Our close evolutionary cousin, the common chimpanzee, comes in four subspecies, each one named after its location along an East-West band in Africa. Yet, there are chimps outside of Africa as well. Many European zoos possess a group of chimpanzees, which often plays a part in conservation plans… Wondering how the hybrids come into play? Find out […]
Category Archives: Animal
How do you catch a dragon? Do you go looking for a brave knight to send forth on a difficult quest? Or a legendary hunter without fear? No. You use cameras to capture their image. For more, head over to United Academics.
When looking at mammals in general, being big correlates quite well with living long lives (barring disease, being eaten and things of that nature, of course). But, within species, it seems that the bigger individuals live less long than their smaller conspecifics. What could be going on here? And what better species to study this […]
The Blue Whale (or Balaenoptera musculus) is big. Very big. In fact, as far as we know, it’s the largest animal to have ever lived on earth, growing to roughly 30m and weighing in at an impressive 175 tons. But could there be, or have been, a bigger whale? Find out at United Academics.
Humpback whales are known virtuosos. Their mating songs are characterized by an impressive duration and complexity. In recent years, however, more and more reports show that they’re not only singing when they find themselves at breeding grounds. A new study,… Well, you’ll just have to read about that on United Academics. Muhahaha.
Move over, parrots. Two new mimics are in town. Animals producing something that sounds like human speech are not unheard of. Especially some bird species come to mind. And the occasional cats and dogs (who then quickly acquire Youtube fame). But in recent weeks, two less expected animals have shown the capacity to sound human. […]
Fasting (or more specifically, caloric restriction or CR) is often mentioned as a way to extend life- and healthspan. By reducing the caloric intake by 10 – 40%, rodents, fruit flies, and tiny roundworms have been shown to live significantly longer. Aha, have we found the key to longer and healthier human lives? Maybe that’s […]
Do animals possess empathy? A loaded question. A couple of recent studies have claimed they do (think of rescue rats and yawning dogs). But, as I asked in the post about the yawning dog study, is that really what is shown? A recent article in Biology Letters addresses this query. (See also the Oxford University […]
Ask anyone with a pet (or animal companion, if you prefer that term), animals have personality. Anthropomorphism aside, there seems to be something to it. In recent years, research in animal behavior has resulted in the suggestion that there are indeed behavioral differences between animals in a population that persist through time and across contexts. […]
Some ant species farm. That is, they maintain fungal gardens or aphid herds, and in doing so, they sustain their food supply. Now, a new study suggests that a species of aphid-holding ants manages their herd(s) in ways that are eerily reminiscent of human farming practices. The ant species under consideration is the Yellow Meadow […]
