Articles tagged with Ethology
A study on free-living female Alpine marmots found that prenatal testosterone exposure gives females an edge in a population, allowing them to become more aggressive and dominant. This is contrary to previous findings in other species, where being exposed to males can make females less reproductively successful.
A recent study of young chimpanzees reveals that they engage in playful behavior during infancy and develop complex social play patterns, similar to those of human children. The research also found that both humans and chimps prefer peer play partners and use facial expressions to communicate and build social networks.
Research reveals that people's diets are influenced by conflicting norms and environmental cues, rather than just knowledge of healthy eating. According to study findings, having strong beliefs about good eating habits is not enough to change behavior; individuals must also possess the willpower to follow their rules.
Motherhood is associated with changes in brain function, particularly in the auditory cortex, enabling mothers to recognize and respond to pup distress calls. The study shows a rapid appearance of olfactory-auditory integration in lactating mothers.
Washington State University researchers have developed a new animal model to study depression by stimulating a brain region associated with primary emotions in rats. The model reveals behaviors linked to depression, including reduced positive affect and increased agitation.
Researchers found that meerkats can distinguish between individual calls in their species, contrary to previous assumptions. Meerkat colonies are highly organized and divide work into three roles, with this vocal recognition ability linked to auditory cues.
Researchers from the University of Exeter found that male insects are not aggressive towards their mates but instead protective and willing to risk their lives to ensure female safety. This challenges previous assumptions about insect relationships, suggesting a more nuanced understanding of natural selection in the wild.
Researchers found that ritualistic behavior is not only human but also animal behavior, developed to induce calm and manage stress. In both humans and animals, repetitive behavior serves as a way to feel in control of unpredictable situations.
A new study from Case Western Reserve University found that aquarium fishes are more aggressive in reduced environments, with 182.9 million ornamental fishes at risk. Increasing tank size and complexity can reduce harmful aggressive behaviors, leading to healthier fish.
Researchers at Yerkes National Primate Research Center have shown that chimpanzees exhibit a significant bias for prosocial behavior, particularly towards partners who are patient. The study's findings confirm the altruistic nature of chimpanzees, suggesting human altruism may not be as rare as previously thought.
Scientists use optogenetics to induce social-behavior deficits in mice resembling those seen in people with autism and schizophrenia. The findings lend credence to a hypothesis that an altered balance between excitatory and inhibitory nerve cells may contribute to the development of these disorders.
A new system tracks cattle's feeding patterns and behavior using RFID technology, enabling early detection of illnesses and improving treatment outcomes. The system has shown promising results in detecting subtle changes in animal behavior indicative of health challenges.
A new owl study uncovers the advantage of stereopsis, revealing its ability to discriminate between objects and background. The findings debunk the long-held consensus that the evolutionary advantage of seeing in stereo must be depth vision, suggesting a more nuanced role for binocular disparity.
Researchers found that domestic chickens have a significant preference for consonant sounds, which may be an innate auditory preference. This finding challenges the notion that aesthetic tastes are solely learned behaviors and highlights the importance of distinguishing among sounds in the natural environment.
Researchers analyzed the heads of pachycephalosaur dinosaurs and compared them to modern animals that engage in head butting. They found that the bony anatomy of pachycephalosaur domes is better at protecting the brain than in any modern head-butting animal.
A new study published in Psychological Science concludes that female bosses who exhibit 'queen bee' behavior are not inherently nasty, but rather a response to a difficult, male-dominated work environment. The study found that only women with strong gender identities at work resist helping other women rise through the ranks.
A University of Florida study shows that singing mice choose mates based on their vocal prowess, which is reflected in the quality of their trills. The researchers found that faster singers are preferred by females, and even the sex hormones of males can affect their singing abilities.
A study by researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University finds that deaf animals' brains reorganize sensory inputs to preserve their behavioral functions. The research provides insight into brain reorganization following sensory loss, potentially informing the development of more effective rehabilitative medicine for deaf patients.
Ingo Schlupp, OU Department of Zoology associate professor, receives top award for evolutionary biology and animal behavior research. He will spend a year at University of Potsdam in Germany working on genomics of the Amazon molly.
A 120 million-year-old ichthyosaur fossil found in Australia shows healed bite wounds, suggesting the creature survived an attack from another member of its species. The discovery provides insights into the social behaviors of ancient sea creatures during the time of dinosaurs.
Research at Yerkes National Primate Research Center finds chimpanzees yawn more after watching familiar chimps, suggesting underlying empathy. The study proposes that contagious yawning can be used as a measure of empathy in both humans and animals.
Seven GHSU investigators will present their research on schizophrenia and psychiatric disorders, including Dr. Peter Buckley's National Institutes of Mental Health-funded study on relapse prevention. Researchers also explore potential treatments for stress-induced anxiety behavior and prenatal stress-related neuropsychiatric illnesses.
A miniature, portable PET scanner has been developed to study brain function and behavior in rats while they are awake and moving freely. This breakthrough technology, dubbed RatCAP, uses a wearable design that counterbalances with springs and motion stabilizers, allowing animals significant freedom of movement.
Researchers develop an algorithm based on honey bee behavior to solve the four-color theorem, which proves that maps can be colored with only four colors. This method uses less computational power than existing algorithms and applies to engineering and mathematical problems beyond map coloring.
Researchers at Stanford University School of Medicine have discovered a novel brain circuit that produces the opposite effect of anxiety, counteracting it instead. The discovery was made using optogenetics technology and found that stimulating this circuit enhances animals' willingness to take risks.
Researchers at the University of Bristol discovered that domestic hens exhibit a clear physiological and behavioral response to mild chick distress, suggesting an empathic capacity. The study used both behavioral and physiological methods to measure these traits in birds.
Researchers found that hand-raised wolves can follow a gaze around an obstacle, indicating a more cognitively advanced task than previously observed. The wolves' ability to detour an obstacle suggests that gaze following is not exclusive to primates and corvids.
Scientists found that songbirds learn to change their pitch by computing the average success of hundreds of performances, a strategy that could guide damaged nervous systems to recovery using simple instructive signals. This phenomenon explains how people learn subtle details like accents and facial cues.
A study found that changing the composition of quail groups causes aggression and changes in hormone levels, affecting chick growth and behavior. The results suggest a direct impact of mother quails' social environment on their offspring's phenotype.
A genetic variant of the HTR2B brain receptor molecule has been found to contribute to violent impulsivity, particularly when combined with alcohol consumption. The study, conducted by NIH researchers and their international collaborators, used human genetic analyses and gene knockout studies in mice to identify the mutation.
Researchers at MIT's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory found that some neural sequences in mice' brains that fired during a novel experience had already occurred before the animal rested. This phenomenon, called preplay, helps encode related experiences occurring in the future.
A Purdue University study reveals a link between diet and the onset of mental illness, with mice developing abnormal behaviors on a high-sugar diet. The research suggests that increasing serotonin activity in the brain may not be enough to cure or reduce hair-pulling disorders like trichotillomania.
Research finds that dominant animals in primate societies have higher parasite loads due to suppressed immune systems. Frequent aggression and contact with other animals may contribute to the risk of infection.
Studies on juvenile trout reveal distinct personality traits, with some exhibiting aggression and others hiding from new objects. Shy trout surprisingly outperform bold individuals in growth rate when released into the wild.
Researchers have discovered distinct neuronal circuits within the central nucleus of the amygdala involved in acquisition and control of behavioral fear responses. The study found that specific inhibition cells play a key role in regulating fear behaviors.
A new study found that workers are pivotal in creating complex societies where conflict is minimized. The research discovered that UK worker ants are more docile and less aggressive towards their queens, whereas Spanish worker ants engage in ruthless behavior to determine the next queen.
A new study by the University of Bristol has found that dogs with separation-related behaviors tend to make more pessimistic judgments, suggesting a cognitive bias. The research provides insight into animal emotions and highlights the importance of addressing underlying negative emotional states in dogs.
Research reveals vultures use face flushing technique for displays of dominance and interaction with peers, where rapidly changing skin color provides up-to-date information on status.
A new computer system, based on a model of the human brain's visual processing, accurately identifies mouse behaviors in videos, reducing tedious data logging tasks. The open-source software is available for free and can be easily trained to work with other lab animals, increasing productivity in behavioral research.
A team of researchers studied California seed harvester ants to understand how colony size affects metabolism. They found that the metabolic rate decreases as colony size increases, but not in a straightforward manner.
Caltech researchers found that flies regulate altitude by tracking horizontal edges, not the motion beneath them. This mechanism is similar to steering and was tested using an automated flight chamber with multiple cameras.
Scientists at the Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology have identified three dopamine-releasing nerve cells essential for associating odors with negative experiences. By manipulating these cells using a temperature switch, they demonstrated that even without an electric shock, fruit flies can learn to avoid specific odors.
Researchers observed 10 to 20 snailfish congregating at a depth of 7703 meters, suggesting that few species of fishes survive in the darkness of the hadal zone. The study, published in BioScience, provides evidence that liparids dominate the deep ocean's hadal environment.
A new study reveals differing hormone levels in humans, bonobos, and chimpanzees before competition. Males who are intolerant of sharing food showed hormonal changes similar to chimpanzees, while those who tolerated cooperation showed cortisol increases like bonobos.
Researchers found that breeding males were more aggressive towards neighboring males than strangers, potentially to protect paternity. The study suggests the 'Nasty Neighbor' phenomenon helps limit territorial costs.
A new test of sense of smell may help diagnose and treat early-stage Parkinson's disease. The research used transgenic mice with high levels of human alpha-synuclein, a protein linked to PD, to develop a model for studying the disease's effects on dopamine regulation.
Desert locusts that swarm together have larger brains with altered proportions compared to solitary locusts. Their bigger brains are thought to help them cope with the challenges of living in large groups and finding varied food sources.
Researchers identified two genes, leucokinin neuropeptide and receptor, that regulate meal sizes and frequency in fruit flies. In normal flies, the stretch receptors signal to the brain when the gut is full, but in mutants or brain center destruction, this signal is not relayed, leading to excessive eating.
Researchers found that male African cichlid fish exhibit a fear response when fighting their own reflections, characterized by increased activity in the amygdala region of the brain. This discovery suggests that fish may have more complex cognitive abilities than previously thought.
Researchers identified a specific chemical compound emitted by predators that triggers fearful behavior in mice. The study reveals the importance of the vomeronasal organ in detecting chemical cues and highlights the complexity of brain response to sensory information.
Female zebra finches often outsource parental care to neighbors, with 1 in 20 eggs being a 'cuckoo egg'. Most cuckoo eggs are laid shortly before the host parents start breeding.
Scientists have discovered a hidden neuronal circuit in the worm Caenorhabditis elegans that modulates sensory perception under stress. This work suggests that mechanisms coupling hypoxia, serotonin, and neuropeptide signaling also modify behavior in mammals.
UT Southwestern researchers discovered that new brain nerve cells play a crucial role in stress resilience. Mice susceptible to stress exhibited enhanced neurogenesis, with surviving cells surviving longer than those produced by resilient mice.
A study by US Department of Agriculture researchers found that a tryptophan-enriched diet reduces aggression in young female pigs, making them calmer and easier to manage. The supplement raised blood concentrations of serotonin, a calming neurotransmitter, leading to reduced behavioral activity and aggression.
Researchers at Caltech have recorded brain-cell activity in actively flying fruit flies, revealing that the visual system becomes more sensitive during flight. The study suggests that this increased sensitivity is linked to a neurochemical release that sets the animal's brain in a different state.
Researchers found that mice create 'knots' – preferred places with high path tortuosity – during exploration, which enhance their visual scene interpretation, memory of the place, and provide multiple views. This study contributes to understanding how animals map environments and accomplish goals.
Researchers discovered that removing the PKCI/HINT1 gene from mice results in anti-depressant and anxiolytic-like behaviors, suggesting its potential role in mood regulation. The study's findings could lead to the development of new diagnostic or therapeutic agents for depression, bipolar disorders, and schizophrenia.
Scientists successfully recreated chemicals that trigger aggressive behavior in Argentine ants, revealing insights into the insects' social behavior and potential methods for controlling their populations. The findings have implications for understanding the invasive species' success in non-native regions.
A Case Western Reserve University engineering professor is developing a miniaturized low-power device to detect how electrical signals and neurotransmitters in the brain work. The device will record 16 channels of chemical and electrical neural activity, measuring neurotransmitters and action potentials in real time.
Researchers found that macaque monkeys react with revulsion when viewing nearly human-like images, supporting theories of an evolutionary basis for the uncanny valley. The study indicates that the brain mechanisms underlying this phenomenon are likely biological adaptations.