A research team led by the Institut de Neurociències at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (INc-UAB) has recently developed a groundbreaking animal model using the Caenorhabditis elegans worm. This model is poised to revolutionize the study of Parkinson’s disease by focusing on the initial, pre-motor symptom phases, potentially paving the way for early diagnosis and […]
Having a Reactive Dog is Difficult and Costly, Study Shows
When dogs lunge, bark, and growl at other dogs or people, the dog is having a hard time—and so is their guardian. More awareness is needed. Many people with reactive dogs walk where they won’t see anyone else. Photo: Danilo Silveira/Shutterstock By Zazie Todd PhD If you’ve never had a reactive dog, you don’t know […]
Body Size and Face Shape Predict the Lifespan of Dogs, Study Shows
The study of over 150 breeds and crossbreeds shows that size matters, as little dogs live longer—and so do those with a medium head shape rather than a flat face. The Lancashire Heeler is the longest-lived breed. Photo: hansbenn/Pixabay By Zazie Todd PhD We all wish our pet dogs would live longer. New research out […]
One Third of Dogs Have a Behaviour Issue, Study Shows
The most common problems are fear, especially fear of loud noises, and not doing what the guardian wants, such as not coming when called. Photo: Mikkel Bendix/Pexels By Zazie Todd PhD New research published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior shows that if your dog has a behaviour issue, you’re not alone. Importantly, the study […]
Young frogs may camouflage selves as animal poo: study
VIENNA, Oct 15 — The young offspring of a frog native to South-east Asia display an “unusual colour pattern”, probably to camouflage themselves “as animal droppings” to escape predators, according to a study. A team of researchers studying juvenile Wallace’s flying frogs — which are bright red with small white dots — made the findings […]
Study explores the species-specific use of ACE2 receptors by human and animal coronaviruses
In a recent study posted to the bioRxiv* preprint server, researchers assessed the ability of spike (S) proteins from 24 animal or human coronaviruses (CoVs) to utilize angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors across nine reservoirs of potential, intermediate, and human hosts. Study: Determinants of species-specific utilization of ACE2 by human and animal coronaviruses. Image Credit: MartinJanca/Shutterstock.com *Important […]
Robotic bird created to study animal communication
17 February 2023 By BES Press Office A Human Frontiers in Science Program press release A collaborative team, funded by the Human Frontiers Science Program have developed a new hyper realistic robotic finch in order to study how songbirds learn their songs A zebra finch bird, as used in the study Published in Methods of […]
Montgomery County plans animal shelter study focused on easing overcrowding
Montgomery County is planning a study of its animal shelter to determine how it will move forward with the existing facility or build a new one. Commissioners agreed during a Dec. 13 meeting to add an assessment of the shelter to the county’s facilities master plan approved in March 2019. The study is being conducted […]
Animals’ Role in Forest Restoration Revealed by Study
As nations meet this week in Montreal on efforts to address an unprecedented loss of biodiversity — more than a million species are threatened with extinction — a new study published in The Royal Society journal Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B points to the unique and vital role animals play in reforestation. An […]
Scientists study ‘world’s oldest meal’ to learn about our animal ancestors
The “last meal” consumed by some of the earliest known animals has helped scientists discover new clues about some odd ancient creatures that are our animal ancestors, according to the Australian National University. Ediacaran biota, the lifeforms that were present on Earth during the Ediacaran period around 575 million years ago, are some of the […]