A snapshot of scientific thought on emotions in animals

Wild capuchin monkeys in Costa Rica where Emory anthropologist Marcela Benítez is studying their social behaviors. (Capuchinos de Taboga)

The journal Royal Society Open Science published a survey of 100 researchers of animal behavior, providing a unique view of current scientific thought on animal emotions and consciousness. 

“As far as we know, this is the first assessment of how animal behavior researchers across a range of disciplines think about emotions and consciousness in non-human animals,” says Marcela Benítez, assistant professor of anthropology at Emory University and corresponding author of the paper. “It gives us a snapshot in time so that 20 years from now, we can revisit how scientific experts may have changed their views.” 

A majority of the survey respondents ascribed emotions to “most” or “all or nearly all” non-human primates (98%), other mammals (89%), birds (78%), octopus, squids and cuttlefish (72%) and fish (53%). And most of the respondents ascribed emotions to at least some members of each taxonomic group of animals considered, including insects (67%) and other invertebrates (71%). 

The survey also included questions about the risks in animal behavioral research of anthropomorphism (inaccurately projecting human experience onto animals) and anthropodenial (willful blindness to any human characteristics of animals). 

“It’s surprising that 89% of the respondents thought that anthropodenial was problematic in animal behavioral research, compared to only 49% who thought anthropomorphism poses a risk,” Benítez says. “That seems like a big shift.” 

Anthropomorphism, she notes, has long been a leading argument against those who attributed feelings to animals.

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Chemists showcase power of pathbreaking method to make complex molecules

"We've had tremendous impact on developing C-H functionalization as both an academic discipline and for industry applications," says Emory chemist Huw Davies, who brought researchers from 15 universities together under the umbrella of the NSF Center for C-H Funcitonalization.

Chemists synthesized a highly complex natural molecule through a revolutionary strategy of functionalizing normally inert carbon-hydrogen (C-H). Science published the breakthrough led by chemists at Emory University and Caltech. 

The work is the most dramatic example yet of a sequence of C-H functionalization reactions selectively transforming low-cost materials into complex building blocks of organic chemistry. Ten of the steps involved in their synthesis of cylindrocyclophane A — a natural compound with antimicrobial properties — involved C-H reactions. 

“It’s by far the most complex natural product we have made using our method,” says Huw Davies, Emory professor of chemistry and co-corresponding author of the paper. “This is a game changer. We’re doing chemistry on C-H bonds that formerly would have been considered as unreactive. And we’ve shown how we can orchestrate a suite of 10 C-H functionalization steps, targeting a single C-H bond at a time in a specific sequence.” 

“This work moves the field forward by showing the power of C-H functionalization,” adds Brian Stoltz, professor of chemistry at Caltech and co-corresponding author of the paper. “It will open people’s eyes to the possibilities of using these very selective and unusual transformations in a really complex setting.” 

First author is Aaron Bosse, who did the work as an Emory PhD student. Bosse has since graduated and is now a medicinal chemist at Takeda Pharmaceuticals in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

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Bacterial pathogen shows alarming resistance to common cleaners, chemists discover

A new study reveals widespread resistance of a major bacterial pathogen to the active ingredients in cleaning agents commonly used in hospitals and homes. 

The American Chemical Society Infectious Diseases published the research led by chemists at Emory University. It demonstrates the surprising level of resistance to cleaning agents of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a pathogen of particular concern in hospital settings. 

The study also identifies biocides that are highly effective against P. aeruginosa, including a novel compound developed at Emory in collaboration with Villanova University. The researchers describe how these biocides work differently than most disinfectants currently in use. 

“We hope our findings can help guide hospitals to reconsider protocols for the sanitation of patient rooms and other facilities,” says William Wuest, Emory professor of chemistry and a senior author of the study. “We also hope that our findings of a new mechanism of action against these bacterial strains may help in the design of future disinfectant products.” 

First authors of the study are Christian Sanchez (who did the work as an Emory PhD student in chemistry and, following graduation, joined the faculty at Samford University) and German Vargas-Cuebas, an Emory PhD candidate in microbiology through Laney Graduate School. 

“Resistance of pathogens to cleaning agents is an area that’s often overlooked,” Vargas-Cuebas says, “but it’s an important area of study, especially with the rise in antibiotic-resistant pathogens worldwide.”

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Exploring the nature of fathers

"My academic life informed my personal life and vice versa as I wrote the book," Rilling says. "It was an interesting interplay." (Photo by Kay Hinton)

In a new book, James Rilling interweaves his personal experiences as a son, husband and dad with the latest scientific insights into fatherhood. The MIT Press published “Father Nature: The Science of Paternal Potential.” 

“It’s about how and why human males evolved the capacity to be involved caregivers, how that care benefits their children, and the circumstances in which it is more common,” says Rilling, a professor in Emory University’s Department of Psychology and Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. “The intended audience is anyone who is, has or knows a father.” 

Rilling explores the neural basis of human social cognition and behavior as the director of the Laboratory for Darwinian Neuroscience. Around the time of the birth of his first child, he realized that paternal caregiving was a neglected research topic and he decided to make it a focus of his lab. 

He also began teaching an undergraduate course on fatherhood.

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Spiny Mice Point to New Path in Neuroscience

Spiny mice live in arid environments in Africa, the Middle East and southern Asia.

By Carol Clark

Scientists zeroed in on brain circuitry powering the desire of spiny mice to live in large groups, opening the door to a new model for the study of complex social behaviors in mammals. 

Current Biology published the work led by researchers at Emory University. It shows that neural signaling from the brain’s anterior cingulate cortex to the lateral septum drives the preference for spiny mice (Acomys) to affiliate with large peer groups. 

“To our knowledge, this is the first study to identify neural circuitry that promotes group-size preferences in a mammal,” says Aubrey Kelly, senior author of the study and associate professor of psychology at Emory. “We hope that our work paves the way for new insights into complex social behaviors in a range of mammals, including humans.” 

The Kelly lab made the breakthrough by developing methods to use spiny mice as a laboratory model for social neuroscience. 

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