Dogs hear words the same way we do

Say “sit!” to your dog, and—if he’s a good boy—he’ll likely plant his rump on the floor. But would he respond correctly if the word were spoken by a stranger, or someone with a thick accent? A new study shows he will, suggesting dogs perceive spoken words in a sophisticated way long thought unique to humans.

Continue to article...

Dogs painted like tigers to scare off monkeys

Farmers in the Malnad region in South India are reportedly dying their dogs' fur with tiger stripes to scare off bands of marauding monkeys. Apparently the monkeys are wreaking havoc on their corn crops.

Continue to article...

New research demonstrates dogs promote page turning

Reading in the presence of a pooch may be the page-turning motivation young children need, suggests a UBC researcher.

Continue to article...

Infrared images reveal hidden tattoos on Egyptian mummies

Infrared images show a range of markings on seven female mummies, raising questions about ancient Egyptian tattoo traditions.

Continue to article...

Cats communicate with the help of bacteria living in their butts

It’s becoming ever clearer that we live in a microbial world. By now, we are well aware that microbes play important roles in digestion, training the immune system, and protection from pathogens. Although many studies have been done in model organisms like mice, some researchers are now asking similar questions about the microbiota of other animals in the hopes that this could help us take better care of our furry friends.

Continue to article...

Global heating driving spread of mosquito-borne dengue fever

Rising temperatures across Asia and the Americas have contributed to multiple severe outbreaks of dengue fever globally over the past six months, making 2019 the worst year on record for the disease.

Continue to article...

Photo of Madagascan snake wins ecology competition

The British Ecological Society has announced the winners of its annual photography competition. Here are runner-ups and category winners from the competition, including descriptions by photographer

Continue to article...