[unable to retrieve full-text content]Spoiling old dogs in their twilight years by retiring them to the sofa and forgiving them their stubbornness or disobedience, doesn't do our four-legged friends any good. Regular brain training and lifelong learning create positive emotions and can slow down mental deterioration in old age. Physical limitations, however, often do not...
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Shoals of sticklebacks differ in their collective personalities
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Research has revealed that, among schooling fish, groups can have different collective personalities, with some shoals sticking closer together, being better coordinated, and showing clearer leadership than others....
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New light shed on antibiotics produced by ants
[unable to retrieve full-text content]Ants, like humans, deal with disease. To deal with the bacteria that cause some of these diseases, some ants produce their own antibiotics. A new comparative study identified some ant species that make use of powerful antimicrobial agents -- but found that 40 percent of ant species tested didn't appear to...
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Venus flytraps don't eat the insects that pollinate them
[unable to retrieve full-text content]While most people are familiar with Venus flytraps and their snapping jaws, there is still a lot that scientists don't know about the biology of these carnivorous plants. Researchers have for the first time discovered which insects pollinate the rare plants in their native habitat -- and discovered that the flytraps...
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Another piece to the puzzle in naked mole rats' long, cancer-free life
With their large buck teeth and wrinkled, hairless bodies, naked mole rats won't be winning any awards for cutest rodent. But their long life span -- they can live up to 30 years, the longest of any rodent -- and remarkable resistance to age-related diseases, offer scientists key clues to the mysteries of aging and...
New ethics committee aims to help veterinarians navigate complex care situations
Advances in veterinary technology provide pet owners with an ever-increasing array of treatment options for their pets. However, more options can lead to complex situations and difficult questions about care goals and quality of life that must be navigated by veterinary caregivers and pet owners. Clinicians and researchers from North Carolina State University and Duke...