By 3000 BCE, Egypt was using homing pigeons for pigeon post, taking advantage of a singular quality of this bird. Introduction The true messenger pigeon is a variety of domestic pigeons (Columba livia domestica) derived from the wild rock dove, selectively bred for its ability to find its way home over extremely long distances. The rock dove has an innate[…]
Lions, tigers, and dragons, oh my! By Erin Migdol, Elizabeth Morrison, and Larisa Grollemond During the Middle Ages (which lasted from the years 500–1500), people were as fascinated by animals of all stripes as we are—from snails to elephants to mythical beasts like unicorns and dragons. Animals represented themes and lessons from Christianity and were[…]
The basic design of the collar has not changed since the time of ancient Mesopotamia but variations reflect different cultures. Introduction The dog collar, so often taken for granted, has a long and illustrious history. Anyone fortunate enough to share their life with a dog in the present day is participating in an ancient tradition[…]
Oh, the marvelous wellness world. It never stops surprising us with all kinds of new products that can help us get healthier in one way or another. What’s more, our animals have now become a part of this world and a wide number of manufacturers have decided that it was about time for our pets[…]
Are you looking for a small, snuggly, and furry canine to be your best buddy who also has a sweet temper and is smart too? Well, you won’t really need to look further, a teddy bear dog can be just what you are looking for. The teddy bear dog is bred to be loving and[…]
Accounts describe the unicorn as ferocious, swift, and impossible to capture, with a magical horn capable of healing numerous ailments. By Hillary Smith Introduction The unicorn, a mythical creature popularized in European folklore, has captivated the human imagination for over 2,000 years. For most of that time, well into the Middle Ages, people also believed them[…]
If you’re like most pet parents, keeping pests off your dog is a priority. After all, fleas can bite your dog and other pets in your compound, causing discomfort and irritation. If left untreated, fleas can transmit bacterial infections and tapeworms. Besides taking steps to eliminate adult fleas, pet parents need to find ways to[…]
The dog was a companion, guardian, hunter, professional fighter, tracker, fellow warrior, and sometimes a sacrifice in ancient Rome. Introduction Dogs were highly valued in ancient Rome, as they were in other cultures, and the Roman dog served many of the same purposes as it did in, say, Egypt and Persia, but with a significant[…]
The most basic dog collar no doubt developed on its own in Greece, but the later ones were most likely influenced by the Egyptians. Introduction Dogs in ancient Greece are regularly depicted in art, on ceramics, in literature, and other written works as loyal companions, guardians, hunters, and even as great intuitive thinkers, and all[…]
For Georgian Londoners, the allure of electric animals was both intellectual and sensual. By Ruth Garde / 04.06.2017 Curator, Creative Producer, Writer For Georgian Londoners, the allure of electric animals was both intellectual and sensual. By the time James Munro wrote these words, scientific investigations into the electrical properties of torpedo fish and electric eels had been[…]
So, you found my ancestors? Are you sure this time? epsos There has been much debate about how cats went from hunting in the wild to a much-loved pet. By Akshat Rathi / 12.16.2013 Former Science and Data Editor The Conversation There has been much debate about how cats went from hunting in the wild to a much-loved pet. That is because[…]
Yeah, they messed with my genes. attawayjl Research shows that the genes of the modern horse were forged along the way. By Dr. William Feeney / 09.12.2013 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Biological Sciences The University of Queensland The Silk Road snaked across continents for more than a thousand years, shaping civilisations in East and West.[…]
Official mascot of the 102nd Infantry, 26th “Yankee” Division, and the first dog to be given rank in the U.S. Armed Forces. While training for combat on the fields of Yale University in 1917, Private J. Robert Conroy found a brindle puppy with a short tail. He named him Stubby, and soon the dog became the mascot of the 102nd Infantry,[…]
Andy McLemore/Flickr/Creative Commons By Dr. Raymond Coppinger (left) and Dr. Mark Feinstein (right) / 05.04.2016 Coppinger: Professor Emeritus of Biology Feinstein: Professor of Linguistics and Cognitive Science Hampshire College A Jack Russell terrier tears in and out of its doggie door, skidding and sliding on a hardwood floor, only to repeat the performance over[…]
A floor mosaic from Pompeii depicting a guard dog. (1st century CE) / Wikimedia Commons Dogs have been a part of the history of human beings since before the written word. By Dr. Joshua J. Mark / 01.15.2018 Professor of Philosophy Marist College Dogs in the Ancient World Introduction Dogs have been a part of the history of human[…]
Crowds watching Obaysch, London Zoo’s first hippopotamus in 1852. / Wikimedia Commons According to the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, there are over 10,000 zoos around the world and each year they attract millions of visitors. But as historian Dan Vandersommers discusses this month, zoos have long been much more than simply places to spend[…]
Pilot whales stranded on Farewell Spit, 2015. By Dr. Ellen F. Arnold / 03.09.2016 Associate Professor of History Ohio Wesleyan University On 13 February 2015, 198 pilot whales stranded in Golden Bay on the northern coast of New Zealand’s South Island. Hundreds of volunteers were mobilized by New Zealand’s Conservation Agency, racing against time and tides to save[…]
Could understanding canine compulsions help find new treatments for people with obsessive–compulsive disorders too? By Shayla Love / 06.25.2017 Curiously, and perhaps eagerly, I am looking at a bull terrier named Sputnik, searching for a resemblance. He’s a stocky three-year-old, mostly slate grey, with a white stripe on his head and a pink splotch on his[…]
Photo of Spots courtesy of Isabelle Groc Around the world, canine conservationists are helping humans and wildlife co-exist. By Isabelle Groc / 10.11.2017 It is still cool in the morning as Spots gets ready to start work. Calm and confident, the imposing 10-year old light brown Kangal is leading a herd of goats into a[…]
How do they each know what to do? Tim Nowack By Dr. Craig Tovey / 07.11.2017 Professor of Industrial & Systems Engineering Co-Director, Center for Biologically Inspired Design Georgia Institute of Technology Drop a clump of 100,000 fire ants in a pond of water – or flood a huge area of Texas that’s infested with fire ants and[…]
How do they do while sleeping what we can barely do at all? Carlos Bustamante Restrepo By Dr. Lena Ting and Dr. Young-Hui Chang / 05.23.2017 Ting: Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Rehabilitation Medicine, Emory University Chang: Professor of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology If you’ve watched flamingos at the zoo – or if you’re[…]
Next best thing to a hidey-hole box? / Maggie Villiger, Creative Commons By Dr. Nicholas Dodman / 04.17.2017 Professor Emeritus of Behavioral Pharmacology and Animal Behavior Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine Tufts University Twitter’s been on fire with people amazed by cats that seem compelled to park themselves in squares of tape marked out on[…]
By Jill Suttie / 03.26.2017 Canines and Cooperation My dog, Casey, is one of my favorite beings on the planet. Not only is he extremely cute, his presence calms me, makes me happy, and helps me to meet new people…especially when I take a walk with him. My husband and I often joke that if[…]
01.27.2017 Photos by Britt Haugsevje Vangen Every winter for the past three years, 80-year-old Mette Kvam, from the Norwegian town of Aurland, has been getting two daily visits from a very special friend – a majestic stag who seems to love her tasty snacks. It all started three years ago, when Mette first saw her[…]
01.16.2017 In what can only be described as a heroic act, a golden retriever managed to save his owner’s life by lying on top of him for almost 24 hours to keep him from freezing to death after slipping on ice and breaking his neck. On New Year’s Eve, 64-year-old Bob (who chose not to reveal[…]
Cult copper statue of a crocodile. From Faiyum, modern-day Egypt. Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty, circa 1800 BCE. (State Museum of Egyptian Art, Munich, Germany). By Dr. Joshua J. Mark / 03.18.2016 Professor of Philosophy Marist College The ancient Egyptians kept animals as pets ranging from domesticated dogs and cats to baboons, monkeys, fish, gazelles, birds[…]
Cat cafe, Tokyo 2010. Hiroshi Otabe/AP/Press Association Images. By Lorraine Plourde / 01.05.2017 Cats are the stars of our social media lives. Cat videos and cat memes are now common, if not clichéd, tools through which boredom and stress are managed and alleviated. They are celebrated by us in anthropomorphic terms as being alternately unruly,[…]
Minou. (Photo: Lisa Wade) Animals bring people together—and more sociologists should study them. By Lisa Wade / 12.29.2016 Last month my neighbor and I mustered our emotional strength, gathered up our neighborhood cat, and drove to the SPCA to help her leave this Earth in peace. He had named her Minou — French for kitty, a common term[…]
12.21.2016 45-year-old Rakesh Shukla is a talented software engineer and CEO of a successful tech company, but among India’s animal lovers he is known as “The Dog Father”, an exceptional man who founded the country’s most advanced dog rescue center and who personally takes care of 735 abandoned pooches that nobody else wants. 10 years[…]
By Ben Marks / 12.22.2016 The Genius of Birds / Jennifer Ackerman On Tuesday November 8, 2016, tens of millions of Americans enthusiastically cast their presidential ballots for a tax-cheating, racist demagogue who literally said anything to get the votes of common working stiffs, even though it should have been abundantly obvious to them that[…]