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It is known that openly can communicate with each other only people, rats use the sense of smell for communication. They can do a lot. to learn about each other through smell – Is it a female? Will we be friends her? Who is sick here? What did he eat? Rarely can people learn so much information about the interlocutor through ordinary conversation. New research shows that the act of sniffing may have specific social function, allowing rats to establish your hierarchical status and maintain power. Neurosurgeon Daniel Wesson studied the behavior of a pair of rats in a confined space. The first observations showed that when one rat began to sniff the body and the back of the body are different, her example was followed rest. When one rat began to sniff the muzzle of another, then she immediately refused this ceremony. Further research showed that when some rats began to sniff their faces dominant individuals (large and aggressive), those are not only not they stopped sniffing in response, but did it more intensely. When dominant individuals sniffed the faces and heads of smaller individuals, and those ceased to do this, large rats were aggressive – biting and jumping on small rats. The scientist concluded that with with the help of sniffing, large individuals establish their power, and small ones calm large ones to prevent acts of aggression. Wesson observed the same results when he suppressed a sense of smell rats, which proves his theory that for rats it is more important action, not smells. When a scientist introduced some rats oxytocin, a substance that reduces the sense of hierarchy, aggression rats decreased significantly. It is not clear why sniffing muzzle has a social function, and sniffing the rest of the parts bodies do not matter so much. Wesson suggested that for rats face-to-face communication is very dangerous since the wound in the area throat or neck can be fatal. “When animals face each other, they have to behave carefully, otherwise there is a danger of conflict, ”Wesson explained. – It is also quite possible that only at a short distance some animals can get detailed information about each other. ”
The scientist said he hopes to study the intricacies of the brain animal activity and also understand why they become aggressive or why they have trouble communicating with others by individuals.
Translation by Sergey Vasilenkov
Rats
