Genetically Engineered Mouse is Not Scared of Cats 286
Gary writes "A team from the University of Tokyo has genetically engineered a mouse that does not fear cats. By tweaking genes to disable certain functions of the olfactory bulb (the area of the brain that receives information about smells directly from olfactory receptors in the nose) the researchers were able to create a 'fearless' mouse that does not try to flee when it smells cats, foxes and other predators. 'The research suggests that the mechanism by which mammals determine whether or not to fear another animal they smell -- and whether or not to flee -- is not a higher-order cerebral function. Instead, that decision is made based on a lower-order function that is hardwired into the neural circuitry of the olfactory bulb.'"
Smell only? (Score:4, Interesting)
Seems flawed... (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:Smell only? (Score:5, Interesting)
I happen to believe that they are correct in that mice fears predators at an instinct level... But I disagree that it's smell alone.
Re:Smell only? (Score:3, Interesting)
Epigenetics (Score:3, Interesting)
Read more at:
Discover Magazine, November 2006 [discovermagazine.com]
Wikepedia: Epigenetics. [wikipedia.org]
Science Magazine [sciencemag.org]
Re:An example for non-hunters who may not know (Score:3, Interesting)
My in-laws had a problem with deer on their property and tried every solution that was suggested [apart from shooting them]. Urine and dung from every creature known to man was scattered about to no effect. Finally we found the one thing to work - it's a motion detector on a water hose, animal crosses the path and gets a jet of water. After a couple of times the wild-life problems were solved - to be replaced by local kid daring each other to run past it.
Re:Oh really? (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Smell only? (Score:3, Interesting)
This shows that guinea pigs are not hardwired to fear cats and that cats do need their prey to run.
Maybe these mice aren't such an evolutionary dead end after all.