Ptera Hunter's Blog - Posts Tagged "ptera-hunter"
Micro-level deception.
Deception isn't solely a grand affair; it can unfold on a microscopic scale. Within our bodies, tiny predators lurk unseen. These parasites deploy a cunning arsenal of chemical weaponry. These insidious invaders unleash compounds that mimic our body's natural signals and hormones. Through this subterfuge, they hijack our internal communications to disrupt our regular processes and behaviors. The intricate balance of nature is replete with parasitic plants and animals that concoct deceptive potions, perfectly mirroring the growth hormones of their unwitting hosts. As the host diverts vital nutrients and resources to the imposters, their parasite thrives.
The horsehair worm, without ever breaching its host's brain, orchestrates a macabre ballet in the grasshopper. It compels the insect to leap to its death, seeking out water to leap to its own death, drowning itself in bodies of water. There, the work escapes from the insect's body and lays its eggs, ready to infect the next host in its life cycle.
The horsehair worm, without ever breaching its host's brain, orchestrates a macabre ballet in the grasshopper. It compels the insect to leap to its death, seeking out water to leap to its own death, drowning itself in bodies of water. There, the work escapes from the insect's body and lays its eggs, ready to infect the next host in its life cycle.
Getting Ready at Last
I'm on the cusp of completing the seemingly endless editing and updates for my upcoming book, and I'm gearing up to launch it into the world. As soon as I receive the green light from my publisher to release content, I'll start spreading the word. The excitement is palpable, and my shoulders feel the strain of ten months spent at the keyboard. It's been quite a journey, and I can't wait to share the final product with all of you.
Bees like playing with balls!
Play behavior has been observed in animals with big brains, like mammals, birds, and octopuses. A study from Queen Mary University found that bees, too, may enjoy play behavior.
In a standard conditioning experiment, a team headed by Professor Lars Chittka tried to teach bees to roll tiny balls to obtain a food reward. So far, it's pretty standard stuff.
Then, someone noticed that some of the bees rolled balls even when no food incentive was available. This triggered the standard response of scientists to something unexpected: Hmm. That's odd. I wonder if...
They decided to see if the bees were playing, doing an activity for the sheer joy of a behavior, not for the promise of a reward. They gave the bees a choice of two paths out of their hive. One led straight to food; the other had balls they could interact with.
The bees preferred the path that gave them access to the balls, and like us, younger bees spent more time playing than did the older ones. We see this same pattern in mammals, and play may serve the same function in both kinds of animals, honing life skills and physical fitness. Like us, bees engage in pattern recognition, directional navigation, and even a rudimentary form of "proto-counting."
Bees have thus become the first insect known to seek out objects to have fun. As with us, play is likely to
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh4a1...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eUGj...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...
In a standard conditioning experiment, a team headed by Professor Lars Chittka tried to teach bees to roll tiny balls to obtain a food reward. So far, it's pretty standard stuff.
Then, someone noticed that some of the bees rolled balls even when no food incentive was available. This triggered the standard response of scientists to something unexpected: Hmm. That's odd. I wonder if...
They decided to see if the bees were playing, doing an activity for the sheer joy of a behavior, not for the promise of a reward. They gave the bees a choice of two paths out of their hive. One led straight to food; the other had balls they could interact with.
The bees preferred the path that gave them access to the balls, and like us, younger bees spent more time playing than did the older ones. We see this same pattern in mammals, and play may serve the same function in both kinds of animals, honing life skills and physical fitness. Like us, bees engage in pattern recognition, directional navigation, and even a rudimentary form of "proto-counting."
Bees have thus become the first insect known to seek out objects to have fun. As with us, play is likely to
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nh4a1...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eUGj...
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science...
What inspired you to explore the biology of lying?
I must acknowledge my animal behavior students, who consistently challenge me to delve deeper into the subject. Many of these poor souls enroll in it, expecting an easy class to complement their molecular biology or physiology classes, only to find that animal behavior encompasses physiology, endocrinology, evolutionary and developmental biology, and systematics.
One thing that astounds people is that so much of our communication evolved to confound others, leaving others to guess our true intent. Communication among organisms tends toward honesty when they share common goals. Once these goals diverge, the shared information becomes misleading as each tries to take advantage of the other.
And for those skeptics who doubt a dog's capacity for deception, it's likely they've never experienced the subtle art of canine cunning.
One thing that astounds people is that so much of our communication evolved to confound others, leaving others to guess our true intent. Communication among organisms tends toward honesty when they share common goals. Once these goals diverge, the shared information becomes misleading as each tries to take advantage of the other.
And for those skeptics who doubt a dog's capacity for deception, it's likely they've never experienced the subtle art of canine cunning.
