[unable to retrieve full-text content]A powerful new tool for the study of spatial memory offers a significant improvement over the current gold standard, the Morris Water Maze. The novel Honeycomb Maze design allows for systematic analysis of the decisions an animal makes during navigation....
Read more
The origin of snakes: New evolutionary scenario
The early evolution of snakes happened from surface-terrestrial to burrowing in the lizard-snake transition suggests a research group at the University of Helsinki.
The group's new findings redirect the debate on evolution towards a new underexplored evolutionary scenario. Thus, the study adds another dimension to the investigation of snake origins.
Research studies have previously established that snakes...
Enhanced evolution: Scientists find genetic swap changes physical expression
The difference between webbed toes and distinct digits may be the result of not just genetic information, but of how the genes regulate that information. Researchers at the National Institute of Genetics, Research Organization of Information and Systems (ROIS) in Japan found that a small, non-specific tweak to a mammal's DNA can potentially cause specific...
Predator control can have unintended consequences
Introduced predators pose threats to biodiversity and are implicated in the extinction of many native species. A new Mammal Review analysis of published studies highlights unintended outcomes of predator control programs that are implemented to mitigate these effects.
In Australia, considerable effort is spent controlling populations of introduced predators, including the dingo Canis dingo and the...
Eating insects might seem yucky, but they are nutritious and there is no reason you can't
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Almost all living primates still have working versions of the gene needed to produce a stomach enzyme that breaks down exoskeletons. This means that the 'yuck' factor when it comes to eating insects has nothing to do with nutrition, digestion or evolution....
Read more
Fat cat? Here's how much to feed to lose weight
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Does your cat lay around all day, only getting up to eat and visit the litter box? Chances are, he's overweight. Maybe you've switched to the 'diet' cat food or tried feeding him less, but you might have noticed it's not easy to get that weight off. A new study explains...
Read more