Do pigs have a body awareness? New study causes a dispute!

Do pigs have a body awareness? New study causes a dispute!

Latest research results on the cognitive and emotional intelligence of animals lead a light on the behavior of pigs and their possibly pronounced body awareness. A team around Kimberly Brosche from the Veterinary University of Vienna has developed a testing carue to examine pigs' body awareness. This apparatus consists of wooden panels, a rubber mat and a chain. The pigs had to move a plate with their snout to get hidden food underneath. There was remarkable behavior: they often jumped off the rubber mat to move the plate and reach the feed.

However, the researchers could not finally clarify whether this behavior was a conscious or unconscious reaction to their own body weight. Further examination tasks are required to research whether pigs adapt their behavior after unsuccessful attempts or actually have body awareness that is similar to that of humans. In this regard, National Geographic

In the context of animal behavior research, which often uses rodents as models, it is emphasized that pigs in physiology and brain structure are more similar to humans. This could explain why their empathetic reactions are so pronounced.

empathetic skills in the animal world

Research on empathy is not limited to pigs. Similar behavior could be observed in other animal species. Chimpanzees, for example, help both other chimpanzees and people in need without receiving an expected reward. Rats even show that they free suffering peers from a predicament, even if they have to do without a reward. These deeply rooted empathetic behaviors, such as "https://www.scinexx.de/dossierartikel/empathische-tiere/"> scinexx , indicate a complex emotional intelligence in the animal world.

Research on cognition and empathy in animals provides valuable insights into the development and understanding of social structures in the animal world. With these findings it becomes clear that the animal kingdom has far more facets than we have so far.