Most of the work is with precocial birds (chickens, ducks, turkeys, geese and other birds that are mobile on hatching), but imprinting also occurs, but is expressed differently, in altricial birds that require significant parental care (song birds, parrots, pigeons, etc). You will see the term filial imprinting used to refer to a hatchling bird imprinting on a parent (or other stimulus), and you will see the term sexual imprinting used to discuss how early life experiences shape later social and sexual preferences in birds. There was quite a lot of research on this topic until the late 80s. I really like Eckard Hess's later expansions of imprinting. Konrad Lorenz's was the first to popularize the concept of imprinted, though there was some work before him. I don't have a simple answer for your follow-up question, but if you want to look more into it here are some things to get you started. In regions where the isolines are near-parallel to each other, or where the magnetic landscape is dominated by crustal magnetic anomalies, the bi-coordinate model is not viable for position determination.' (Walker et al. This model cannot, however, be generalized since isolines of magnetic inclination and intensity intersect each other at high angles only over local regions of the Earth’s surface (Davila 2005). Contours of equal magnetic intensity and inclination form a grid that can potentially be used as a bi-coordinate position-finding system over areas of the Atlantic Ocean, where sea turtles spend most of their life cycle. (1999) proposed that sea turtles use a combination of intensity and inclination, as independent coordinates for map information. To date, several models for position determination based on magnetic field parameters have been proposed (Davila 2005). Therefore animals able to discriminate the minute but steady changes of the inclination angle and the intensity of the geomagnetic field can potentially establish their latitudinal position. The magnetic compass is used as a reference system and as a mechanism to maintain steady courses during homing and migrations. The magnetic compass has been described as an axial compass (also known as Inclination compass) for migratory birds and homing pigeons (Wiltschko and Wiltschko 1972 Walcott and Green 1974), and is based on the axial course of the geomagnetic field lines on the Earth’s surface. Taking advantage of these properties of the geomagnetic field, some groups of animals have developed a biological magnetic compass, similar to the magnetic compass used by humans to locate the north magnetic pole. Alternatively, magnetic anomalies within the Earth’s crust can also be recognized and used as reference features.

This provides a reliable, static reference system for orientation and navigation. Https://Wikipedia says: 'The geomagnetic field is relatively stable over biological time scales and is axial, with the magnetic field lines roughly directed north-south and symmetric in both hemispheres. Maryellen Elizabeth Hart November 8, 2018. Please, my friends, connecting me with Marine Biologists who would be interested in my research. I am reserving the copyright to my hypothesis if my hypothesis turns out right. I would like to research this more and would like to be connected with anyone currently interested or simultaneously researching this topic. Supportive sources document the electromagnetic capability of crystalline structures contained within the salt glands of marine animals, however, no marine biologists have yet associated the salt gland with navigation of migratory paths by marine animals, an ability long held as a great mystery of science.

I researched everything I could find, and have decided I am on a right track AND A NEW PATH. Before reading further, I hypothesized the salt glands were being used for navigation (crystalline electromagnetic conductors to sense the direction of travel, the north and south poles, latitude and longitude) necessary for navigation in the ocean without the visual aid of land, sun or stars. Goal: I was studying my Biology and read about the salt gland of marine animals (birds, turtles, etc.).

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