High levels of maternally transferred mercury disrupt magnetic responses of snapping turtle hatchlings (Chelydra serpentina)

Environmental Pollution
Lukas LandlerJohn B Phillips

Abstract

The Earth's magnetic field is involved in spatial behaviours ranging from long-distance migration to non-goal directed behaviours, such as spontaneous magnetic alignment (SMA). Mercury is a harmful pollutant most often generated from anthropogenic sources that can bio-accumulate in animal tissue over a lifetime. We compared SMA of hatchling snapping turtles from mothers captured at reference (i.e., low mercury) and mercury contaminated sites. Reference turtles showed radio frequency-dependent SMA along the north-south axis, consistent with previous studies of SMA, while turtles with high levels of maternally inherited mercury failed to show consistent magnetic alignment. In contrast, there was no difference between reference and mercury exposed turtles on standard performance measures. The magnetic field plays an important role in animal orientation behaviour and may also help to integrate spatial information from a variety of sensory modalities. As a consequence, mercury may compromise the performance of turtles in a wide variety of spatial tasks. Future research is needed to determine the threshold for mercury effects on snapping turtles, whether mercury exposure compromises spatial behaviour of adult turtles, and whether mer...Continue Reading

References

May 1, 1995·Toxicology Letters·A CavalleriP Seghizzi
Mar 16, 2000·Trends in Neurosciences·K J Lohmann, S Johnsen
Oct 18, 2000·Animal Behaviour·R SandbergM Lõhmus
Aug 15, 2001·Current Opinion in Neurobiology·J L KirschvinkC E Diebel
Mar 29, 2002·Environmental Science & Technology·Chad R HammerschmidtRonald G Rada
Jan 21, 2004·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Tali KimchiJoseph Terkel
May 1, 2004·Nature·Kenneth J LohmannTimothy Swing
Jul 1, 2004·Journal of the American Chemical Society·Kevin B HenbestChristiane R Timmel
Nov 9, 2005·The Science of the Total Environment·Ricardo Melamed, Adão Benvindo da Luz
Feb 9, 2006·Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology·R R HolemLarry G Talent
Jul 20, 2006·Journal of the Royal Society, Interface·Peter ThalauRoswitha Wiltschko
Mar 3, 2007·Learning & Behavior·Rachel MuheimJohn B Phillips
Aug 19, 2007·Ecotoxicology·Rebecka L Brasso, Daniel A Cristol
Apr 7, 1972·Science·W Wiltschko, R Wiltschko
Mar 25, 2008·Journal of Insect Physiology·David H DommerJohn B Phillips
Apr 22, 2008·Current Biology : CB·Katrin StapputWolfgang Wiltschko
May 2, 2008·Nature·Kiminori MaedaP J Hore
Jul 22, 2008·Nature·Robert J GegearSteven M Reppert
Aug 30, 2008·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·Sabine BegallHynek Burda
Oct 6, 2009·Neurotoxicology and Teratology·Leigh E SmithDaniel N Weber
Mar 6, 2010·Journal of Colloid and Interface Science·Penka I GirginovaTito Trindade
Sep 8, 2010·Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry·Christine M BergeronWilliam A Hopkins
Oct 28, 2010·Die Naturwissenschaften·Francisco Javier Diego-RasillaJohn B Phillips
Jan 14, 2011·Biology Letters·Jaroslav ČervenýHynek Burda
Jun 8, 2011·PloS One·Christine NiessnerRoswitha Wiltschko
May 1, 2005·Environmental Toxicology and Pharmacology·D F VenturaL C L Silveira
Sep 10, 2011·The Science of the Total Environment·Christine M BergeronJason M Unrine
Jan 31, 2013·Environmental Science & Technology·Brittney C HopkinsWilliam A Hopkins
Sep 12, 2013·PloS One·John B PhillipsChristopher R Anderson
Dec 29, 2013·Frontiers in Zoology·Vlastimil HartHynek Burda
Jan 15, 2015·Biosensors·Roswitha Wiltschko, Wolfgang Wiltschko

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Cell Migration

Cell migration is involved in a variety of physiological and pathological processes such as embryonic development, cancer metastasis, blood vessel formation and remoulding, tissue regeneration, immune surveillance and inflammation. Here is the latest research.