PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

Sniff, sniff. What did you say?

Sniff, sniff. What did you say?
2013-03-07
(Press-News.org) When animals like dogs or rats sniff one another, there might be more going on than you'd think. Research reported in Current Biology, a Cell Press publication, on March 7th finds in rats that those sniffing behaviors communicate information about an individual's social status. In those encounters, more dominant rats act as primary sniffers, while subordinate sniffees actually slow their breath.

"We know that rats and other animals can communicate through vocalizations, physical contact, odors, and also visual displays," says Daniel Wesson of Case Western Reserve University. "To find that there was an undiscovered form of communication these animals had been using right in front of us this whole time was truly a neat experience."

Of course, the animals do use sniffing to smell each other. But Wesson suspected that wasn't the whole story. After all, it takes very little sniffing for a dog to pick up the scent of another dog. Why, then, do they sometimes sniff one another so vigorously? And why might those sniffing exchanges lead to a fight in some cases but not others?

In the new study, Wesson used radio telemetry recordings of nasal respiration in rats to find that when one rat sniffs in the direction of another, the recipient of that attention will respond by slowing their own sniffing rate, as if to say "don't mind me." Further investigation showed that the direction of those interactions depended on the relative size and social status of each of the two animals. In the event that a smaller subordinate failed to lower their sniffing rate appropriately, the more dominant partner would often lash out aggressively.

Those sniffing exchanges continued even in animals unable to smell but could be eliminated by treating animals with oxytocin, a chemical sometimes referred to as the "love hormone."

Wesson says it is likely that the animals are communicating conflict avoidance and appeasement signals in their decisions to sniff or not to sniff. It's not unlike the way a male primate beats his chest to demonstrate superiority while juveniles in his presence bow down in submission.

That sniffing is used not only to collect but also to convey information highlights the complex social lives of animals. "It opens the door to a totally new line of understanding complex, microstructured social behaviors," Wesson says.



INFORMATION:

Current Biology, Wesson: "Sniffing behavior communicates social hierarchy."


[Attachments] See images for this press release:
Sniff, sniff. What did you say?

ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

When food is scarce, a smaller brain will do

2013-03-07
A new study explains how young brains are protected when nutrition is poor. The findings, published on March 7th in Cell Reports, a Cell Press publication, reveal a coping strategy for producing a fully functional, if smaller, brain. The discovery, which was made in larval flies, shows the brain as an incredibly adaptable organ and may have implications for understanding the developing human brain as well, the researchers say. The key is a carefully timed developmental system that ultimately ensures neural diversity at the expense of neural numbers. "In essence, this ...

Using human brain cells to make mice smarter

2013-03-07
VIDEO: What happens when human brain cells that surround and support neurons are implanted into the brains of newborn mice? Researchers reporting in the March 7th issue of the Cell Press... Click here for more information. What happens when human brain cells that surround and support neurons are implanted into the brains of newborn mice? Researchers reporting in the March 7th issue of the Cell Press journal Cell Stem Cell recently found that such mice had enhanced learning and ...

Persistence pays off in solving hemophilia mystery, showing curiosity drives discovery

Persistence pays off in solving hemophilia mystery, showing curiosity drives discovery
2013-03-07
An Australian researcher has found the third and final missing piece in the genetic puzzle of an unusual form of hemophilia, more than 20 year after he discovered the first two pieces. Professor Merlin Crossley, of the University of New South Wales, and his international team studied the blood-clotting disorder, hemophilia B Leyden, which is unusual because symptoms improve after puberty. The results, published in The American Journal of Human Genetics, explain how more than half of the cases of this rare, hereditary bleeding disorder occur, and could help improve understanding ...

American Academy of Microbiology releases resistance report

2013-03-07
What do cancer cells, weeds, and pathogens have in common? They all evolve resistance to the treatments that are supposed to eliminate them. However, researchers developing the next generation of antibiotics, herbicides, and anti-cancer therapeutics rarely come together to explore the common evolutionary principles at work across their different biological systems. The new American Academy of Microbiology report "Moving Targets: Fighting Resistance in Infections, Pests, and Cancer" concludes that scientists working on different kinds of treatments have much to learn from ...

Dual systems key to keeping chromosomes intact

2013-03-07
USC scientists have discovered how two different structural apparatuses collaborate to protect repetitive DNA when it is at its most vulnerable – while it is being unzipped for replication. The centromere—the center of the "X" shape of a chromosome—contains repeated DNA sequences that are epigenetically coded to attract so-called heterochromatin proteins. This protects the structure to ensure that the chromosomes separate properly. If the heterochromatin is lost (due to mutations in the cell), the repetitive DNA becomes vulnerable to rearrangements and recombination. ...

New hypothesis: Why bacteria are becoming increasingly more resistant to antibiotics

New hypothesis: Why bacteria are becoming increasingly more resistant to antibiotics
2013-03-07
According to his theory, bacteria that are non-resistant to antibiotics acquire said resistance accidentally because they take up the DNA of others that are resistant, due to the stress to which they are subjected. A University of Granada researcher has formulated a new hypothesis concerning an enigma that the scientific community has still not been able to solve and which could revolutionise the pharmaceutical industry: Why are bacteria becoming increasingly more resistant to antibiotics? His work has revealed that the use of antibiotics can even cause non-resistant bacteria ...

New gender benchmarking study: India is making slow progress in advancing women in S & T

2013-03-07
Delhi, March 7, 2013 - In the first gender benchmarking study of its kind, researchers have found that numbers of women in the science, technology and innovation fields are alarmingly low in the world's leading economies, and are actually on the decline in many, including the United States. India's low overall ranking in the study shows slow progress despite women friendly policies which have been in place for a number of years. The full gender benchmarking study maps the opportunities and obstacles faced by women in science in Brazil, South Africa, India, the Republic ...

New gender benchmarking study: South Africa ranks low on women participating in STI

2013-03-07
Cape Town, March 7, 2013 – In the first gender benchmarking study of its kind, researchers have found that numbers of women in the science, technology and innovation fields (STI) are alarmingly low in the world's leading economies, and are actually on the decline in many, including the United States. For South Africa, results show that women have more opportunities available to them than ever before, however, their participation in the science, technology and innovation workforce remains low. The full gender benchmarking study maps the opportunities and obstacles faced ...

Japanese researchers succeed in making generations of mouse clones

Japanese researchers succeed in making generations of mouse clones
2013-03-07
Using the technique that created Dolly the sheep, researchers from the RIKEN Center for Developmental Biology in Kobe, Japan have identified a way to produce healthy mouse clones that live a normal lifespan and can be sequentially cloned indefinitely. Their study is published today in the journal Cell Stem Cell. In an experiment that started in 2005, the team led by Dr. Teruhiko Wakayama has used a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer (SNCT) to produce 581 clones of one original 'donor' mouse, through 25 consecutive rounds of cloning. SNCT is a widely ...

High BMI linked to heart attack, stroke in young women

2013-03-07
SAN FRANCISCO (March 7, 2013) —A nationwide study of women in Denmark who are of child-bearing age finds that those who are obese appear to have a much greater risk of heart attack or stroke, according to research being presented at the American College of Cardiology's 62nd Annual Scientific Session. In fact, women with a high body mass index (BMI)—a measure of the body's fat content—that is indicative of obesity were twice as likely as those of normal weight to suffer a potentially life-threatening heart attack or stroke within just four to five years following childbirth. ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Osteoporosis treatment benefits people older than 80

Consuming more protein may protect patients taking anti-obesity drug from muscle loss

Thyroid treatment may improve gut health in people with hypothyroidism

Combination of obesity medication tirzepatide and menopause hormone therapy fuels weight loss

High blood sugar may have a negative impact on men’s sexual health

Emotional health of parents tied to well-being of children with growth hormone deficiency

Oxytocin may reduce mood changes in women with disrupted sleep

Mouse study finds tirzepatide slowed obesity-associated breast cancer growth

CMD-OPT model enables the discovery of a potent and selective RIPK2 inhibitor as preclinical candidate for the treatment of acute liver injury

Melatonin receptor 1a alleviates sleep fragmentation-aggravated testicular injury in T2DM by suppression of TAB1/TAK1 complex through FGFR1

Single-cell RNA sequencing reveals Shen-Bai-Jie-Du decoction retards colorectal tumorigenesis by regulating the TMEM131–TNF signaling pathway-mediated differentiation of immunosuppressive dendritic ce

Acta Pharmaceutica Sinica B Volume 15, Issue 7 Publishes

New research expands laser technology

Targeted radiation offers promise in patients with metastasized small cell lung cancer to the brain

A high clinically translatable strategy to anti-aging using hyaluronic acid and silk fibroin co-crosslinked hydrogels as dermal regenerative fillers

Mount Sinai researchers uncover differences in how males and females change their mind when reflecting on past mistakes

CTE and normal aging are difficult to distinguish, new study finds

Molecular arms race: How the genome defends itself against internal enemies

Tiny chip speeds up antibody mapping for faster vaccine design

KTU experts reveal why cultural heritage is important for community unity

More misfolded proteins than previously known may contribute to Alzheimer’s and dementia

“Too much going on”: Autistic adults overwhelmed by non-verbal social cues

What’s driving America’s deep freezes in a warming world?

A key role of brain protein in learning and memory is deciphered by scientists

Heart attacks don’t follow a Hollywood script

Erin M. Schuman wins 2026 Nakasone Award for discovery on neural synapse function and change during formation of memories

Global ocean analysis could replace costly in-situ sound speed profiles in seafloor positioning, study finds

Power in numbers: Small group professional coaching reduces rates of physician burnout by nearly 30%

Carbon capture, utilization, and storage: A comprehensive review of CCUS-EOR

New high-temperature stable dispersed particle gel for enhanced profile control in CCUS applications

[Press-News.org] Sniff, sniff. What did you say?