Dogs Follow Human Voice Direction to Find Hidden Food
Dogs and puppies are gifted at interpreting human communicative hints, and previous studies showed that they use human visual cues like pointing or gazing in order to find hidden food….
evolution
Brain Size Matters When it Comes to Animal Self-Control
Chimpanzees may throw tantrums like toddlers, but their total brain size suggests they have more self-control than, say, a gerbil or fox squirrel, according to a new study of 36…
World Ranking Tracks Birds’ Evolutionary Distinctness
A team of international scientists, including a trio from Simon Fraser University, has published the world’s first ranking of evolutionary distinct birds under threat of extinction. These include a cave-dwelling bird…
Hummingbird Evolution Is Booming
Hummingbirds took just 22 million years to diversify from a single common ancestor into 338 tiny, colorful species. And they have not finished yet. Evolutionary biologist Jim McGuire of the…
Brain Scans Show Striking Similarities Between Dogs and Humans
A new brain-imaging study of mankind’s best friend has found a striking similarity in how humans and dogs — and perhaps many other mammals — process voice and emotion. Like…
How Evolution Shapes the Geometries of Life
Why does a mouse’s heart beat about the same number of times in its lifetime as an elephant’s, although the mouse lives about a year, while an elephant sees 70…