News by Subject Policy & Ethics

Pet dogs are highly receptive to commands from their owners. But is this due to their training or do dogs have an innate ability to understand human signals? A new study finds that 80% of untrained stray dogs successfully followed pointing directions from people to a specific location. The results suggest that dogs can understand and respond to complex gestures without any training, meaning that dogs may have an innate connection to human behaviors.

Deforestation is changing the way monkeys communicate in their natural habitat, according to a new study. This study, led by an anthropologist at the University of Waterloo, offers the first evidence in animal communication scholarship of differences in vocal behaviours in response to different types of forest edge areas.

A new survey of 1000 meat eaters finds support for the principles of veganism, but suggests most think it is inconvenient, expensive and a sacrifice in terms of taste.

The endangered Sunda pangolin, or 'scaly anteater,' is a widely trafficked mammal, prized in some cultures for its meat and scales. Little is known about these animals, and raising rescued pangolins is tricky. In the wild, they eat termites and ants, but diets provided in captivity often make them sick. Now, a study in ACS Omega reports that pangolins lack some common digestive enzymes, which could explain why some diets don't work well for them.

Women and those with veterinary experience were better at recognizing cats' expressions -- even those who reported no strong attachment to cats. The study involved more than 6,300 people from 85 countries. Most participants found the test challenging. Their average score was 12 out of 20 -- somewhat above chance. But 13 percent of participants performed well, correctly scoring 15 or better -- a group informally called 'the cat whisperers.'