Articles tagged with Ethology
A model by theoretical biologists demonstrates how superstitious beliefs can become established in a society's social norms, guiding the behavior of large groups. The research suggests that even irrational beliefs can be beneficial when correlated with others' actions, leading to coordinated behaviors.
A new study found that leaders in groups of animals are more vulnerable to attack from predators due to their riskier position within the group. Researchers used virtual prey in aquarium tanks and found leaders were more likely to be attacked than followers, with isolated individuals also being at higher risk.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh found that a beetle's diet during sexual development affects its adult breeding habits. Females prefer to mate with well-fed males to optimize offspring health.
A machine learning model can reproduce the swarming behavior of locusts by integrating methods from philosophical action theory and quantum optics. The 'Projective Simulation' learning model was successfully applied to a locust's specific swarming behavior, demonstrating its potential for realistic application to biological systems.
Researchers observed mountain gorillas gathering around the bodies of deceased group members, spending time in contact with their corpses, and even grooming them. These behaviors were surprisingly similar across different gorilla groups and suggest a complex understanding of death among these animals.
Researchers developed a behavior recognition model using biomechanical principles to accurately determine an animal's activity, such as resting or searching for food. The model uses wearable accelerometer signals to provide detailed information about specific behaviors, which can inform conservation efforts.
Researchers developed a new 'multi-z' confocal microscopy system for imaging large groups of cells, enabling fast and detailed imaging across a wide field of view. The instrument captured cellular details at high speeds over a large 3D volume, providing unprecedented insights into how neurons interact during various behaviors.
New research by McMaster behavioural scientists reveals evolution can work backwards to benefit related members of the same group. Selfless traits like sharing food and keeping watch are mathematically equivalent to decreased evolution of individually beneficial traits.
A recent study by Vetmeduni Vienna reveals that wolves and dogs cooperate intensively with humans but differ in their approach. Wolves show more initiative, leading the interaction, while dogs follow human behaviour. The study proposes that dogs' submissive tendencies are a result of domestication, which helped minimize conflicts.
Female spotted hyenas can increase their dominance rank by forming alliances with other females, ultimately improving their lifetime reproductive success. The offspring of these individuals inherit their mother's acquired rank, leading to a decline in individual rank within clans over time.
A deficiency in the SHANK3 protein, which regulates synaptic communication between brain cells, is associated with various neurological conditions. Researchers have identified kinases that can regulate SHANK3 stability, offering hope for developing treatments by increasing its abundance.
Researchers developed 'Autonomouse' system, allowing for up to 18 months of minimally disturbed mouse behavioral research. The 'smart house' combines animal welfare and efficient research findings, published in PLOS ONE.
A new study on African chimpanzee communities reveals human impact significantly reduces behavioral diversity, with communities near human habitats experiencing 88% lower occurrence of specific behaviors.
Princeton University researchers Olivia Chu and Corina Tarnita investigate how cooperation emerges in human populations, finding that smaller groups allow cooperation to thrive while limiting destructive influence. They also find that allowing for lone individuals with barriers to group entry enhances cooperation.
Dogs' personalities change over time due to various factors, including age and environmental influences. Research found that older dogs are harder to train, while younger ones exhibit more excitable behavior. Owners with positive personality traits report more responsive dogs.
Zebras evolved striped coats to evade tabanid horse flies, which carry debilitating diseases. The study found that stripes don't deter flies at a distance, but disrupt their approach, making it harder for them to land and feed on zebras.
A new welfare tool has been developed to track the wellbeing of elephants in human care, using their behaviour and demeanour. The tool is being used by UK zoos and safari parks to assess the impact of changes in animal husbandry and develop facilities that enhance elephant welfare.
Scientists parse animal behavior into digestible chunks using an adaptive model, spotting subtleties that would have otherwise been missed. The study found that complex dynamics can be broken down into simple linear patterns, allowing for the quantification of brain states and movement behaviors in various organisms.
Research at the University of Göttingen found that mice growing up in stimulating environments transmit increased brain plasticity to their offspring, even if the young mice were raised in less enriching conditions. This transgenerational transmission affects primary sensory areas of the cerebral cortex.
In a new study, researchers found that male livebearer fish evolved larger dorsal fins for fighting before using them in courtship displays to attract females. This evolution went hand-in-hand with the enlargement of the male dorsal fin, leading to rapid evolution in some species.
Researchers developed a new method to identify significant ties in social networks, controlling for individual activity levels. This approach accurately mimics real-life school class clusters and has applications in various complex networks, including interbank markets and face-to-face interactions.
A new study reveals that astrocytes can lead the tempo of the body's internal clock and control daily behavior patterns in mammals. The discovery could pave the way for new treatments to manage circadian rhythm disruptions related to health conditions like jet lag, sleep disorders, and dementia.
Researchers investigate the impact of skill levels on animal contests, focusing on hermit crab behavior. They aim to understand factors that influence fighting skill and its relationship with aggression, which can have implications for sports science and human training.
Large human crowds behave like fluid-like systems, where movement can be mathematically predicted using hydrodynamic theory. The study's findings suggest this approach could provide quantitative guidance in crowd management and lay the foundation for an empirically grounded theory of group behavior.
Researchers used augmented reality to investigate the link between active sensing movement and sensory feedback in weakly electric fish. The study found that subtle active sensing movements are controlled by sensory feedback, enhancing sensory information reception. This discovery may have implications for neuroscience and robotics.
Researchers developed LEAP, a neural network-based system that tracks individual body parts in video footage, enabling the study of animal behavior and neural processes. The tool has great potential outside of neuroscience, automating labor-intensive analysis to study diverse animal locomotor behaviors.
A study discovered that a microRNA cluster regulates synaptic strength and is involved in controlling social behavior in mammals. The researchers found that the absence of this microRNA cluster results in increased sociability in mice.
Researchers have revealed the brain mechanism behind the uncontrollable itch-scratching cycle. A small subset of neurons in the periaqueductal gray region tracks itch-evoked scratching behavior. The study provides a starting point to decipher how itch is processed and modulated in the brain.
A recent study by Katherine Stavropoulos, an assistant professor at the University of California - Riverside, has confirmed a neural basis for cute aggression. The research found that the brain's reward system and emotion system are involved in the phenomenon, with participants experiencing higher levels of cute aggression towards cute...
A Champalimaud Centre researcher will explore how social environment and spatial factors influence an insect's defensive strategy, shedding light on brain mechanisms that underlie behaviour. The grant will fund novel experiments using fruit fly models.
Researchers have found that great apes and ravens develop planning capacities through associative learning, rather than human-like mental simulations. The new model shows how animals can learn to make decisions that lack immediate benefits but lead to meaningful outcomes in the future.
A study published in PLOS ONE found that Indian peafowl crests efficiently sense motion and vibration at frequencies similar to those used during social displays. The research suggests that sensory stimulation of the crest feathers may complement visual and auditory perception of these displays.
Researchers create compact system for fluorescence imaging at the tip of a fibre, enabling high-resolution images of brain cells and neuronal processes in deep brain areas. This breakthrough technology offers a minimally invasive approach to study sensory perception, memory formation, and severe neuronal diseases like Alzheimer's.
Researchers found that people with recent cancer diagnoses tend to prioritize short-term gains over long-term health benefits, leading to behaviors like excessive drinking, smoking, and infrequent tanning bed use. This 'discounting the future' phenomenon can be a significant risk factor for various health problems.
Scientists at the National Eye Institute have found that neurons in the superior colliculus are key players in allowing us to detect visual objects and events. The findings show that a specific population of neurons directly cause a behavior, and a mathematical model can predict behavior based on these neurons.
When working ants take a sick day, they alter their social interactions to protect vulnerable members. By changing their behavior, the colony reduces the risk of fungal infection and maintains social distancing.
A recent study on wild spotted hyaenas found that females dominate males because they receive more social support. The research revealed that social support is a key factor in determining dominance relationships between the sexes.
A team of researchers analyzed aerial video footage of bicycle races to determine the causes of changes in peloton collective behavior. They found two types of propagating waves within pelotons, driven by rider vision and sensory input, which challenge previous assumptions about aerodynamics' role in group dynamics.
Researchers found that communal-reared males were more competitive towards unrelated males and displayed higher exploratory tendencies. These traits are advantageous in a high-density population or when dispersing from the natal territory.
Exposure to neonicotinoids like imidacloprid disrupts bee colony growth by reducing worker activity, feeding and larval care. This results in impaired thermoregulation, increased mortality and reduced colony sizes.
A new study reveals how vultures use social networks to gather flight information, making risky yet efficient choices. The research, led by Hannah Williams from Swansea University, tracked the movements of five vultures using special tag technology and found that they fly towards areas where other birds had been circling.
An experimental compound has been shown to prevent and alleviate cognitive and mood problems in mice with Gulf War illness-like symptoms. Researchers found that the treatment can normalize dysregulation of glutamate in the brain, a potential contributor to the condition.
Postdoctoral fellows Vikram Gadagkar and Johannes Kohl have been awarded the $25,000 Peter and Patricia Gruber International Research Award for their innovative contributions to neuroscience. Their research focuses on trial-and-error learning mechanisms and neural circuits that control behavior.
Researchers have developed a novel testing system using zebrafish larvae to filter out substances with unwanted side effects. They found over 500 substances that modulated appetite, with most having specific effects without interfering with known systems.
A study published in PLOS Biology reveals a new neural circuitry linking olfaction to locomotion in lampreys, a parasitic fish that has decimated large populations of fish. The discovery demonstrates how smell can activate locomotor centers via two distinct brain pathways.
Researchers discovered a new brain mechanism underlying salience processing that facilitates associative learning and survival. The periventricular nucleus of the thalamus (PVT) is activated by salient stimuli, including novel stimuli and reinforcing cues.
Scientists developed a new method to record limb control neural circuits in fruit flies using two-photon microscopy. The study found different patterns of activity across neurons during movement and behavior, including walking and grooming.
Researchers found that Asian elephants possess numerical skills comparable to those in humans, unaffected by distance, magnitude, or ratios. The study used a touch-panel task to train an Asian elephant named Authai to judge relative quantities, with a success rate of 66.8%.
Cuttlefish control camouflage by directly acting on skin cells called chromatophores, producing local changes in contrast. Through statistical analysis of chromatophore output, researchers inferred motor neuron activity and higher levels of control, peering into the brain's camouflage system.
Researchers found nearly 200 gene variations linked to social behavior in sweat bees, including 21 clustered near genes implicated in human autism. The study suggests a core set of genes play an important role in shaping social behavior across species.
Researchers at Max Planck Institute for Brain Research and Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies developed techniques to reveal the cuttlefish brain's control network. By analyzing skin pattern dynamics, they inferred motor neuron activity and predicted higher-level control structures, providing insights into biological camouflage.
A study by Aarhus University researchers reveals that men's political attitudes towards inequality are influenced by their physical strength, not logic or reason. The results suggest that strong men are more likely to support unequal societies, as it aligns with their instinctual desire for status and resource control.
Researchers are testing pinger systems to deter diving ducks from gill nets, a major threat to sea bird populations. The study aims to determine the optimal frequency for these devices, which could save hundreds of thousands of birds annually.
A new study from the Monell Chemical Senses Center reveals that healthy animals' bodily odors change when they are near sick animals, potentially impacting social contacts and disease spread. The findings suggest that exposure to sickness-related odors can trigger protective responses in others.
A UC Davis researcher found that people behave similarly to others in simple reasoning games, driven by 'flocking' dynamics rather than rational thinking. The study used different games with varying levels of complexity, but all showed the same flocking behavior.
Researchers found that fruit flies freeze in response to threats at slow walking speeds, but run away when moving quickly. The team identified a single pair of neurons critical for this process, providing insights into the brain's defensive strategies.
In a study led by the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, researchers found that active participation in group-hunts increased successful hunts and encouraged sharing of meat among chimpanzees. Oxytocin activation during hunting behavior also supported cooperative interactions.
Researchers analyzed ancient and modern koala and kangaroo teeth to understand diet changes across millennia. The study found that tooth wear patterns are indicative of dietary habits, not environmental factors.
Researchers studied ants' tunnel excavation to understand optimal traffic flow in crowded environments. They found that idleness, reversals, and uneven work distribution reduced clogs and improved performance. These strategies can be applied to improve movement in engineered systems like robot swarms.
A large behavioral study shows a correlation between higher social dominance and faster decision-making in non-competitive situations. EEG measurements also reveal distinct neural signals for promptness in high-dominance men compared to low-dominance individuals.