Female mice can identify inbred males by their scent
Scientists at the University of Liverpool have found that female mice avoid mating with inbred males by 'sensing' the diversity of a protein type in their urine. view more (2008-04-21)
Environmental enrichment can reduce cocaine use, researchers find
Simple environmental enrichment and increased social stress can both affect the level of individual drug use, according to new monkey research at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. view more (2008-04-07)
Vive the vole!
The gathering of data for research involving an animal usually involves invasive procedures or death for the experimental animals. But critical data may now be collected through a nonlethal procedure, according to a new paper for the forthcoming issue of Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. view more (2008-04-01)
Chips could speed up detection of livestock viruses
Some of the worst threats to farm workers and farm animals such as bird flu, foot-and-mouth disease and other emerging viruses could soon be quickly identified by using a simple screening chip developed by scientists from the Institute for Animal Health, scientists will hear today (Monday 31 March 2008) at the Society for General Microbiology's... view more... (2008-03-31)
Satellites can help Arctic grazers survive killer winter storms
Rain falling on snow sounds like a relatively harmless weather event, but when it happens in the far north it can mean lingering death for reindeer, musk oxen and other animals that normally graze on the Arctic tundra. view more (2008-03-19)
First 'rule' of evolution suggests that life is destined to become more complex
In a study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences researchers have found evidence which suggests that evolution drives animals to become increasingly more complex. view more (2008-03-18)
Brown-led study rearranges some branches on animal tree of life
A study led by Brown University biologist Casey Dunn uses new genomics tools to answer old questions about animal evolution. The study is the most comprehensive animal phylogenomic research project to date, involving 40 million base pairs of new DNA data taken from 29 animal species. view more (2008-03-06)
National Zoo scimitar-horned oryx going into the wild
A male scimitar-horned oryx from the Smithsonian's National Zoo's Conservation and Research Center in Front Royal, Va., is playing an important role in ensuring the species does not vanish from the planet. view more (2008-03-05)
Extract of broccoli sprouts may protect against bladder cancer
A concentrated extract of freeze dried broccoli sprouts cut development of bladder tumors in an animal model by more than half, according to a report in the March 1 issue of Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research. view more (2008-02-28)
Texas A&M testing oral contraceptives for animals
If you're a land owner and animals such as coyotes or wild pigs are driving you hog wild, help may soon be on the way to control their numbers in a humane way - in the form of a birth control pill for animals being developed at Texas A&M University's College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences. view more (2008-02-20)
Captive carnivores not up to wild living
A study by the University of Exeter has highlighted the problems of reintroducing animals to the wild for conservation projects. Published online in the journal Biological Conservation, the research highlights the low survival rates of captive carnivores that are released into their natural habitats. view more (2008-01-21)
480-million-year-old fossil sheds light on 150-year-old paleontological mystery
Discovery of an exceptional fossil specimen in southeastern Morocco that preserves evidence of the animal's soft tissues has solved a paleontological puzzle about the origins of an extinct group of bizarre slug-like animals with rows of mineralized armor plates on their backs, according to a paper in Nature. view more (2008-01-10)
Medical breakthrough for organ transplants and cardiovascular diseases by Flemish researchers
When a blood vessel clogs up, a localized deficiency of oxygen results, causing the surrounding tissue to die. However, working with mice, VIB scientists connected to the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven have been able to prevent muscular tissue with severe hypoxia from dying. view more (2008-01-07)
Two 'noses' are necessary for flies to navigate well
Animals and insects communicate through an invisible world of scents. By exploiting infrared technology, researchers at Rockefeller University just made that world visible. view more (2007-12-27)
Intensive training post-spinal cord injury can stimulate repair in brain and spinal cord
Intensive rehabilitation training for patients with spinal cord injuries can stimulate new branches growing from severed nerve fibers, alongside compensatory changes in the brain, say Canadian researchers. Most importantly, it could lead to restoring hand function and the ability to walk. view more (2007-12-19)
Monkeys can perform mental addition
Researchers at Duke University have demonstrated that monkeys have the ability to perform mental addition. In fact, monkeys performed about as well as college students given the same test. view more (2007-12-18)
Genetic differences influence aging rates in the wild
Long-lived, wild animals harbor genetic differences that influence how quickly they begin to show their age, according to the results of a long-term study reported online on December 13th in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication. view more (2007-12-13)
Using fMRI to study brain development
Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a powerful noninvasive tool for studying brain activity in both humans and experimental animals. view more (2007-12-03)
Blood-vessel blocker aids cancer-killing virus
Cancer-killing viruses are a promising therapy for incurable brain tumors, but their effectiveness has been limited in part because immune cells rapidly move in and eliminate them. view more (2007-11-28)
To fight disease, animals, like plants, can tolerate parasites
Animals, like plants, can build tolerance to infections at a genetic level, and these findings could provide a better understanding of the epidemiology and evolution of infectious disease, according to evolutionary biologists. view more (2007-11-07)
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