urine

Biodiversity: How a rodent’s fear of big cats shapes a Central American rainforest

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As rodents called agoutis avoid areas where ocelots prowl, they spread fewer of the palm seeds they eat, which could lead to a cascade of changes in biodiversity throughout Panama’s forests Life 8 March 2022 By Jake Buehler An agouti gnawing on a palm seed Steven Paton A game of cat and mouse is playing … Read more

Bonobo infants find the arrival of a new sibling stressful

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Cortisol levels in bonobo infants jumped fivefold when they got a younger sibling and stayed high for 7 months, suggesting they found it extremely stressful Life 4 March 2022 By Alice Klein A young bonobo and her mother Sean M. Lee/George Washington University Bonobo infants become highly stressed when they get a younger sibling and … Read more

Hibernation: Dormant ground squirrels recycle urine to maintain their muscles

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Hibernating animals find it hard to get the nitrogen they need to maintain muscles – but ground squirrels have gut microbes that can break down urea to free up the nitrogen it contains Life 27 January 2022 By Alex Wilkins Hibernating thirteen-lined ground squirrel Robert Streiffer Hibernating ground squirrels stay in shape by recycling urea, … Read more