Dogs May Have Super Powers: Magnetoreception

Dogs and Certain Primates May Be Able To See Magnetic Fields

George Dvorsky | February 23, 2016

Some animals are capable of magnetoreception—an added sense that helps them detect magnetic fields. European scientists have now learned that the molecule responsible for this trait is also found in the eyes of dogs and some primates, which suggests they too might be capable of seeing magnetic fields. 
Cryptochromes are a common group of light-sensitive molecules that exist in bacteria, plants, and animals. In addition to regulating circadian rhythms, these specialized proteins enable certain animals, such as birds, insects, fish, and reptiles, to sense magnetic fields, allowing them to perceive direction, altitude, and location. 

The magnetic compass of the European robin (Erithacus rubecula) has been extensively studied by Wiltschko et al. and others. Magnetic field effects in plants (Arabidopsis thaliana) have also been observed. A radical pair mechanism within the protein cryptochrome may underlie both phenomena. Source: http://www.ks.uiuc.edu/Research/cryptochrome/

<more at http://gizmodo.com/dogs-and-certain-primates-may-be-able-to-see-magnetic-f-1760815533; related articles: http://www.ks.uiuc.edu/Research/cryptochrome/ (Cryptochrome and Magnetic Sensing. 2014) and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetoreception (Magnetoreception article in Wikipedia)>