IFL Science!: Rodent Resuscitation? Watch Mice Attempt to Revive Their Unconscious Mates



Rodent Resuscitation? Watch Mice Attempt To Revive Their Unconscious Mates



In some wholesome news, some mice seemingly attempt to revive their unconscious peers in an act that could be interpreted as akin to human “first aid”. The rodents were found to paw at, bite, and pull the tongues of their comatose conspecifics – and the researchers were even able to identify distinct brain regions that are crucial for this instinctive behavior. The findings hint that an animalistic impulse to help others in distress may be more common than previously thought. There is anecdotal evidence of such caregiving behavior – including touching, grooming, nudging, and sometimes striking – throughout the animal kingdom. It’s been identified in elephants, chimps, and dolphins, for example.

While these actions are reminiscent of human responses in similar emergency situations, it’s proven difficult to determine their true nature in animals or to work out how common they are and what mechanisms may underpin them.

In the new study, researchers used laboratory mice to address these questions, presenting them with anesthetized and unresponsive individuals and filming their responses.

When the mice encountered a familiar partner in a state of unconsciousness, they displayed very distinct behaviors toward them. This generally escalated from more gentle actions like sniffing and grooming to more forceful behaviors such as biting the other mouse or pulling its tongue out.

These actions were rarely seen when the partner was active or sleeping, ceased once they regained activity, and tended to be more overt when the two mice were familiar with one another.

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