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Dolphins might use Earth's magnetic field as GPS

Posted at 3:27 PM, Sep 30, 2014
and last updated 2014-09-30 18:30:07-04

Dolphins can jump. They can shake. Make friends with NBA all-stars. And according to new research, they might have an even cooler trick.

The study, conducted by researchers in France, provided evidence of magnetoreception in dolphins. Basically, that means dolphins might be able to sense Earth's magnetic field.

If that were the case, researchers say the animals could use this sense as a means of navigation — a sort of biological Google Maps. 

The study looked at six bottlenose dolphins. Researchers set up two barrels — one contained magnetized blocks; the other had demagnetized blocks. Dolphins swam toward the magnetized one more quickly. 

Find out more with this Newsy video.