Rat whiskers 'test for danger'

Scientists have known for a long time that the movement of rats whiskers allows them a sense of touch that helps them navigate in the dark.

What scientists didn’t know however, was how much control the rats had over their whisker movement – called “whisking”.

By putting unexpected obstacles in their way and removing visual cues, academics from the active touch laboratory in the University of Sheffield’s department of psychology found strong evidence, using high-speed videography, that the creatures moved their whiskers in a purposeful way to safely navigate the course.

In environments in which they were more likely to suffer collisions, the animals moved slower but pushed their whiskers further forward – suggesting they were aware of the risks and acting more cautiously because of it.

This is different to environments that they had come to know, in which they moved faster and changed their whisker movements.

Tony Prescott, professor of cognitive neuroscience at the University of Sheffield, said: “A person moving around in the dark would likely use their hand and fingers to detect objects and obstacles in order to avoid banging into things. In a familiar environment, such as their own home, they might move faster pushing their hands out in front of them in case of unexpected collisions.

“All mammals except humans use facial whiskers as touch sensors. In humans we seem to have replaced this sense, in part, by being able to use our hand and fingers to feel our way.”

For the lazy amongst us though, whiskers doesn’t seem a bad shout.

Source Article from https://uk.news.yahoo.com/rat-whiskers-test-danger-092205054.html

Rat whiskers 'test for danger'