animal behavior – Page 11 – The Loh Down On Science

Equine IQ

June 6, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Are horses just . . . overgrown dogs? Science suggests yes! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying: The two species do seem to have something unusual in common: The ability to read people’s faces! So say animal researchers at the University of Sussex. These

Universal Language

May 10, 2018 Ted Yoo

Don’t speak the language? Just keep smiling! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Many gestures are universal. A warm smile is innately understood all around the world. A thumbs up, however? That’s learned and doesn’t translate across cultures. But where did all of these gestures

Stinky Strategy

April 30, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Why did skunks evolve with such di-STINK-tion? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Meet biologists Tim Caro and Theodore Stankowich. Yes, really. They study how some carnivorous mammals protect themselves from getting eaten. For example: meerkats huddle in groups, while skunks squirt noxious sprays. Why

Sporting Prairie Dogs

April 23, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Do prairie dogs do The Wave? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, saying, Yup! Or rather, Yip! Prairie dogs, which are actually a type of rodent, live in towns of dozens of families. They share resources, watch each others’ backs – And, sometimes, do something

Altruistic Apes

March 26, 2018 Bela Abolfathi

When it comes to helping strangers, what kind of ape are you? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. You might think altruism is a uniquely human trait. For example, when lending a helping hand, chimpanzees tend to favor their friends. But do other primates show

Cuddle Buddies

March 19, 2018 Ted Yoo

Are hugs the new chicken soup? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Think of your gut as a soup of friendly bacteria. Everybody’s recipe is custom made to work with our bodies properly. These good bacteria help digest food and fight disease. Scientists know that

Monkey Money

March 2, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Who’s more sensible? Humans? Or Monkeys? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Meet Yale psychologist Laurie Santos. She researches human buying habits by having monkeys barter for treats. She says Capuchin monkeys understand economics. She gives them tokens—monkey money! Her monkeys are trained to exchange

Critter Cleanup

February 22, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Shall we talk dirty . . . about animal hair? This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Meet Guillermo Amador and David Hu, of Georgia Tech. They studied twenty-seven different mammals and insects to see how each maintains a suave appearance. First, the duo calculated the

Howling Mad

February 19, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Hey, guys: You can be large or you can be loud. This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science, and a trade-off that makes monkeys howl. Howler monkeys, that is. They’re native to Central and South American forests. And they’re known for their loud calls, which carry

Travelin’ Cows

February 16, 2018 Loh Down Staff

Where did the mysterious, pre-Roman Etruscan people come from? Ask the cows! This is Sandra Tsing Loh with the Loh Down on Science. Thanks to a wealth of Etruscan artifacts, archaeologists know this: The civilization flourished in the first millennium BC in what is now Tuscany. But nobody ever figured