Head-up Display for Birds

Wired is reporting that University of Illinois Professor of Biophysics Klaus Schulten has discovered a possible way that birds can tell direction.

The latest piece of the puzzle is superoxide, an oxygen molecule that may combine with light-sensitive proteins to form an in-eye compass, allowing birds to see Earth’s magnetic field.

“It connects from the subatomic world to a whole bird flying,” said Michael Edidin, an editor of Biphysical Journal, which published the study last week. “That’s exciting!”

Wired: Reverse-Engineering the Quantum Compass of Birds
Highlight, Theoretical and Biophysics Group
Full Publication, with link to PDF