The first rodent behavioral study (1822) and the diffusion of human-bred albino rats and mice in the 19th century

Frontiers in Psychology, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 15

Published: Feb. 3, 2025

Rodents, in particular rats and mice, are currently the most widely employed animal models psychology behavioral neuroscience. Nevertheless, an interesting historical question is: when was first rodent study performed by whom? The current article presents history of science: a case interspecies social bonding between rat dog, observed 1822 British chemist Samuel Moss (1794–1868) subsequently described same scientific 1836. In present article, after biographical sketch Moss, I examine detail notable Moss. This is under several points view. First, Moss’s albino, variety which at that time extremely rare. Moreover, time, Western world were mostly seen as pest animals or baits for rat-catching sports, not kept pets. color played key role its fate, being reason it originally brought to decided keep his care. Third, relationship arose dog even more surprising if we consider trained rat-catcher. Importantly, this rat-dog case, showcased tameness albino both lay publications, represented popularization docility rats. After having outlined considering importance our society, research (where has become prototype laboratory rat) pets, provide contextualization regarding rodents, starting from 17th century, then trace post-Moss diffusion human-bred mice 19th century.

Language: Английский

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Methods for Assessing Neurodevelopmental Disorders in Mice: A Critical Review of Behavioral Tests and Methodological Considerations Searching to Improve Reliability

NeuroSci, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 6(2), P. 27 - 27

Published: March 27, 2025

Many neurobehavioral tests are used for the assessment of human-like behaviors in animals. Most them were developed rodents and animal models that mimic human neurodevelopmental neuropsychiatric disorders (NDDs). We have described assessing social behavior, interaction, communication; restricted repetitive behaviors; cognitive impairment, sensory stimuli, anxiety like motor coordination deviations. These to demonstrate autistic-like behavior as well other NDDs. possible general pitfalls performance such studies, probable individual errors each group specific behavior. The mentioned may induce crucial interpretation results, minimizing reliability defined NDD. It is imperative minimize these use sufficient reliable can many traits disorder, grade severity deviations tested NDD by using a scoring system. Due gender differences clinical presentations NDD, it important carry out studies on males females.

Language: Английский

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Robotic animals as new tools in rodent neuroscience research: proposed applications of zooinspired robots for mouse behavioral testing

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 19

Published: Feb. 24, 2025

Bioinspired robots are machines which reproduce structural or functional features of a living organism. In particular, the bioinspired animals can be more specifically defined as zooinspired robots. Currently, applications animal various and range across different fields, such as, for instance, nature conservation, search rescue humans after natural man-made disasters, exploration extraterrestrial environments robotic pets elderly people under care dementia. Several species have been imitated up to now, from lizards butterflies, fish dogs. Animal used investigate social behavior an through animal-robot interactions called ethorobots. Intriguingly, ethorobots able in laboratory behaviors that generally produced spontaneously difficult impossible evoke modulate captive animals, makes these particularly useful tools experimental ethology ethological neuroscience. Rodents, primarily mice rats, most common model biomedical research. Coherently with importance scientific research, rats attracting increasing efforts robotics over course past five decades. The technological advancement will make their employment research increasingly useful. However, clear should identified order challenge engineers design serve scopes. present work, we describe possible practical mouse behavioral testing six domains, namely courtship, parental care, antipredatory behavior, helping predation territory defense-related aggression. outline how could employed interact series specific tests behavior. Finally, conclusion consider ethical epistemological advantages use Indeed, benefit on both terms optimized welfare tested subjects extended opportunities designing due unprecedented control independent variables.

Language: Английский

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Catch me if you can: free-living mice show a highly flexible dodging behaviour suggestive of intentional tactical deception

Royal Society Open Science, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 11(7)

Published: July 1, 2024

Intentional tactical deception, the employment of a tactic to intentionally deceive another animal, is complex behaviour based on higher-order cognition, that has rarely been documented outside primates and corvids. New laboratory-to-field assays, however, provide opportunity investigate such among free-living mice. In present study, we placed laboratory-style test chambers with single entrance near forest Warsaw, where observed social interactions two territorial murids, black-striped yellow-necked mice, under food competition for seven months. Notably, interactions, video-recorded 21 instances deceptive pursuer evasion. most obvious cases, an individual inside chamber, avoid incoming mouse, hid by chamber opening (the only means enter or exit), paused until entered passed by, then exploited distraction back-turned fleeing through in direction opposite one came from. This dodging first evidence suggestive intentional deception As such, this may be interest not rodent psychology but also, more generally, fields non-human intentionality theory mind.

Language: Английский

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Continuous locomotor activity monitoring to assess animal welfare following intracranial surgery in mice

Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 18

Published: Sept. 4, 2024

Locomotor activity can serve as a readout to identify discomfort and pain. Therefore, monitoring locomotor following interventions that induce potential may reliable method for evaluating animal health, complementing conventional methods such body weight measurement. In this study, we used the digital ventilated cage (DVC

Language: Английский

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