Posts tagged ‘dogs’
Foxes May Be the Next Domestic Animal
Cats and dogs evolved thousands of years ago, with other animals, such as livestock, following suit. Interestingly, there appears to be another type of domestication underway: the domestication of the fox. Experiments have shown it is possible and now foxes are becoming more domestic in cities.
The Experiments
In 1959, Russian scientists sought out to prove something: that you can domesticate an animal in a relatively short time via selective breeding. Selective breeding is when you breed animals for a specific trait and only breed those that show the trait. This is how we ended up with so many dog breeds—have you ever wondered how a wolf became a pug? Selective breeding is still used today, for producing everything from disease-resistant crops to countless types of chickens. (more…)
Dogs Poop in Alignment with Earth’s Magnetic Field
By Chad Upton | Editor
In case you don’t know, the Earth is basically one giant magnet. That’s why a compass always points to magnetic North. This is extremely useful for navigation and other location based activities.
Apparently, dogs also find it useful for pooping.
Photo: Scott Spaeth (cc)
Scientists recently published a paper describing their observations and analysis of the direction that dogs poop. For two years they monitored 70 dogs and recorded the axis upon which they defecate. (more…)
Broken Secrets 