Rats have empathy

"A trait only previously known to primates" of course it doesn't even require take rocket science to know that since we ARE primates, as well. I think it is obvious that many other animals have empathy as we do especially dogs and dolphins and we can see that. Who needs study to prove it is just wasting time and money.
 
whatdidyousay! said:
Jambo the Gentle Giant Jersey Zoo Boy fell into Gorilla pit - YouTube
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Really careless of the kid to fall in the pit and the man coming in to the pit with a weapon is even more careless as well because apes take their "terrority" seriously. When that ape saw that man with the stick, he felt threatened so of course he would run around looking like he is about to attack, but that's not the ape's fault. He shouldn't even try getting close to that ape with the stick, otherwise he's asking for trouble. big trouble.
 
jillio said:
Actually, the rat brain is very similar to the human brain. That is why they are used in research.
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Even I hear that humans and rats' genes are very similar as well. but that doesn't mean we came from rats.
 
Steel X said:
Even I hear that humans and rats' genes are very similar as well. but that doesn't mean we came from rats.
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No it doesn't imply that we come from rats. But it does imply that we share something in common with them. Genes. I read somewhere that only 2% separates us from animals.
 
Steel X said:
Even I hear that humans and rats' genes are very similar as well. but that doesn't mean we came from rats.
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Yes, they are. No, that doesn't mean that we came from rats. It just means that rats make a good substitute for humans in research. The effects found in the rat population are pretty accurately transferred to the human population.
 
cmdrwhitewolf said:
No it doesn't imply that we come from rats. But it does imply that we share something in common with them. Genes. I read somewhere that only 2% separates us from animals.
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We share 99.9% of our DNA with bonobos.
 
cmdrwhitewolf said:
No it doesn't imply that we come from rats. But it does imply that we share something in common with them. Genes. I read somewhere that only 2% separates us from animals.
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I was descended from a a rat? What a bummer! :shock: :giggle:
 
Wirelessly posted (sent from a smartphone. )

Yep that's why its good idea to let rats out of the cage as much as possible. They love to explore. I have 2 rats myself. :) They also are very social animals.
 
I like rats and find the new information about the depth of other species abilities very interesting.

I remember reading all the hoopla about the findings of Jane Goodall at that time and how people scoffed at that, about what she learned about the chimps.
Then she presented once at my university and it was really neat to see what she had to say.

Then seems like the public started learning more and more about whales, including dolphins and what they can do and understand, and I've read and seen some of the stuff about elephants and what they do with their dead.

Then we have Alex and Irene Pepperberg, too...

so it's intriguing about the rats:hmm:
 
TXgolfer said:
Really? We studied that in high school, we even cut one open.
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You dissected rats in high school?:hmm: Interesting. Most high school biology classes dissect fetal pigs. In undergraduate physiology, it is cats. Never heard of a class dissecting rats before.
 
I was disappointed, in my high school all we ever dissected were frogs and worms. I guess I cannot complain, advanced biology did not prepare me for a life time work with computers (swapping a hard drive out of a computer is nothing compared to swapping a heart - yeah it takes longer but you get breaks to sleep and eat and stuff).
 
dogmom said:
I like rats and find the new information about the depth of other species abilities very interesting.

I remember reading all the hoopla about the findings of Jane Goodall at that time and how people scoffed at that, about what she learned about the chimps.
Then she presented once at my university and it was really neat to see what she had to say.

Then seems like the public started learning more and more about whales, including dolphins and what they can do and understand, and I've read and seen some of the stuff about elephants and what they do with their dead.

Then we have Alex and Irene Pepperberg, too...

so it's intriguing about the rats:hmm:
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dogmom - when I visited a sanctuary for elephants rescued from abuse, it was very moving to see the entire herd of elephants visit an elephant's graveyard and spend hours there every single day. A baby elephant who was born at the sanctuary was killed by lightening over a year ago and as they say, elephants never forget. Her mother, who used to be very social, became a loner after her baby died.
 
Cheetah said:
I was disappointed, in my high school all we ever dissected were frogs and worms. I guess I cannot complain, advanced biology did not prepare me for a life time work with computers (swapping a hard drive out of a computer is nothing compared to swapping a heart - yeah it takes longer but you get breaks to sleep and eat and stuff).
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We did worms in junior high, and frogs in Biology I and fetal pigs in Biology II in high school.
 
we did worms - think they were flatworms - and rats and frogs in AP Bio in high school.

Think the college Bio class I started in was gonna dissect fetal pigs but by then I refused to do it and so withdrew from class and took another Bio which still gave me credits but in which dissection wasn't required.

DC, wow that must have been something to visit the sanctuary and see what the elephants did with that baby!:aw: I think they are amazing animals and have such a spirit. Poor mama elephant!
Who is the researcher who seems to have led the research into elephant behavior - is it Cynthia someone....:hmm: "Echo and her family" come to mind...
 
jillio said:
You dissected rats in high school?:hmm: Interesting. Most high school biology classes dissect fetal pigs. In undergraduate physiology, it is cats. Never heard of a class dissecting rats before.
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We did a rat, pig, frog, worm and a cow's eye. Guess my school was cool. :cool2: (Actually the frog and worm were in Junior High)
 
Cheetah said:
I was disappointed, in my high school all we ever dissected were frogs and worms. I guess I cannot complain, advanced biology did not prepare me for a life time work with computers (swapping a hard drive out of a computer is nothing compared to swapping a heart - yeah it takes longer but you get breaks to sleep and eat and stuff).
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We did the frogs and worms in 7th grade. I will never forget that teacher. She had been attacked and had her throat cut but survived. She had the most vicious looking scar and never covered it up. She was proud of surviving which I thought was pretty cool.
 
I didn't get to do any dissection at my school b/c a bible thumper parent went overboard with protesting about it, so we only got to read about it... :/
 
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