Researchers have identified superparamagnetic macrophages in the livers of rock pigeons to be crucial for magnetic sensing. The finding uncovers an unexpected role for immune cells in sensory perception and may fundamentally change our understanding of animal navigation.
https://scim.ag/4nTQ3nq
We're excited to announce the finalists of the #RSPPhotoComp 2025! 🎉 Starting with #microimaging and overall winner, 'Mesmerizing spider threads' by Dr Martin Ramirez, capturing two exceptional silk threads of the Australian net-caster spider (sample obtained by Dr Jonas Wolff @evoimec.bsky.social).
Science Magazine
Royal Society Publishing
… it sure does!
While bobbing almost vanished in darkness 🌑
and dropped around prey 🪰… [4/8]
So then, we tested the spiders in different conditions:
☀️ daylight
🌑 darkness
🪰 prey encounter
🪞 mirror / “conspecific”
🕷️ predator model
Basically: does the spider change the bum-wiggle depending on who might see it?…[3/8]
… when spiders faced a mirror image or a predator model, the bobbing increased! 🕷️✨
And this suggests the movement is not random, but flexible and context-dependent. [5/8]
