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The secret to pigeons’ incredible navigation was hiding in their liver

Scientists have uncovered a surprising navigation system in pigeons: iron-filled immune cells in the liver that may act like tiny magnetic sensors. Birds deprived of these cells struggled to find their way home under overcast skies, indicating they rely on Earth’s magnetic field for guidance. The discovery could solve a decades-old mystery about animal navigation and reveal an unexpected connection between immunity and sensing the environment.

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