Articles tagged with Ethology
Researchers at Pitt Engineering have created synthetic materials that mimic the behavior of living organisms, enabling self-recognition and self-regulation in devices. The findings were published in PNAS and demonstrate potential applications for mechano-responsive materials with tunable self-awareness.
Researchers at Oregon State University identified a genetic marker linked to Williams-Beuren syndrome, a disorder characterized by hypersocial behavior. The study found domesticated dogs exhibit an exaggerated motivation to seek social contact compared to wolves, leading to prolonged proximity and gazing at humans.
Researchers found that algae and bacteria can form flocks at very low concentrations of individuals, enabling them to sense each other's presence and affect each other. This discovery could increase our understanding of how microorganisms infect their host animals and the evolutionary basis for flocking behavior among bacteria.
Researchers found that fertile females suffered more aggression from males than pregnant and lactating females did. Males used long-term sexual intimidation by repeatedly attacking and chasing females before ovulation to monopolize sexual access.
Researchers found that simulated honeybees with removed mushroom body circuits performed well in odor learning tasks, using a simple neural circuit previously associated with instinctive behaviors. This suggests that even the simplest nervous systems can exhibit remarkable plasticity and adaptability.
A nationwide survey of hospitals, eldercare facilities, and therapy animal organizations reveals gaps in health and safety policies for therapy animal visits. Many facilities lack proper guidelines for animal health, behavior, and hygiene, posing risks to both humans and animals.
A study published in PLOS ONE found that older female elk adjust their behavior to avoid hunters, reducing movement rates and using safer terrain when near roads. This suggests that learning plays a role in shaping their avoidance of hunters.
Researchers at the University of Nottingham have developed a questionnaire-style decision tool to predict young dogs' likelihood of succeeding in guide dog training. The Puppy Training Supervisor Questionnaire (PTSQ) accurately identified 16.9% of dogs, helping trainers assess suitability early and improve training processes.
Researchers at the University of Illinois have identified genomic mechanisms that underlie social behavior in mice, including changes in brain regions and epigenetic modifications. These findings may provide insights into social disorders in humans and shed light on the shared biological mechanisms across animal species.
A study found that social closeness, rather than physical proximity, determines if a bystander consoles a victim. Human adults were more likely to console victims based on gender and the threat level of the situation. These findings suggest that humans may be motivated to console their peers out of empathy, similar to chimpanzees.
A UC Davis study reveals that baboons position themselves strategically within their troop to optimize access to food and safety. Younger males tend to occupy central positions, while adult males take a more exposed role at the front of the group.
A research team created 3D models to analyze zebrafish behavior, revealing significant compromises in 2D-scored behaviors. The study confirmed that 3D approaches underestimate locomotion and overestimate spatial preference, leading to false positives and false negatives.
A recent study suggests that an aggressive reef competitor, the Threespot Damselfish, may be impeding the recovery of Caribbean long-spined sea urchin populations after a mysterious disease outbreak. The research reveals a link between the decline of staghorn coral and the increase in damselfish populations.
A study found that male great tits choose neighbors with similar personalities, while females prefer males based on attractive qualities. This behavior may influence bird survival and social organization.
Lions in Uganda's Queen Elizabeth National Park have smaller pride sizes and larger home ranges due to decreasing prey biomass. The study found the lions' dependence on Ugandan kob, a crucial prey species, led to these adaptations.
Researchers discovered that oxytocin and isotocin signaling molecules play a crucial role in regulating anemonefish paternal behavior. Blocking these hormones led to decreased aggression but increased attention from the dads towards their offspring.
Researchers found that larger schooling fish exhibit stronger attraction forces compared to smaller fish. Computer simulations validated the results, revealing a key role for interdisciplinary statistical approaches in understanding social interactions.
Researchers found that dominant banded mongooses target close female relatives for eviction due to their ability to resist, reducing competition for offspring. This behaviour is in contrast to expected social norms and highlights the importance of latent threats on social behavior.
Research by Herberholz and colleagues found that isolated crayfish are less sensitive to the effects of alcohol than gregarious animals. The study suggests that social experience can impact the sensitivity to acute alcohol exposure.
A new study suggests that the social eating habits of fish play a critical role in protecting coral reefs. By analyzing the feeding behavior of reef fish, researchers found that overfishing can lead to a decrease in algae-eating and increase in vulnerability to predators.
A study by researchers at McMaster University found that low-dose penicillin in early life can induce long-term behavioral changes, including elevated aggression and lower anxiety levels. Introducing beneficial bacteria may help prevent these effects.
A new study on zebrafish shows that social support can help individuals overcome adverse circumstances and triggers specific brain patterns similar to those in humans. The research suggests that zebrafish could be an ideal model organism for studying social support and its neural mechanisms.
Researchers from Swansea University developed bespoke collars with accelerometers to track baboon behavior. The new technology allowed for precise tracking of the baboons' movements and behaviors, revealing over 90% recognition of individual behaviors without direct observation.
Researchers found that male cuckoos respond aggressively to unfamiliar intruders and tolerate neighboring males with overlapping territories. The birds use their distinctive 'cu-coo' call for recognition, demonstrating complex social behavior in brood parasitism.
Researchers at WashU Medicine discovered that mice scratch in response to seeing other mice scratch due to the release of gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP), a key transmitter of itch signals. This behavior is hardwired into the brain and not a form of empathy.
A recent study found that a combination of genetic predisposition, early stress, and male sex increases the risk of social avoidance in individuals with autism. The researchers tested this theory using mice and found evidence supporting the idea that these three factors build on each other to produce the social avoidance characteristic...
Researchers developed an RNAi-based strategy to study the link between genes and host-finding behaviors in Steinernema carpocapsae. The method successfully knocked down a gene that codes for FLP-21, inhibiting jumping and sensory perception behaviors.
Researchers observed banded mongooses fighting over food and territory, often resulting in serious injury and death. However, they found that pregnant females were less likely to lose their litters after conflicts, suggesting a possible strategy to maintain pregnancy and increase group competitiveness.
Researchers found that bees can solve a complex task by watching others, even improving upon the original process, and that observation is enough to learn the behavior, unlike simply copying it.
Scientists have identified the central nucleus of the amygdala as the key brain region organizing the hunt, with two distinct neural networks controlling prey pursuit and capture. The findings provide novel details on the neural control of craniofacial muscles and may contribute to understanding pathologies affecting this region.
A new study in mice reveals that serotonin affects motivation, but only when animals are exploring their environment. Increasing serotonin levels transiently reduces locomotive speed, while long-term stimulation triggers a second effect leading to increased global activity.
Research by Osaka University finds that noradrenaline modulates the primary visual cortex, reducing spontaneous neural activity and suppressing contrast sensitivity. This suggests a new therapeutic target for improving vision and machine learning in patients.
A new study found that birds of prey interact more with scented packages than unscented ones, suggesting they associate the scent of peppermint oil with food. This method can be used to encourage species-specific feeding behaviors in zoos.
A study published in eLife found that individual baboons tend to follow the path taken by their group mates, while also being constrained by environmental factors such as vegetation density. The research used GPS tracking and drone-based imaging technology to understand how habitat and social features impact animal movement.
Researchers at UNC School of Medicine found a cluster of sex-hormone-sensitive neurons in the mouse hypothalamus that induce attraction to the opposite sex. The study's findings may also be relevant to certain psychiatric illnesses.
A new study confirms dogs exhibit prosocial behavior, preferring to deliver treats to familiar partners. The complexity of the task influenced the frequency of food delivery, but social proximity played a significant role.
Scientists at the University of Sussex discovered that wasps trade partners compete for the 'best deal', influenced by market forces. The study showed that supply and demand theory can predict insect behavior, revealing parallels between wasp populations and human business markets.
Researchers at Wayne State University have developed a novel diagnostic tool to identify tinnitus in animals, providing a significant breakthrough in understanding the underlying mechanisms of this condition. The new method, which uses a conditioned licking suppression behavioral test, enables researchers to assess tinnitus onset, seve...
A new study by Yale University suggests that two sets of neurons deep in the forebrain control hunting behavior, enabling precise muscle control and increased efficiency. The central amygdala region is preserved in almost all vertebrates, suggesting its importance in evolution.
Researchers at Yale University have isolated the brain circuitry that coordinates predatory hunting in mice, revealing two distinct modules controlling pursuit and kill behaviors. The study found that activating specific neurons in the amygdala can drive aggressive behavior, including biting and killing, in response to prey.
A team of scientists led by Mark Herr found that cottonmouths with high baseline levels of corticosterone were more likely to strike during encounters. The study suggests that protecting snake habitats may reduce the incidence of snakebites and that a snake's striking behavior is related to its baseline level of stress.
A team of neuroscientists has identified neural circuitry in a deep region of the mouse brain that modulates judgments of elapsed time. The discovery may help explain why time seems to fly or stretch depending on our emotions and attention.
Research suggests a link between gut microbiota and mood, anxiety, and depression, with changes in the diversity of microorganisms linked to behavioral changes and treatment implications.
Researchers developed a system using acoustic beamforming to detect and locate Mojave Ground Squirrels on Edwards Air Force Base. The technology, inspired by WWI-era sound detection, is unobtrusive and can pinpoint animal locations over a large area. This innovation aims to support conservation efforts in harsh environments.
A Yale-NUS professor has discovered an 'alarm response' in medaka fish to a semiochemical released due to physical injuries, providing insights into the brain's processing of danger. This finding will facilitate comparative neural circuit analysis between medaka and zebrafish, shedding light on fear mechanisms.
Researchers have developed an associative learning model that explains how animals create effective behaviors, such as self-control and tool use. The model suggests that genetic regulation of learning influences species-specific behavior and intelligence.
A study by University of Montreal researchers found that social status affects the immune system, leading to different responses to infection. Low-social status macaques showed a stronger pro-inflammatory response, while high-social status individuals had a stronger antiviral response.
A study on rhesus macaques found that low-status animals exhibit greater antibacterial responses, while high-status animals have stronger antiviral responses. Social subordination stress influences immune-related gene expression in low-status individuals.
A new study by University of Lincoln and Newcastle University researchers shows that pigs' moods and personalities influence their outlooks, similar to humans. Pigs living in better environments are more optimistic, while those in worse environments are more pessimistic.
Researchers developed mathematical models to simulate and improve group behavior, demonstrating the feasibility of predicting and controlling crowd movements. The approach involves reducing interactions to a small number of effective ones, allowing for forecasts and interventions in groups with generalized patterns of behavior.
Researchers found that Senegalese sole cope with stress by their personality and can identify fish at a young age to improve reproduction in captivity. The study used operational behavioural screening tests to measure stress response and identified proactive and curious fish as more likely to reproduce.
Research by Natalia Karelaia finds that social connectedness enhances the perceived effectiveness of actions, leading to increased social responsibility. Studies show that people who feel a sense of belonging and can make a difference are more likely to engage in environmentally conscious behaviors.
A team of scientists used chemical composition of fossil eggs to determine if they were laid by different mothers, finding that oviraptorid dinosaurs exhibited communal nesting behavior. The study sheds light on the evolutionary history of this unique behavior.
Research on dogs' cognition reveals their ability to comprehend human communicative cues and recognize individual faces, but also limited spatial memory and numerical discrimination. The field is still in its infancy, with more studies needed to examine individual variability and complex behaviors.
Researchers at NYU Tandon School of Engineering discovered zebrafish are more attracted to 3D-moving robotic models of themselves than other stimuli. The team used a controllable robotic platform to study freshwater fish behavior, exploring mechanisms behind human disorders like anxiety and schizophrenia.
A new study finds that bird-like dinosaurs were social animals, living and dying together in groups. The discovery of a rare bonebed in Mongolia highlights the increasing trend of gregariousness in dinosaurs and emphasizes the need to protect against fossil poaching.
Research by Jessica Purcell and colleagues found that individual spiders can outlast their group counterparts when introduced to a new environment. The study suggests that adaptation to local traits is key to survival, rather than individual personality types.
When sick, animals alter behavior to reduce social contact and minimize disease transmission, a key finding of the study. By removing themselves from groups, sick animals may protect healthy relatives from infection.
Researchers at Nationwide Children's Hospital identified approximately 12 genes associated with fear and aggression in dogs, distinct from those found in humans. The study has potential implications for veterinary behavioral medicine and human anxiety disorders.
Spiders in large colonies can go extinct when they share food equitably, new UBC research reveals. The study found that large colonies struggle to capture prey, leading to massive die-offs.