Latest updates and snippets regarding scientific research and advancements
Your feline friend might not be as affectionate as you'd like, but they're definitely paying more attention than you think. A new study from Tokyo, published in PLOS One, has shown that cats can identify the scent of their human companions from those of strangers, proving they're not just attracted to the sound of your voice or the sight of your face.
Thirty cats and their owners participated in the study, during which the cat owners swabbed cotton balls with their own scents from various parts of their bodies. Eight additional people, who weren't cat owners and didn't know the participating cats, provided scents as "odor donors."
Each cat was presented with test tubes containing swabs from their owner, a stranger, and a blank control. Cats spent more time sniffing the scents of strangers, suggesting they could smell the distinct odors of their owners. This shows that, aside from what they see and hear, cats can indeed recognize your scent.
Intriguingly, the team observed that cats predominantly used their right nostril when sniffing the scents of strangers. This could be connected to previous studies of other animals like dogs, which tend to lead with their right nostrils when investigating new smells.
In another fascinating discovery, researchers found that galls, outgrowths on plants induced by parasitic insects, can protect insect larvae from the devastating effects of wildfires. These galls, which act as perfect nurseries for larvae, can withstand both heat and flames, allowing some larvae to survive the blazes.
These findings, announced in the journal Ecology, were made after researchers cut open the galls of Solanum lycocarpum, a common plant found in the Cerrado region of Brazil. They found that a significant percentage of weevil larvae still alive inside the charred galls, despite the fire's devastating effects on the surrounding area.
Lastly, a new study sheds light on why men tend to be taller than women on average. Researchers have found a direct link between height and the SHOX gene, which is present on both X and Y sex chromosomes. The team discovered that an extra Y chromosome resulted in increased height compared to an extra X chromosome.
The placement of the SHOX gene near the tip of the X and Y chromosomes may explain this difference. In females, genes on one of the two X chromosomes are typically inactive, but the SHOX gene remains active despite its location near the activated region. In contrast, the SHOX gene on the Y chromosome is fully active in males, leading to a higher dose of the gene in men compared to women, and potentially accounting for nearly a quarter of the average difference in height between the sexes. Other male sex hormones account for the rest of the height difference.
- scientists in the field of environmental science are studying the resilience of certain plant galls, like those found on Solanum lycocarpum, as they protect insect larvae from the harmful effects of climate change, such as wildfires,
- a groundbreaking study in the realm of health-and-wellness and fitness-and-exercise indicates that, in addition to visual and auditory cues, cats are capable of recognizing their owners by scent, a talent that could have implications for the overall well-being of cats and their owners,
- in a significant finding that bridges the realms of science and health-and-wellness, researchers have discovered a direct link between the SHOX gene and average height, with an extra Y chromosome resulting in increased height compared to an extra X chromosome, potentially explaining a significant portion of the height difference between men and women.
