Science reveals that mice are highly altruistic animals

Victims of prejudice, mice are truly amazing creatures: according to scientific research, they are altruistic animals.

Associated with dirt and disease, rats evoke a sense of disgust and, in many cases, real terror. It suffices to approach these creatures by stripping their prejudices, however, to discover the number of animal traits rich in quality that we have always thought belong exclusively to our species or, at best, to dogs and cats. In fact, scientific research found that i mice I change me: Here’s what you need to know.

Are mice really selfless animals? Science’s answer

Mice are among the species most commonly used for painful and often unnecessary experiments.

A very deep and shareable argument, Peter Singer, philosopher and essayist, author of the volume Animal Liberation, refutes any rationale in support of animal experiments, based on two hypotheses:

“[…] or that the animal is not like us, in which case there is no reason to conduct the experiment; Or that the animal is like us, in which case no experiment should be carried out on it that would be considered horrible if it were performed on a human being“.

Are animals like us? In an attempt to answer this question, scientific research has highlighted how rats are altruistic animals: in fact, they prefer the well-being of their mate over their own personal gain.

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The study was published in the journal Animal Cognition

A team of Japanese researchers from Kwansei Gakuin University conducted an experiment to test whether altruism is a characteristic of mice.

The animals were placed inside a two-part box, separated by a transparent wall.

On the one hand, a rat was placed inside a pool of water and had to swim to stay afloat.

On the other hand, one of his comrades saw the scene and could only open one of two doors: the one that allowed the comrade to save himself from the danger of drowning, or the one that allowed him access to greed. chocolate bar.

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Incredible but true, in 80% of cases, mice preferred to give up food to help their mate.

In particular, scientists note that the specimens that acted faster, and immediately saved the mouse in the pool of water, were the same that had previously found themselves in the same dangerous condition as their companion.

This suggests that mice are able to relate their own experience to that of their fellow species, putting themselves in their shoes and developing a sense of empathy for them.

According to the authors of the experiment, altruism can have a biological basis, which is shared not only by members of the human race, but also by other animals.