In 2023, researchers made incredible scientific discoveries about animals. Keep reading to check out some fascinating findings about the animal world and how we interact with it!
+ New Study Investigates Why Some Dogs Are Especially Intelligent
+ Impressive Video: Some Cats Seem to Have Superpowers
1. Rats may have imagination
In a study published in November, researchers from the Janelia Research Campus at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute discovered that rats can navigate through a space they have explored before using only their thoughts.
This means they could have what we usually consider imagination. An author of the study reportedly said that the research is the first of its kind to show that non-human animals can activate the brain’s representation of places that are distant from them.
2. Cats’ faces are more expressive than you think
Anyone who owns a cat knows that felines are very expressive creatures. However, it was not known how much until a new study revealed that cats make 276 distinct facial expressions using 26 unique facial movements, such as opening their lips, licking their nose, or squinting their eyes.
“It was really interesting to think about how domestication shaped this repertoire of facial expressions and then think about comparisons we could make with other species,” said Brittany Florkiewicz, co-author of the study, to Quirks & Quarks presented by Bob McDonald.
3. A new drug may extend your dog’s life
A drug to extend the life of dogs may be on the market in the coming years, according to Loyal, a biotechnology company in San Francisco that develops longevity treatments for canines.
Designed to reduce levels of a growth-promoting hormone that can reduce years of life in large and giant dog breeds, the drug would be administered by a veterinarian every three to six months and is expected to be available in 2026, depending on FDA approval.
4. Female frogs may feign death to avoid unwanted advances from males
According to a study published in the journal Royal Society Open Science in October, female common European frogs pretend to be dead to avoid unwanted attention from males during the mating season.
In conversation with ABC News, researcher Carolin Dittrich explained that common European frogs engage in a brief but “explosive” breeding season, during which males compete frantically for access to females.
In the process, males also engage in “harassment,” “sexual coercion,” and “intimidation” of females, according to the study. Pretending to be dead is something that female frogs apparently evolved to do to survive the mating season.
5. Children living with pet dogs or cats may have fewer food allergies
Children living with dogs or cats during fetal development and early childhood may be less likely than other children to develop food allergies, according to a Japanese study.
The research, which included more than 65,000 babies, showed that children with dogs indoors were less likely to have allergies to egg, milk, and nuts. Meanwhile, those with pet cats were less likely to have allergies to eggs, wheat, and soy.
