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You see them everywhere – perching in the tree, running across the road, fumbling around in the trash… There might even be moments when they would stop chewing on their acorn, and look up at you, staring right into your … Continue reading
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Animals, including humans, perceive their environments using multiple types of sensory systems, which can include visual, auditory, tactile, chemical, or electric senses. They integrate sensory information gathered from different systems and use it to make decisions that will best help … Continue reading
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Picture this: you’re in the kitchen shortly after coming home from the hospital with a brand new baby. While you’re chopping tomatoes, someone sneaks into your house with their baby, silently places their baby in the cradle with your own, … Continue reading
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When you hear the phrase “mating rituals”, what comes to mind? Perhaps the big showy feathers of a peacock, or maybe some elaborate dance. Many common rituals rely on visual signals to attract a mate, like bright colors on feathers, … Continue reading
When it comes to insects, there is a wide diversity of sensory abilities: some have amazing vision, others have an incredible sense of smell, and some have super hearing. But why do some insects have better senses than others, especially … Continue reading
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The use of information is critical for an animal’s success. Animals must decide to explore new options or rely on their preexisting knowledge in multiple facets of their lives, including foraging for food. There are two important types of information … Continue reading
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Nobody likes to be eavesdropped on. It’s an invasion of privacy, someone listening to words not meant for their ears. But if you think that is uncomfortable, imagine if instead of another person eavesdropping, it was a parasitic midge using … Continue reading
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Grocery shopping, while tedious at times, is relatively straightforward–the greatest danger is buying that tub of ice cream because of the enticing advertisements. But in the wild, knowing which meal to choose can be the difference between life and death. … Continue reading
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Pacific field crickets (Teleorgryllus oceanicus) are found throughout islands in the Pacific ocean, Oceania, and coastal Australia. In most of that range, male crickets sing in order to attract mates, but in the Hawaiian Island Kauai, the crickets are surprisingly … Continue reading
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How predator and prey species interact with each other can affect the dynamics of an ecosystem and the consequent species composition and diversity of the area. Because of this, piecing together how these interactions occur and on what levels is … Continue reading
