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Animals

33519 Knowledge & Communication
Animals communicate to one another consistently in very complex manners, including with pheromones, audible noises, and physical interaction--and apparently, information can be passed on inherently, as well. Researchers at Yerkes National Primate Research Center found that in mice, when a smell was consistently paired with a negative experience in a mouse's lifetime, the descendants of the mouse had physiological differences that pertained to that smell: there was more room in the mouse's olfactory bulb for receiving that type of scent and recognizing it more quickly.

The researchers paired an electric shock to a scent not unlike a cherry blossom, and found that the trauma of the parent mouse was passed down physiologically to the children and even grandchildren of the original receiver. Every mouse with this genetic alteration (every mouse that had direct lineage, including in vitro fertilization but not fostered pups) was more nervous around the scent of cherry blossoms, implying that the fear had been passed on through the parent with altered DNA rather than a social interaction. This furthers the quest for Ultimate Perfection in a very interesting way: short term evolution (since the alteration was not mentioned to be found in the third generation) in order to survive a temporary environmental factor.

This raises important questions like whether the mouse generations with the altered DNA are still the same species-- if the genetics change for three generations, did the species die in the family? Or is this simply an example of knowledge being carried through in packages wrapped up neatly in the reproductive cells of the affected animals?

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  1. Knowledge & Communication Sam Henrickson

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