356: Up to Date | Social Parrots, Empathetic Rodents, Microbiome Analyses

This week we delve into a study with a citizen science element regarding the evolution of a social behavior in parrots, followed by a collaborative study regarding empathy in rodents, particularly toward those with whom they were kin or had some sense of association. Our hosts share the results of their own recent microbiome analyses which leads into a study looking at the impact of dietary fibre on gut microbes—and they finish up with a look at how migratory birds may help redistribute plants as the impact of climate change intensifies.

Links:

• Innovation and Geographic Spread of a Complex Foraging Culture and an Urban Parrot

• Neural Correlates of ingroup Bias for Prosociality in Rats

• Designer Fibre Meals Sway Human Gut Microbes

• Migratory Birds Aid the Redistribution of Plants to New Climates