUHFSHFmm10 Hz100 GHzThis study: 5 MHzPower lines50/60 HzCell phones~1 GHzWiFi2.4 GHz5G mm28 GHzLogarithmic scale

The study examined exposure from: 0.9 to 5 MHz

Study Details

Here, we tested the wood mouse Apodemus sylvaticus for magnetoreception using a simple behavioural assay in which mice are allowed to build nests overnight in a visually symmetrical, circular arena.

The tests were performed in the ambient magnetic field or in a field rotated by 90°. When plotted wi...

Wood mice exposed to a 0.9 to 5 MHz frequency sweep changed their preference from north-south to eas...

In sum, we demonstrated magnetoreception in wood mice and provide first evidence for a radical-pair mechanism in a mammal.

Cite This Study
Malkemper EP, Eder SH, Begall S, Phillips JB, Winklhofer M, Hart V, Burda H (2015). Magnetoreception in the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus): influence of weak frequency-modulated radio frequency fields. Sci Rep. 2015 Apr 29;4:9917. doi: 10.1038/srep09917.
Show BibTeX
@article{ep_2015_magnetoreception_in_the_wood_3221,
  author = {Malkemper EP and Eder SH and Begall S and Phillips JB and Winklhofer M and Hart V and Burda H},
  title = {Magnetoreception in the wood mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus): influence of weak frequency-modulated radio frequency fields.},
  year = {2015},
  
  url = {https://www.nature.com/articles/srep09917},
}

Quick Questions About This Study

Yes, wood mice exposed to weak radio frequency fields (0.9-5 MHz) switched their normal north-south nest building pattern to east-west orientation. This 2015 study demonstrated that low-level RF exposure can interfere with an animal's natural magnetic compass system used for navigation.
Yes, wood mice naturally orient their nests in a north-south direction using Earth's magnetic field for navigation. Researchers confirmed this magnetoreception ability by observing consistent nest placement patterns in circular arenas, providing the first evidence of radical-pair mechanism magnetoreception in mammals.
A frequency sweep of 0.9 to 5 MHz disrupted wood mice's magnetic orientation, causing them to build nests east-west instead of north-south. However, a constant 1.33 MHz Larmor frequency field had no effect, unlike similar studies in birds.
Wood mice showed no response to constant 1.33 MHz Larmor frequency fields that typically affect birds' magnetic navigation. However, mice were sensitive to frequency-modulated RF fields (0.9-5 MHz), suggesting mammals and birds may use different mechanisms for magnetic field detection.
The radical-pair mechanism allows animals to detect magnetic fields through quantum effects in certain molecules. This 2015 wood mouse study provided the first evidence that mammals use this quantum compass system, similar to migratory birds but with different frequency sensitivities.