Desert ants have a unique way of using Earth's magnetic field for navigation Desert ants rely on the Earth's magnetic polarity to navigate, unlike other insects. Experiments reversing polarity confused the ants.

"Desert ants are remarkable for their magnetic sense; but they are also masters of adaptation. They thrive in some of the world’s most extreme environments, enduring temperatures that can exceed 50°C (122°F)."
🏜️🐜🧭🗺️ #DesertAnts #Magnetoreception #Biology #Evolution #Wildlife #Nature #AmazingCritters

Ant on a compass (Photo by Robin Grob)

🤩 Today on air: Bob McDonald interviewed me for the #CBC science program 🧪📻 #QuirksAndQuarks about our recent finding that #DesertAnts have a #PolarityCompass that we published in @currentbiology.bsky.social 🧭🐜 Check it out: ↘️ www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks... ↙️ @sfb1372.bsky.social @neuroethology.org

Graphical abstract

🚨It is finally out: In our newest paper paper in @currentbiology.bsky.social we show that #Cataglyphis #DesertAnts have a polarity-sensitive magnetic sense 🐜🧭 Please read & share 🧪↘️www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext... #Magnetoreception #Neuroethology #InsectNavigation

Selfie of Feline (student) and Pauline (supervisor) with the printed bachelor thesis

✅️ And the second bachelor thesis has been finished in our team 🤩👍 Congratulations, Feline! 🥳
Feline had a closer look at the role of the GMF for spatial orientation in darkness 🧭🐜 #Magnetoreception #Cataglyphis #DesertAnts #Neuroethology #WomenInSTEM👩‍🔬👩‍🔬🧪

Today @SFB_1372 published a portrait of me by Charlotte Hintzmann on instagram:
↘️https://www.instagram.com/sfb_1372/p/DBGm0sqO9jG/↙️
featuring my research 🐜🧠🧭☀️
@neuroethology #navigation #magnetoreception #DesertAnts #Cataglyphis #WomeninSTEM #WomeninScience

🚨New paper out in @CurrentBiology: "Absence of visual cues motivates desert ants to build their own landmarks" Freire, Bollig & @mknaden1 @MPI_CE show that #desertants build taller nest hills to find back home. Added landmarks suppress hill-building 🐜...